Does home insurance cover gutter repair?
Short answer. Home insurance covers gutter repair when a covered event such as wind, hail, a falling limb or the weight of ice damaged the gutters. On its own, a gutter repair often costs less than the deductible, so it usually makes sense only as part of a larger claim from the same storm.
Repairs that are usually covered
- Sections pulled loose or bent by high wind.
- Gutters crushed or torn down by a falling limb.
- Hail dents that crimp the gutter or downspouts.
- Gutters torn away by the weight of ice, if your policy covers that peril.
Repairs that are usually not
- Leaking seams and end caps from aged sealant.
- Sagging caused by debris weight or loose hangers.
- Rust and corrosion.
- Fascia rot from years of overflow.
Repair or replace the run?
Seamless aluminum gutters are formed on site in continuous runs, so a damaged section is often replaced as a full run rather than patched. Color and profile matching also matter on the front of the house. A good estimate prices gutters per linear foot and includes downspouts, elbows, miters and any guards.
One storm, one deductible
If the same storm damaged the roof, siding or screens, put the gutters on that same claim. They share one deductible, and dented gutters help prove hail size for the roof. Filing gutters separately later can mean a second deductible or a dispute over the date.
See the after a hail storm checklist and wind damage roof claims.