Your roof covers your home—but does your homeowners insurance cover your roof?

Short answer: it depends.

The area where you live, the age of your roof, and a number of other factors can impact whether your roof is covered by your homeowners policy.

Many homeowners insurance policies cover roof damage caused by “acts of God” (tornadoes, for instance), fire, or even vandalism. While your home is covered for damage caused by hail, wind, and rain, a number of factors will determine whether your roof is also so covered.

Some policies will cover the full cost of repairing or replacing the damaged section of your roof, while others will offer coverage only for the depreciated value of the roof. (If you’re not sure about your insurance coverage for your roof, just contact us! We’ll go over your homeowners policy with you.)

Whether your roof is covered, partially covered, or not covered at all, it’s wise to prevent roof damage from happening in the first place. You may not be able to pause a rainstorm or change a tornado’s path, but you can follow some of these tips to ensure that your roof is in great condition to protect your home and everything in it.

• Conduct regular inspections of your property, inside and out. Use binoculars to take a good look at the condition of your roof and the eaves; check ceilings and walls for evidence of water leaks that could indicate a problem with the roof.
• Take photos of your roof to document its condition. Take new photos when you have work done on the roof. If you experience roof damage, take photos to document it.
• If you spot broken or worn shingles, replace them promptly.
• Not sure how to read the condition of your roof is? Schedule a professional inspection to identify any problems.
• If you have dead or damaged trees on your property, remove them before they can fall and damage your home. If you have trees near the house, trim them so they don’t litter the roof with leaves and other debris, and to prevent branches from falling on the roof as a result of a storm.
• Clean your rain gutters in the autumn, and again the spring, to prevent standing water from wicking into the sheathing, ultimately rotting it and perhaps even your rafters.

Beall Financial and Insurance Services has been working with business-owners for more than 25 years to help them protect their most important assets, and their companies’ future. If you have questions about insurance coverage for your business, contact us.