Will home insurance pay for a roof leak?
Short answer. Home insurance pays for a roof leak when a covered event caused it, such as wind, hail, a falling tree or the weight of ice and snow. It generally does not pay when the leak comes from age, worn materials, poor installation or lack of maintenance, though some policies still cover sudden interior damage from those leaks.
Leak causes that are usually covered
- Shingles torn off or creased by wind
- Hail that fractured shingles or punctured vents and flashing
- A tree or limb that punctured the roof
- Weight of ice, snow or sleet damaging the roof structure
- Ice that forced water under shingles, depending on the policy
Leak causes that usually are not
- Cracked rubber pipe boots and dried out sealant
- Rusted or loose flashing at chimneys and walls
- Nail pops and worn out shingles at the end of their life
- Improper installation, such as missing kickout flashing or high nailing
- Clogged gutters or valleys that let water back up
- Attic condensation from poor ventilation, which can look like a leak
The gray area
Some policies exclude the worn roof part but cover the sudden interior water damage it caused. Others exclude both if the leak went on for weeks. The wording of your policy and how fast you reported it decide which. See interior water damage coverage.
What to do
Stop the water, photograph everything, and get the cause identified before you file. If the leak traces to storm damage, report it promptly with the storm date. If it traces to a worn component, repair it directly. Our page on wind damage roof claims covers the most common covered cause in North Georgia.