How much does homeowners insurance cover for roof damage?
Short answer. Homeowners insurance covers the cost to repair or replace roof damage from a covered event like hail, wind or a falling tree, up to your dwelling limit, minus your deductible and, on many policies, minus depreciation until the work is done. It does not cover wear and tear, and some policies pay older roofs only at actual cash value or by a payment schedule.
What a covered roof loss usually includes
- Tear off and replacement of the damaged roof or slopes, with underlayment, flashing, vents, drip edge and ridge cap
- Gutters, siding, windows and screens damaged by the same storm
- Interior damage from water that came in through the storm opening
- Reasonable emergency repairs, such as tarping, to prevent more damage
- Debris removal, including limited coverage to remove fallen trees
Built in limits worth knowing
Many standard forms include ordinance or law coverage, often 10 percent of the dwelling limit, for work the building code requires during the repair. Tree removal is usually capped at modest amounts per tree and per loss. Your declarations page and policy show your numbers.
What reduces the payment
- Your deductible, which may be a percentage of the dwelling limit for wind and hail
- Depreciation, recoverable or not depending on the policy
- Endorsements such as an actual cash value roof, a payment schedule or a cosmetic damage exclusion
What it does not cover
Age, wear, poor installation, neglect and slow leaks are excluded on standard forms. The line between storm damage and wear is where most roof disputes happen; see wear and tear vs hail damage. For code items, read code upgrade coverage.