Does insurance cover roof and chimney repair?
Short answer. Insurance covers roof and chimney repairs when a sudden event caused the damage, such as lightning, wind, a falling tree, or hail damaging a chimney cap or flashing. It does not cover crumbling mortar, a cracked crown, or flashing that simply wore out, because those are maintenance items.
Typically covered
- Lightning strikes that crack or topple a chimney
- A tree or limb striking the chimney or the roof around it
- Wind tearing off flashing, a chimney cap, or a chase cover
- Hail denting metal caps, chase covers, and flashing
- Interior water damage that results from any of these
- Chimney fire damage to the house
Typically excluded
- Spalling brick and eroded mortar joints
- A cracked or deteriorated crown
- Flashing or sealant that failed with age
- Settling, leaning, or separation from foundation movement
- Leaks left unaddressed until they caused rot or mold
Chimneys during a roof replacement
When a covered claim replaces the roof, the estimate should include new step flashing, reuse or replacement of counter flashing, and a cricket where code calls for one; building codes generally require a cricket on the uphill side of chimneys wider than 30 inches. Whether the policy pays for code required additions depends on ordinance or law coverage. Check the lines with how to read an Xactimate estimate.
How to tell storm damage from wear
Fresh damage looks fresh: bright bent metal, clean brick breaks, debris on the roof. Wear looks gradual: rust, crumbling mortar, staining that grew over months. Photos taken right after the storm make the difference. Robust Roofing's guide to chimney flashing leaks explains what a lasting fix looks like.