Does home insurance cover roof tiles?
Short answer. Yes, home insurance covers clay or concrete roof tiles broken by a covered event such as hail, wind or a falling limb, minus your deductible. It does not cover tiles cracked by foot traffic or age, or a worn-out underlayment beneath the tiles, which is often the real cause of tile roof leaks.
How tile roofs fail
- Storm breakage. Large hail can crack or chip tiles, and high winds can lift or dislodge them, especially at ridges, hips and edges.
- Foot traffic. Tiles crack when walked on the wrong way by satellite installers, painters and even inspectors. That is not a storm loss.
- Underlayment. The tiles shed most of the water, but the underlayment beneath keeps the house dry, and it can wear out long before the tiles do. Leaks from aged underlayment are maintenance.
Matching and replacement
Tile colors and profiles get discontinued and weather over time. If replacement tiles cannot reasonably match, raise it with the adjuster; see partial roof replacement and matching. Salvaged tiles from a less visible slope are sometimes used to repair the front.
Insurance quirks for tile
- Some policies apply cosmetic damage exclusions to tile, paying only for breaks that affect function. See cosmetic damage exclusions.
- Roof payment schedules sometimes give tile a longer life than shingles.
- Ask for close-up photos of each broken tile, tied to the storm date.
In Georgia
Tile is uncommon on North Georgia homes, where architectural shingles dominate, so finding matching tile and a crew that handles it takes planning. If you call shingles roof tiles, the same rule applies: damage from a covered storm is paid, and wear is not.