Does insurance cover everything after the deductible?
Short answer. No. After the deductible, insurance pays for covered damage up to your policy limits, but several things can still come out of your pocket: depreciation on an actual cash value settlement, items the policy excludes, sublimits on things like mold and trees, code upgrades without the right coverage, and any upgrades you choose.
The gaps that show up on roof claims
- Non-recoverable depreciation. On an actual cash value policy or a roof payment schedule, the insurer subtracts depreciation for age and never pays it back.
- Recoverable depreciation you never claim. On a replacement cost policy, the second check is paid only after the work is done and you submit the final invoice.
- Code upgrades. Items the building code requires today but your old roof did not have, such as drip edge or ice barrier, need ordinance or law coverage.
- Sublimits. Mold, tree removal and some other items have caps far below the dwelling limit.
- Cosmetic exclusions. Dents that do not affect function, common on metal roofs, may be excluded.
- Undamaged areas. If only two slopes are approved, the rest of the roof is not included unless matching or repairability arguments win.
- Upgrades. A better shingle line, new gutter guards or added ventilation beyond what you had is your cost.
A quick example
A $16,000 roof on a replacement cost policy with a $2,000 deductible: you pay $2,000 and the insurer pays $14,000 in two checks. The same roof on an actual cash value policy with $5,000 of depreciation: you pay the $2,000 deductible plus the $5,000 that is never released.
How to close the gaps
Read the estimate line by line, submit a supplement for missing items, and file the final invoice for recoverable depreciation. See ACV vs RCV, code upgrades and recoverable depreciation.