How to Get Homeowners Insurance to Pay for a New Roof

Roofing replacement explained: a thorough look at the ins and outs of roof insurance

• Submitting an Insurance Claim
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• Checking Your Policy Coverage
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• Paying for the Roof without Insurance
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• Video

|Show more|Show less

Whether a tree fell on your home, the roof was damaged by strong winds, or a storm has ripped off a few of your shingles, you’ll need to know how to file an insurance claim to get your roof repaired. Rest assured that getting your insurer to cover the costs shouldn’t be a challenge—especially if the source of the damage was totally outside of your control. In this article, we’ll break down everything you need to know about what’s covered, what isn’t, and how you can incentivize your insurance to get your new roof paid for.

Things You Should Know

• File your claim by calling your insurance company and filling out the paperwork they give you.
• If you use a larger insurance company, you can typically file claims online or through their app.
• Increase the odds your insurance pays by getting a quote for the damage or by providing before and after photos.
• Accidents outside of your control, weather damage, and tree falls are all covered by most insurance policies.

Steps

Section 1 of 3:

Submitting an Insurance Claim

1. 
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   Gather all of your insurance and roofing documents and take photos. Collect every repair document and contractor receipt you have that pertains to your roof. Get your policy number. Then, go outside and take photos of your roof from multiple angles. If you can see the damage from inside of your home, take photos of that as well.

   • Get a “before” photo of your roof. It can help prove just precisely how bad the damage is. If you don’t have one, pull one off of Google Earth or look at your bank’s loan documents.
2. 
   2
   Get a damage estimate from a roofing company. Contact a roofer and ask them to give you a quote for the repair or a new roof. The estimate will help you negotiate when it comes time to ask the insurance company to actually pay. It should also give you a better sense for how much this may cost if insurance refuses to cover the cost.

   • Don’t get more than one quote. If you get multiple quotes, the insurance company will just use whatever the lowest quote was.
   • Getting a quote isn’t required, but it may help speed up the process or incentivize your insurance company to pay for the roof.
3. 
   3
   Contact the insurance company to submit your claim. Once you’ve got everything you need, reach out to your insurance agent or call the company and tell them you have a claim to file. They’ll give you the paperwork you need to fill out. Give them all of the required documentation and the completed form to submit it.

   • If you work with a larger insurance company, you can probably do this online or via their app.
   • Keep in mind, your monthly premium may go up if your claim is approved.
4. 
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   Wait for the insurance adjuster to process your claim. The insurance company will process your claim and assign an adjuster to your case. The adjuster will investigate your claim to determine whether your claim is valid. This can take a couple of weeks depending on how busy the company is and how complex your claim is.

   • Smaller insurance companies tend to move a little faster than the bigger firms—especially if there’s a big natural disaster and the larger firm has to send all of their adjusters out at once.
5. 
   5
   Get the check from your insurance company if your claim is approved. The check should arrive in the mail to cover the cost of the repair or the price of a brand-new roof. Once you have the check, hire a roofing company to either put your roof back together or replace it entirely.

   • If the insurance company doesn’t pay you the full amount necessary to cover the repair/replacement, you’ll need to go out of pocket for the rest of the bill.
   • You can file an appeal with the insurance company if they deny your claim, but it’s going to be extremely time-consuming and, unfortunately, unlikely to work.
6. 
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   Expect to pay the difference if the roof has depreciated. Most insurance companies will refuse to completely cover the cost of repair if the roof has aged beyond a few years. This is fairly standard, so you may end up footing a portion of the cost if your roof is old.

   • The reason for this is that roofing insurance doesn’t cover normal wear and tear. Since it’s impossible to know just what percentage of the damage can be chalked up to the age of the roof, the insurance company will just make a small adjustment.
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Section 2 of 3:

Checking Your Policy Coverage

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   Review your policy to ensure unexpected damage is covered. As soon as you realize the roof is damaged, read through your insurance documents to see if it qualifies. In almost all cases, your home insurance policy will cover damage from unexpected accidents, storms and weather, and trees falling on your roof. Examples might include:

   • A large tree on the street is hit by a car and falls onto your roof.
   • There’s a blizzard and the weight of the snow adds enough weight to your roof that it collapses.
   • Your neighbor flicks a cigarette into your gutter and your roof goes up in flames.
   • A windstorm rips up a portion of your shingles.
2. 
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   Read the fine print to confirm the typical exceptions apply. There are a handful of exclusions as to what kind of damage will usually be covered, but only your particular policy will determine if these exclusions apply. In most policies, you aren’t covered for earthquakes, floods, pest damage, or damage that occurs from a lack of maintenance. On top of that, your coverage normally diminishes or disappears once your roof exceeds 20 years of age. Insurance may not pay if:

   • A raccoon chews through a beam in your roof joists and your roof collapses as a result.
   • You fail to clear the gutters out for over 2 years and water rots through the subroof as a result.
   • An earthquake rattles your home’s foundation, which separates your roof from the walls.
   • Your roof is older than 25 years of age and normal wear and tear has caused your roof to leak.
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Section 3 of 3:

Paying for the Roof without Insurance

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   Hire a roofing company to fix the roof if you can afford it. If insurance won’t cover your roof repairs or you’d rather pay out of pocket to avoid increasing your future premiums, you’re going to have to pay for the repairs yourself. Contact a reputable roofing company in your area, get multiple estimates, and pick a company to complete the work.

   • A new roof will cost anywhere from $5,500 to $22,000 depending on the size of your roof, the height, and the material.
   • You typically have to make repairs within 6 months of the damage if you want to keep your current insurance policy. Don’t leave your roof open to the elements for too long.
2. 
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   Contact your city’s emergency services if you need temporary help. Most major cities and states have some kind of public service for homeowners who need roof coverage ASAP. Look online or contact your city’s housing department to ask if they provide any kind of support for folks in need. The odds are very high city will at least temporarily cover your roof with waterproof tarp or plywood.

   • A temporary roof will give you enough time to weigh your options, wait for insurance to finally get their things in order, or get approved for a loan.
   • Contact Operation Blue Roof if your roof is damaged as the result of a national disaster. Operation Blue Roof will temporarily fix your roof free of charge.
3. 
   3
   Take out a personal loan or HELOC to pay for a new roof. If you don’t have the cash on hand to repair the roof, contact your bank and ask them about taking out a loan. You may get a better rate taking out a home equity line of credit (HELOC), which backs the loan with your house as collateral. Use the loan money to repair or replace the roof and then pay the loan back over time.

   • It’s better to take a small financial hit now and take out a loan than it is to let roof damage run out of control.
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