Does My Homeowner's Insurance Cover Roof Damage?

One of the perils of being a homeowner is that disaster can happen one day without any warning: hailstones can punch holes in your roof, a falling tree branch collapses a huge chunk of the roof over your head, or a faulty electrical connection sparks a fire in your attic burns through much of your roof’s structure before firefighters are able to get it out. These are just a few examples of things which can cause immense damage to your roof and leave you wondering how you’re going to get it fixed.

There’s good news, however: this is why you have homeowner’s insurance. This insurance is designed to be there to protect you and pay for the cost of serious repairs to restore your home in the event the unforeseeable or unpredictable happens. And the great news for homeowners that have suffered roof damage is that yes, your homeowner’s insurance does cover damage to your roof.

Hail Damage

While small hail may not seem like much, large hail can quickly build up to a massive force of destruction. In fact, certain areas of North Texas have seen hailstones that approach the size of a baseball. That size of stone falling at over 100 miles per hour can absolutely destroy a roof here in the Arizona area, particularly those built with clay tiles (as many homes are). While we’re fortunate that hail of that size is almost unheard of, the truth is it can happen and it’s important to be prepared.

When this kind of damage does happen, your insurance does cover the cost of repairs, particularly as repairs may involve completely replacing your roof with the sheer volume of the damage that’s done. It’s a good idea to talk to your insurance company about this type of damage beforehand to make sure you know what to do if your roof does sustain damage from a fluke hailstorm.

Falling Tree Branches

A falling tree branch is one of the most common types of major roof damage in the area. Arizona’s dry climate is largely inhospitable to a number of different types of trees, but some still do grow, and often with the help of people who want to care for them. That being said, when a tree grows too old, dies, or dries out, large branches with a lot of weight can become brittle, and that means they could be prone to snapping and falling.

A heavy tree branch can cause everything from shattered and broken tiles to completely collapsing a section of your roof. And in many cases the repairs after one of these incidents are extensive. This is one situation in which filing a claim with your insurance is usually a good idea to get your home repaired.

Fire

One advantage we have here in Arizona is that clay and concrete tiles, two of the most common types of roof in the area, are both considered “fire-resistant.” While the wood structure beneath them certainly can burn, these materials are not flammable, which means that any sparks or embers which jump onto your roof top won’t ignite your roof itself.

That doesn’t mean a fire can’t happen from the inside, however. But the good news is that if you do suffer serious roof damage from a fire, then your homeowner’s insurance will likely pay for the repairs or full replacement to have it rebuilt.

What Isn’t Covered

Here’s the thing with your homeowner’s insurance policy: it’s designed to help you in the event of a disaster, not from routine wear and tear. Thus, it isn’t going to cover leaks and other damage that happens from typical aging. Notice a pesky leak during the last major rainfall? Well you’re going to have to get that fixed yourself.

It’s also important to note that every policy is different and your coverage may not be the same as your neighbors or some of the examples listed here. Whenever you’re preparing for the unpredictable, one of the things you should do is to make sure that a copy of your homeowner’s insurance policy is stored somewhere away from your home, such as with a parent, sibling, or other close, trusted friend who can keep some of your most important documents under lock and key.

Multi-Family Living

If you live in a multi-family complex, such as a condominium, then you probably have a slightly different homeowner’s insurance policy. In fact, your policy more than likely doesn’t actually cover your roof at all. That’s because you’re actually paying for it in a different way: through homeowner’s association fees. Have you ever noticed how condos seem to have the highest HOA fees out there—even more than houses which have a number of amenities? This is because HOAs also collect monthly dues for insurance on the various buildings. When something happens to your roof, the HOA’s insurance company is the one to take care of it because odds are it’s going to affect other roofs in addition to yours.

Can you imagine the hassle of trying to get multiple insurance companies to coordinate on repairs for two or three different units, and have them constantly bicker and argue about which company is responsible for how much? It would take ages. Instead, having one company take care of the repairs and then having all residents contribute to the dues for this policy every month is a far more practical and efficient way to go. That being said, your homeowner’s insurance policy likely will cover any damaged possessions you may have from the incident which damaged your roof, and even pay for loss of use, which means they’ll pay for some of your expenses when you can’t stay in your home because of the damage.

Do you need your roof repaired or replaced? Call the Phoenix roofers from Lyons Roofing at (520) 447-2522 today!

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