Which home insurance deductible applies to a roof claim?
Short answer. It depends on what damaged the roof. Many Georgia policies have an all other perils deductible for things like fire or a dead tree falling, plus a separate, often higher, wind and hail deductible for most storm damage, and coastal policies may add a named storm deductible. The cause listed on the claim decides which one is subtracted.
Matching cause to deductible
- Hail: wind and hail deductible.
- Wind tearing off shingles: wind and hail deductible.
- A tree blown over onto the roof: usually the wind and hail deductible, because wind caused the fall.
- A dead tree falling on a calm day: usually the all other perils deductible.
- Lightning or fire: all other perils deductible.
- Weight of ice or snow: usually all other perils, though some policies group winter storms differently.
- Hurricane or tropical storm: the named storm deductible if your policy has one and its trigger was met.
Flat or percentage
The all other perils deductible is usually a flat amount such as $1,000 or $2,500. The wind and hail deductible is often a percentage of your dwelling limit, such as 1 or 2 percent, which can be several thousand dollars. It is based on the dwelling limit on your declarations page, not on the roof cost.
Where to look
The declarations page lists each deductible. Endorsements may add a separate roof deductible or change how wind is handled. If wind is excluded entirely, the roof needs a separate wind policy.
One storm, one deductible
All damage from the same storm, roof, gutters, fence and siding, is normally one claim with one deductible.
See percentage wind and hail deductibles, date of loss and why roofers cannot cover it.