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Roof damage insurance claims
Know when to contact your homeowners insurance company with a roof claim
Homeowners insurance policies typically cover damage that is sudden and accidental. A homeowners insurance policy can provide coverage for three major types of damage: the structure of your house, your belongings, and your personal liability for injury and property damage to others. The only way to know for certain what coverage you have is to read your homeowners insurance policy.
Some roof damage causes that insurance may cover
Weather
Events like lightning, wind, or hail. Damage from the weight of snow, sleet or ice.
Debris
Storm debris including fallen trees
Fire
Damage caused by fire
How a contractor can help with your claim
Your insurance adjuster will look for evidence that damage is recent and covered by your policy.
In some cases, it may be a good idea to have a roofing contractor meet the adjuster at your home to show what damage they have identified.
Find a contractor
In some cases, it may be a good idea to have a roofing contractor meet the adjuster at your home to show what damage they have identified.
Homeowner Insurance Basics
View the steps to filing an insurance claim.
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Featured5 Steps to File a Homeowners Insurance Claim
Learn the five primary steps for filing a homeowners insurance claim in the event of property damage. -
Homeowner's Out-of-Pocket Responsibilities
Learn more about your out-of-pocket responsibilities during a homeowners insurance claim -
Types of Insurance Deductibles
Learn more about the four basic types of homeowners insurance deductibles. -
What Does Homeowners Insurance Cover?
Learn the basics of homeowners insurance policies and what they cover. -
Common Insurance Policy Lines of Coverage
Learn more about the common lines of coverage for your homeowners insurance policy. -
Open Peril vs. Named Peril Coverage
Learn about the two ways insurance policies cover your property -
Homeowners Insurance Depreciation
Understand what insurance depreciation is and how it's calculated -
Actual Cash Value vs. Replacement Cost Value
Learn the difference between actual cash value and replacement cash value homeowners insurance policies.
Best practices for filing a roof insurance claim
Be prompt
The longer it takes to repair your roof, the more likely it is to expose your home to further damage.
Document everything
Providing receipts, photos, a list, or a home inventory that confirms the value and description of roof and exterior damage will help the claims process run smoothly.
Make temporary repairs
Make sure that any openings or damage to the structure of your home won’t result in further damage. Make temporary repairs and hold onto the receipts.
Prepare for the adjuster
The adjuster’s job is to assess the damage and confirm details. Provide them with any documentation, like receipts, photos, or a home inventory.
Credit cards or financing
Using a credit card may be a good solution to short-term cash flow gaps. Not all contractors accept credit cards — ask if yours does. Financing may also be an attractive option especially if you are considering other home improvements such as siding or gutters. Today many contractors can offer simple online application and multiple loan options.
Insurance key terms
Deductibles
The deductible is often a fixed dollar amount – usually $500 to $2,000, but it can be higher – or it may be a percentage of the home’s insured value. Typically, insurers will subtract your deductible from the settlement amount when they issue payment.
Out-of-pocket costs
With homeowners insurance, the deductible is one type of out-of-pocket cost each time you file a claim.
Open Peril vs Named Peril
The most common type of homeowners insurance is an HO-3 policy. HO-3 policies typically have open perils coverage on the structure of a house and named perils coverage for your personal property.
Lines of coverage
There are four common things covered under a typical homeowners insurance policy: Dwelling, Separate or Other Structures, Personal Property, and Additional Living Expense or Loss of Use.
ACV vs Replacement Cost
Actual Cost Value — or ACV — is a measure of the value of insured property. Replacement cost is the actual cost to replace an item at its pre-loss condition, whereas ACV is calculated by subtracting an item’s depreciation from its replacement cost.
Insurance depreciation
Generally, depreciation is calculated by evaluating an item’s Replacement Cost Value (RCV) and its life expectancy. The condition of an item may also factor into the depreciation calculation.
FAQs
Roof damage is a condition caused by an external force, such as impact or severe weather, that is separate from wear and tear.
In cases where only a portion of the roof has been damaged, your insurance carrier will assess whether to cover cost to repair those sections, or to replace the entire roof.
Get a detailed estimate from a manufacturer-certified roofing contractor, and make sure it includes costs for tear-off (if necessary) all materials, labor, clean-up, and disposal.
Home insurance will typically cover roof leaks caused by sudden damage, but not leaks that have developed over time because of normal wear and tear or aging. Visit our blog to get more information.
Getting a new roof can be easy when you know where to start. Follow these tips for making the experience a great one.
GAF resources to help contractors tackle the insurance restoration process
We offer resources to help contractors work with homeowners.
GAF QuickMeasure™
Get a GAF QuickMeasure™ report with accurate roof measurements and high-resolution imagery.
GAF QuickMeasure
GAF QuickSite™
Get a site specific data report that includes local codes or roof design criteria, up to 10 year wind and hail history, historical imagery and parcel data.
GAF QuickSite
GAF ScopeConnect℠
The service offers a complete insurance scope of work in an industry standard format.
GAF ScopeConnect
GAF WeatherHub
When severe weather affects your area, be prepared to serve and grow your customer base with this easy-to-use, all-in-one weather tool.
GAF WeatherHub