Does homeowners insurance cover gutters?
Short answer. Yes, gutters are part of your house, so homeowners insurance covers them when a covered event such as hail, wind, a falling tree or the weight of ice damages them. It does not cover gutters that fail from clogs, rust, loose hangers or age.
Which coverage applies
- Gutters on the house: Coverage A, dwelling.
- Gutters on a detached garage, workshop or shed: Coverage B, other structures.
- Gutter guards: covered along with the gutters they are attached to.
Covered and excluded
- Covered events: hail dents, wind detachment, falling limbs, ice weight where the policy includes it.
- Excluded causes: clogs and overflow, sagging from debris or loose hangers, rust, leaking seams from aged sealant, damage from animals or pests.
Hail dents and adjusters
Adjusters routinely check gutters, downspouts, vents and other soft metals after a hail storm. Dents there help confirm the hail size that reached your roof. Whether dented gutters are replaced often depends on how widespread the dents are and on your policy wording, so photograph them clearly.
Gutters and the roof claim
Report gutter damage on the same claim as roof damage from that storm. Even undamaged gutters may need to be detached and reset to install new drip edge, and that labor belongs on the estimate.
Keep them maintained
Clean gutters protect the coverage on the rest of your home. Water that backs up under shingles or rots fascia because of clogs is usually denied as neglect. See the after a hail storm checklist, what roof adjusters look for, and wear and tear vs storm damage.