Does my home insurance cover my roof?
Short answer. Yes, your roof is part of the house, so the dwelling coverage in a standard homeowners policy covers it, including the shingles, against sudden damage like hail, wind, fire and falling trees. How much it pays depends on your policy's endorsements: some pay older roofs only actual cash value or on an age-based schedule, and some exclude cosmetic damage.
Check your own policy in about 10 minutes
- Declarations page: find your dwelling limit (Coverage A), your all-perils deductible, and any separate wind and hail deductible, which may be a percentage.
- Loss settlement: look for replacement cost or actual cash value. Some policies pay replacement cost for the house but actual cash value for roof surfaces.
- Endorsements list: scan for words like roof surfacing, payment schedule, cosmetic damage, or windstorm or hail. Those forms change how roof claims are paid.
- Exclusions: wear and tear, deterioration, vermin and faulty workmanship are standard.
- Conditions: note how quickly you must report a loss and any deadline for claiming held back depreciation.
What about the shingles specifically?
Shingles damaged by hail or wind are covered. Shingles that are curling, cracking or losing granules from age are not. If some shingles are damaged and the rest cannot be matched, whether more of the roof is replaced depends on your policy wording.
Ask your agent, and get it in writing
Questions worth asking: Is my roof paid at replacement cost? Is there a roof payment schedule? Do I have a cosmetic damage exclusion? What is my wind and hail deductible in dollars? An email answer is better than a phone call you cannot prove later.
See roof payment schedules, the cosmetic exclusion and wind and hail deductibles.