Does home insurance cover water damage from a roof?

The opening rule

Standard policies cover rain damage inside the home when the direct force of wind or hail first created an opening in the roof or walls. Water that seeped through a worn roof with no storm opening is usually excluded, as is damage from leaking that continued over weeks or months.

What a covered claim can include

• Structure: roof repair or replacement, soaked decking, wet attic insulation, ceiling drywall, texture and paint.
• Finishes: walls, trim, flooring and cabinets that were wet.
• Belongings: furniture, electronics, rugs and clothing under personal property coverage.
• Mitigation: tarps, water extraction, fans and dehumidifiers.
• Loss of use: extra living costs if the home is unlivable during repairs.
• Mold: remediation from a covered water loss, often up to a sublimit.

What can reduce the payment

• Waiting to tarp or dry the house, which can be treated as failure to mitigate.
• Throwing out damaged items before they are photographed.
• Pre-existing stains or rot that show an older leak.

Steps

1. Tarp the roof and stop the water. See your duty to mitigate.
2. Photograph every wet room and item.
3. Start drying within a day.
4. Report the claim with the storm date.

For more on wind openings, read wind damage roof claims and interior water damage coverage.