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Patrick Ginnelly & Co. Property Claims Assessors Patrick Ginnelly & Co. Property Claims Assessors

Roof Damage Claims

A house with part of its roof torn off and broken timber showing, with two cars parked in front
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Roof damage can let water into your home or business and damage the ceilings, walls, insulation and contents below. A roof damage insurance claim often starts with a storm. It can also start with a slow leak that you find later as a stain on a ceiling.

Common causes and signs

Dark roof tiles on a slope, with some tiles missing or lifted
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Roofs fail in different ways. Common causes are:

  • high wind that lifts or slips slates and tiles
  • a lifted or damaged ridge, flashing or valley
  • a fallen tree or branch
  • a flat roof that splits or lets water pool
  • blocked or damaged gutters that send water into the structure
  • impact from a flying object

Signs include slates or tiles on the ground, daylight in the attic, damp patches or brown stains on ceilings, drips during rain, and peeling paint on upper walls.

What a roof claim can cover?

A slate roof with slates missing, showing a blue roofing membrane and timber battens
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Depending on your policy, a claim can include:

  • repair or replacement of the damaged part of the roof
  • damage inside the building caused by the water that got in
  • repair or replacement of damaged contents
  • the cost of emergency work to stop more water getting in
  • for a business, lost income and extra costs

Cover depends on what damaged the roof. Your policy wording says what applies to you.

What to do first?

  1. Do not climb on a damaged roof. Look from the ground.
  2. Take photos and video of the roof from the ground, and of any water damage inside.
  3. Arrange temporary cover, such as a tarpaulin, to stop more water getting in. Keep the receipt.
  4. Ask a roofer for a written report and photos of the damage.
  5. Read your policy for notice conditions. Tell your insurer as soon as you can, and within any time limit in your policy.

Where roof claims get difficult

A roof of moss-covered tiles, with broken tiles and dark felt showing, beside a white chimney
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  • Storm or wear and tear. This is the most common dispute. An insurer may say that a roof failed because of age, poor repair or lack of maintenance, not because of a storm.
  • Repair or replace. You and the insurer may disagree on whether to repair a section or replace the whole roof.
  • Matching materials. Old slates or tiles may be hard to match.
  • Water damage inside. The insurer may treat the roof and the interior damage under different parts of the policy.
  • Flat roofs. Ponding water and old membranes often lead to arguments about cause.

Records help with each of these. Keep dated photos of the roof before the damage, if you have them, and keep invoices for past roof work.

How we help

As Loss Assessors, we act for you, not for your insurer. We report the claim, meet the loss adjuster at your property, put together the detailed costs of the roof repair and the damage inside, and deal with your insurer until the claim is settled.

Not sure which claim fits? Contact us and tell us what happened.