Does home insurance cover a leaking ceiling?
Short answer. It depends on where the water comes from and whether the cause was sudden. A ceiling leaking because of storm damage to the roof or a burst pipe is generally covered; a leak from a worn roof, a slowly dripping fitting or a clogged AC condensate line is usually treated as maintenance.
Find the source first
- Roof: leaks that appear during or after rain, often near chimneys, vents, skylights or valleys.
- Plumbing: leaks that happen whether or not it is raining, often below bathrooms or near water heaters.
- AC condensate: drips in summer from an attic air handler, a clogged drain line or a rusted drain pan.
- Bath fans and ducts: condensation dripping from an uninsulated duct, worst in winter.
How coverage usually breaks down
- Storm opened the roof: roof repair and interior damage generally covered, minus your deductible.
- Pipe burst suddenly: the resulting water damage is generally covered; the pipe itself may not be.
- Worn roof, slow drip, clogged drain line: generally excluded as wear, maintenance or repeated seepage.
What to do right now
- Catch the water and move belongings.
- If the ceiling bulges, relieve it with a small hole at the low point into a bucket.
- Shut off water if plumbing is suspected.
- Photograph the ceiling and anything wet.
- Call a roofer if it only leaks in rain; call a plumber or HVAC tech if it does not.
If the roof is the source, see interior water damage coverage; to judge storm damage versus age, read wear and tear vs storm damage.