Your roof is leaking, and now you’re wondering what to do. Whether the leak showed up as a little discoloration on the ceiling or you were awakened from a deep sleep by the sound of dripping water, now it’s time to figure out how to get it fixed and how to pay for the repair. Today we’ll explain when roof leak repairs may be covered by the average homeowners’ insurance policy.
Will My Homeowners Insurance Cover Roof Leaks and Repair Cost?
Whether your insurance policy covers roof leak repair (and the costs of fixing damage caused by the leak) depends on what caused the roof to start leaking in the first place.
Look at the declaration page of your homeowners’ insurance policy and check for a list of perils that are covered or excluded from your policy. When a roof leak is the result of a covered peril, the insurance company typically pays the cost of repair.
Perils covered by most insurance policies include the following (this list is not exhaustive):
• Damage from lightning, hail, or wind
• Fire and smoke (such as smoke from wildfires)
• Vandalism
• Falling objects, such as trees or branches that fall on the roof during a storm
• Damage from an electrical surge
• Excess weight from sleet, snow, or ice
Generally speaking, roof damage that results from a sudden and accidental event will be covered by homeowners’ insurance. On the other hand, roof leaks and other damage that come as a result of wear and tear or a lack of regular maintenance will not be covered.
Spotting the Source of a Roof Leak
Let’s say you have water leaking into your living room. It seems logical to think the source of the leak must be right around the area where you actually see the water. But frequently water will infiltrate your roof in one location and then trickle down somewhere else, so the source of your living room leak might be a roof problem many feet away.
In some cases, the root cause could be obvious, like a missing shingle, but other times spotting the source is more challenging. That is where help from roof repair professionals comes in to play.
Get Expert Roof Leak Repair
If the roof on your Portland-area home has sprung a leak, call a professional right away. Even a small roof leak can quickly lead to mold problems if not addressed promptly. Get started with a free estimate from All Surface Roofing & Construction. Call 503-570-7663 or contact our team online today.
