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Roofing and insurance

Standard homeowners policies generally cover sudden, accidental roof damage — storm, wind, hail, a falling tree — and generally exclude wear, age and lack of maintenance. Only your own policy documents can tell you what you have, so read the declarations page and call your insurer before you spend anything.

The line insurers draw is sudden versus gradual. The Insurance Information Institute states that policies exclude damage due to lack of maintenance, and that responsibility for maintaining the home sits with the owner. A 25-year-old roof that finally gives up is a maintenance outcome, not an event.

Roof claims are also not rare or trivial. The Insurance Information Institute reports that wind and hail claims occurred at 2.82 per 100 policies over 2018–2022 with an average severity of $13,511, and made up 40.7% of homeowners claims in 2022 — the largest single category.

We cannot tell you what your policy covers, and neither can a contractor standing in your driveway. What you can do is get your declarations page, note your deductible (including any separate wind or hail deductible), and ask your insurer directly what they need documented.

One hard rule: never accept an offer to cover, waive or discount your insurance deductible. The Texas Department of Insurance states that it is illegal for contractors to waive your deductible there, warns it would be fraud, and notes that contractors who do it are likely cutting corners or using lower-quality products. Requirements differ by state, but the offer signals the same thing everywhere.

How to choose

Read your declarations page before you call
Know your deductible, whether you have a separate wind/hail deductible, and whether roof settlement is actual cash value or replacement cost. Ask your insurer to explain anything unclear.
Document before any repair
Photos of the damage, the interior effects, temporary repairs and all receipts. Do this before a tarp goes on if it is safe to do so.
Get your own inspection
Use a roofer you found and vetted yourself, not one who knocked on your door after the storm.
Never let anyone waive your deductible
The Texas Department of Insurance is explicit that this is illegal there and warns it can amount to fraud. Report it rather than accept it.
Check claim deadlines
Policies impose time limits for reporting a loss. Ask your insurer for the deadline in writing as soon as you report.
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Roofing insurance — common questions

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Usually for sudden, accidental damage such as storm, wind or hail, and usually not for age or wear. The Insurance Information Institute notes that policies exclude damage due to lack of maintenance. Your own policy is the only authority on your coverage.
The most common reasons are that the damage was assessed as wear and tear rather than a sudden event, that the loss fell below the deductible, or that reporting deadlines were missed. Ask for the denial reason in writing and for the adjuster's report.
No, and it is a warning sign. The Texas Department of Insurance says outright that it is illegal for contractors to waive your deductible there and warns it constitutes fraud. Walk away.
Common. The Insurance Information Institute reports wind and hail claims at 2.82 per 100 policies over 2018–2022, averaging $13,511 per claim and accounting for 40.7% of homeowners claims in 2022.
Sources

Where these figures come from

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