When it comes to your home, it is never a bad time to become acquainted with your insurance coverage. Knowing exactly what falls under your policy before disaster strikes can really help take some of the stress out of an already bad situation. One of the most common claims made to homeowners insurance is for the roof, especially during the more volatile weather seasons. When it comes to roof insurance inquiries, people often wonder, does my homeowners insurance cover a leaking roof in Buda?
Insurance Claim Approval Depends on Cause
In short, the answer to the question is… maybe. It really all comes down to the cause of the leak. Commonly covered categories of damage include fire, wind, and hail. Meaning, if your leak was caused by a massive wind storm that blew a tree branch onto your roof, then yes, your homeowners insurance would most likely cover the repairs. The most common of these covered issues is damage from a hail storm. If your home gets caught in the middle of a hail storm, you might not be aware of the damage. The wisest course of action would be to schedule an inspection of your roof just to be safe and ensure that any damage incurred from a storm gets covered.
What About the Roof to Something Else?
Maybe the damage is not to your actual house but to a structure apart from your home like a shed or detached garage. Odds are, your policy covers these structures as well as long as the event that caused the damage is included (i.e. – fire, wind, hail). Look through your policy or ask your agent about what is covered in your “other structures protection” for more information on these.
Things to Consider
If you are experiencing a roof leak, before you make an insurance claim you might want to assess your situation to decide if that is actually the best option for you. When you bought the policy, you agreed on a certain deductible with your agent. Your deductible is a specified dollar amount that you must pay upfront before your insurance company will take the claim and repair your damage. This amount is most commonly between $500-$1,000, but it can vary depending on your specific policy. Depending on how much damage there is, it might be worth your while to cover your roof repair costs out of pocket. Having a professional roofing company take a look at your roof for a quote is the best way to know exactly how much it is going to take to repair the damage.
Policy Limitations
You should also be aware of your policy’s statute of limitations. A statute of limitations refers to an amount of time that you are allowed to make a claim due to a coverable incident. This can vary from company to company, so it is important to know what yours is. Some insurance companies give you as little as 30 days from the time the damage occurs while others might give you as much as a year. With the busy nature of everyday life, time can really get away from you, so be sure that you are doing your due diligence in making any necessary insurance claims before it is too late.
