Would home insurance cover roof damage?
Short answer. Home insurance generally covers roof damage from sudden, accidental causes like hail, wind, fire, lightning, falling trees and the weight of ice or snow. It generally does not cover wear and tear, age, poor installation, neglected maintenance or most pest damage, and how much it pays depends on your deductible and whether your roof is insured at replacement cost or actual cash value.
Usually covered
- Hail: bruised, fractured or punctured shingles and dented vents.
- Wind: torn, creased or missing shingles and lifted ridge caps.
- Falling trees and limbs: punctures, cracked decking and broken rafters.
- Fire and lightning.
- Weight of ice, snow or sleet: rare in most of Georgia but real in the mountains.
- Vehicles and aircraft striking the house.
Usually not covered
- Age, granule loss, curling and cracking from sun and heat.
- Installation mistakes, such as high nailing or missing flashing.
- Leaks from neglected maintenance, such as clogged gutters or cracked pipe boots.
- Rodent, insect and bird damage.
- Damage from people walking on the roof.
Gray areas
- Ice dams: interior damage often covered, the roof repair less often.
- Unsealed shingles with no crease or tear after a windstorm.
- Hail dents on metal roofs when a cosmetic damage exclusion applies.
- Larger animals like raccoons, which some policies cover.
Three things that decide the check
- Deductible: wind and hail often have their own, sometimes a percentage of the dwelling limit.
- Valuation: replacement cost pays depreciation back after the work; actual cash value does not.
- Evidence: photos and a clear storm date that tie the damage to a covered event.
More: does insurance cover roof replacement, wear and tear vs hail and cosmetic damage exclusions.