Homeowners insurance is something that homeowners have come to rely on.
They want to feel protected if something happens to part of their home, such as a damaged roof.
The average homeowners’ insurance policy in Arizona costs $1,530 per year.
That is about $290 lower than the national average.
If you are investing money into homeowners insurance yearly, you may be wondering what coverage you are getting for that money.
Does home owners insurance cover roof leaks?
This guide will explain how that works.
Natural Disasters
A natural disaster is one of the main things you must account for when getting homeowners insurance.
The reason for this is if an act of God happens that you were not expecting, you would be covered in that situation.
Arizona is a state that tends to get monsoons for about four months per year.
During that season, there is a higher risk of strong winds and flooding.
Those types of events can cause unexpected damage to your roof.
If something like a monsoon does cause damage to your roof, you could file a claim with your insurance company and get the damage covered.
However, the type of coverage you get for this depends on your insurance policy.
Depending on what you have, you may have to upgrade your policy to include events such as natural disasters.
On top of this, the type of natural disaster that damages your home can impact whether you’re covered in that situation.
Monsoons and dust storms are more likely to be covered in Arizona.
Wildfires could also be something that can get covered in Arizona, given how much dry land exists in this state.
However, some events are so unexpected that they may not be included in your homeowner’s insurance.
An example of this in Arizona could be getting damaged by a hurricane.
Considering that hurricanes rarely originate that far west, plus Mexico blocks the state from direct exposure to the water, it is not likely that you will get roof damage from a hurricane.
However, if a freak storm is defined as a hurricane, that can raise more questions about what is covered in your policy.
Natural Wear and Tear
Another thing that may cause a leak in your roof is natural wear and tear.
This can be caused by your roof as a whole aging, various components aging, or your failure to maintain your roof correctly.
If any of these things is the cause of your roof leaking, it is not likely that your homeowner’s insurance will cover this type of damage.
Ultimately, your insurance company assumes you to keep up with essential maintenance.
They put the burden of regular repair on you and may ask you for proof of repair when claiming.
This can be something as simple as replacing a few shingles that fall off of your roof once in a while.
Or, it could be performing routine inspections on your home once every couple of years.
In other words, your insurance policy should encourage you to be more proactive when it comes to this subject.
They may look at it as the natural course for your roof’s lifespan and not something that needs extra coverage.
The point here is that you must stay on top of roof repairs and not rely on your insurance company to cover them.
Freak Accidents
Something else you may have to consider is a freak accident on your roof.
Coverage for this type of damage can depend on what the accident was.
Let’s say a big tree branch falls on your roof and causes significant damage.
It could have led to a severe leak in your home.
In that situation, you would likely be covered by homeowners insurance as long as you were not the person that caused the tree to fall on top of your roof in the first place.
A counter-example can be that you initially decided to try to repair your roof yourself.
However, your inexperience may have caused you to make a mistake and make the damage worse.
It could have gotten to a point where your leak was unbearable to live with.
In that situation, your homeowner’s insurance may not cover you because here, you would be considered an amateur that performed poor maintenance on your roof that caused worse damage.
In other words, you would have to fix that mistake yourself.
What Can You Do?
So, what can you do to ensure you’re covered if a leak happens on your roof?
The main thing that you can do is use a professional roofing company that performs routine maintenance on roofs.
If you do this, you are showing your insurance company that you are keeping up with the maintenance required for your roof if something terrible does happen.
It can make it easier for you to file a claim in the future if an issue does arise.
Does Homeowners Insurance Cover Roof Leaks?
So, does homeowners insurance cover roof leaks?
The answer is that it depends on your circumstances.
If your roof was damaged by a natural disaster such as a monsoon or a dust storm, you will likely have coverage for this.
The same can be said of a freak accident such as a tree falling on your roof.
However, things like normal wear and tear plus poor roof maintenance in the past are unlikely to be covered.
Do you have roof problems that need fixing?
Get a free consultation here.
Looking for AZ roofing experts?JLC Roofing is your expert in residential roofing in Phoenix and the surrounding areas for over 30 years! We are committed to delivering a 5-Star roofing experience to each of our clients. Contact us today at (623) 878-9832 or request an estimate online.
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