Can I claim a new roof on my insurance?
Short answer. You can if a covered event, usually hail, wind, or a falling tree, damaged the roof badly enough that it cannot reasonably be repaired. Insurance does not pay for a new roof because the old one wore out, so the claim has to point to sudden storm damage on a specific date.
What has to be true
- Covered cause: hail, wind, a falling limb, or another peril your policy covers.
- Date of loss: a specific storm, reported within the time your policy requires.
- Functional damage: bruised or fractured shingles, torn or creased tabs, or punctures, not just granule loss from age.
- Not reasonably repairable: damage across enough of the roof, shingles too brittle to patch, or materials that cannot be matched.
How to start
- Get a free inspection with photos before you file, so you know whether there is damage worth claiming. A claim filed on an undamaged roof can still show up in your claim history.
- Report the claim with the storm date.
- Be present, with your roofer, for the adjuster's inspection.
- Review the estimate line by line and send a supplement for anything missing.
- After the work, submit the final invoice to release recoverable depreciation if your policy pays replacement cost.
What you will pay
Your deductible, always. In Georgia, no contractor can legally pay or waive it. If your policy pays the roof on an actual cash value basis or an age-based schedule, you may also absorb the depreciation. Read does homeowners insurance cover roof replacement for the coverage side, and the step-by-step how to file a roof insurance claim for the process.