What roof damage is covered by insurance?
Short answer. Homeowners insurance covers roof damage from sudden, accidental events: hail, wind, falling trees and limbs, fire, lightning, and in most policies the weight of ice or snow. It does not cover wear and tear, age, poor installation, neglected maintenance, damage from pests, and in many policies cosmetic hail dents that do not affect how the roof works.
Usually covered
- Hail: bruised or fractured shingles, granule loss in round impact marks, cracked vents and skylights, dented flashing.
- Wind: missing, torn or creased shingles, lifted ridge cap, flashing peeled back.
- Falling objects: trees and limbs that puncture or crush the roof and decking.
- Fire and lightning: including smoke damage and blown out sections.
- Weight of ice, snow or sleet: in most homeowners policies.
Usually not covered
- Uniform granule loss, curling, cracking and blistering from sun and age.
- Leaks from failed pipe boots, worn flashing or old sealant.
- Installation defects such as high nailing or missing starter strip.
- Squirrel, raccoon, bird and insect damage under the typical vermin exclusion.
- Rot and mold from long-term leaks.
Gray areas
Some policies exclude cosmetic damage, such as hail dents on metal that do not let water in. Older roofs may be paid at actual cash value or on a payment schedule, and many Georgia policies carry a percentage deductible for wind and hail. Each of these can shrink a payout even when the damage is covered. See wear and tear versus hail damage and the cosmetic damage exclusion.
How the insurer verifies it
Expect the adjuster to check weather data for your date of loss, count damage in test squares, and look for patterns that match a storm rather than age. Damage that is random and fresh points to a storm; damage that is uniform and weathered points to wear.