It’s the perfect time to think about homeowners insurance. The weather is getting colder, and that means hurricane season will be starting soon too.
When you’re considering your coverage, it’s important to know if wind damage will be covered by your policy.
That can depend on a variety of factors like what type of roofing material you have, how old it is, and where you live in the country.
Here are some things to keep in mind when talking with your agent so that you can make an informed decision about protecting yourself against this kind of storm damage!
Homeowners Insurance Roof Damage
The lightning strike was so strong that the glass in their home shattered, and it caused damage in their neighborhood with devastating winds causing trees to fall down and cause damage to the roof the night before.
They contacted their homeowners insurance to see if it would be covered, and what they found was a little surprising.
The shingles were in pretty bad shape so the homeowner figured that there wouldn’t have been too much damage from them anyway since most of the roof is in good condition.
But when they talked about covering this type of loss with their homeowners insurance, they were told that wind damage wasn’t covered.
The homeowner said that the person helping them was surprised since it looked like a strong storm had come through and caused some of the shingles to get blown off their roof.
They wondered if there might be something in their policy about this because what happened didn’t seem right at all.
As it turns out, there was nothing in the homeowners insurance policy about wind damage. There are multiple reasons for this, but one of them is because roof shingles do not count as part of a home’s structure or its contents.
This means that they would only cover these if they were damaged by something like hail or fire since that falls under the homeowners insurance policy.
If you have a roof that is in good shape and has been properly maintained, then it’s possible that your damage from wind will be covered by your homeowners insurance.
That being said, there are some instances where they won’t cover this type of loss or will only partially cover it if certain things aren’t met.
In addition to that, if there is a hurricane warning for your area and you have strong winds causing damage on top of this, then they will most likely cover it since their policy covers wind damage.
But what happens when the roofing material has been in place for many years? Will homeowners insurance still cover these types of damages or not?
Reasons why to show your insurance paperwork to your roofing contractor before any work is started.
First, they need to know what type of roofing material you have in order to determine if it can handle additional weight from a new installation or repair without causing damage.
Next, your contractor will want to look at the age and condition of your shingles before starting repairs since that could affect how long this process takes.
Finally, your contractor will also want to know where you live in the country since this can make a difference when it comes to how strong winds are and if they’re likely to cause problems with your roofing material.
If you have any questions about what is covered by homeowners insurance or not, then speak with your agent as soon as possible.
Insurance Claim Process
The part where your contractor discusses with you about what needs to be done in order to get the roofing structure back into good condition.
Most of these are general questions that can help guide them through this process so it’s important for homeowners insurance claim adjusters who arrive on site to have all of this information before starting their inspection.
- It’s also a good idea to show your contractor the section of their contract that explains how claims are handled before starting any work.
- This way, both parties have an understanding about what is expected from each other and there won’t be any confusion or misunderstandings down the line.
- In many cases homeowners insurance will only cover wind damage if it has been declared a disaster by the government.
- This means that if you have damage from wind which wasn’t caused by a hurricane, then they will not cover this loss under their policy regardless of what your contractor tells you or how much it costs to repair.
- No matter where you live in the country though, homeowners insurance has certain standards for roofing material and installation that must be met in order for them to cover these types of repairs.
If your roofing contractor fails to meet any of these standards, then you may not receive coverage or could only get a partial reimbursement depending on the specific circumstances involved with your claim.
Will Homeowners Insurance Cover Roof Damage from Wind?
If it has been properly maintained then yes, but if there is any damage or repairs needed before starting them then they will want this information first.
In addition to that, if there is a hurricane warning for your area then it’s very likely that they will cover this since their policy covers wind damage.
However, what happens when the roofing material has been in place for many years? Will homeowners insurance still cover these types of damages or not?
First, your contractor will want to look at the age and condition of your shingles before starting repairs since that could affect how long this process takes.
Next, they need to know what type of roofing material you have in order to determine if it can handle additional weight from a new installation or repair without causing damage.
Finally, your contractor will also want to know where you live in the country since this can make a difference when it comes to how strong winds are and if they’re likely to cause problems with your roofing material.
Conclusion
Wind can cause a lot of damage to homes and their roofing structures, but the question is whether or not homeowners insurance will cover this loss.
While they may in some cases, you need to meet certain requirements before your claim will be accepted which includes showing them your policy paperwork so they know what type of roofing material you have installed on your home.
Finally, if you have any questions about what is covered by homeowners insurance or not, then speak with your agent as soon as possible to learn more and get the assistance you need in making a claim.
