5 Reasons Insurers Deny Roof Damage Insurance Claims
Insurers typically don’t want to cover an insurance claim – especially for something as costly as roof damage.
Insurers regularly deny or reduce roof damage insurance claims. They might cite pre-existing damage, wear and tear, maintenance issues, or depreciation as reasons for reducing your claim.
Today, we’re highlighting some of the most common reasons why insurers deny roof damage insurance claims – and what you can do to overturn a denied claim.
Reason #1: Existing Wear & Tear
Maintenance is an expected part of home ownership. You expect to perform basic repairs and upkeep on your home throughout its life.
As a homeowner, you have an obligation to maintain your roof. When hail or wind damage your roof, you need to repair it. Otherwise, you put future insurance claims in jeopardy.
Insurers look for signs of wear and tear or pre-existing damage on your roof. If they spot signs of damage, they could use it to justify a reduction in your future claim.
How to Get Covered: Check your roof after a windstorm or hailstorm. Or, ask a licensed roofing contractor to check your roof. Spending money on repairs today can help prevent future insurance claim issues.
Reason #2: Excluded Peril
Insurance doesn’t cover everything. If your homeowners insurance policy excludes certain perils, then insurance could deny your claim as a result.
Let’s say you live in a coastal region of the southeastern United States, where homeowners insurance typically excludes wind damage. If your roof is blown away in a hurricane, then you can’t make a claim because windstorm damage is an excluded peril.
How to Get Covered: Check your policy for excluded perils. Consider buying windstorm insurance if you live in a wind-prone region. Verify you have adequate coverage against tornadoes, windstorms, and hurricanes and are aware of any excluded perils.
Reason #3: Manufacturing Defects to the Roof
Your roof may have had manufacturing defects from the moment it was installed.
When trusses get delivered to a construction site, for example, they can often develop cracks, which could interfere with the structural integrity of your home.
If an insurance company believes manufacturing defects contributed to roof damage, then they could deny or reduce your claim. Insurance policies don’t cover manufacturing defects.
How to Get Covered: Contact your roofing contractor or homebuilder to ask about warranty coverage. Get a licensed contractor to inspect your trusses and other components of your roof to verify they’re free of manufacturing defects. Get a good home inspector before buying a property.
Reason #4: Failing to Mitigate Damage After a Covered Peril
As a homeowner, you have an obligation to take control of the scene after a covered peril strikes your property.
If a hurricane blows away your roof, for example, then you can’t simply leave town, let water continue to damage your home, and make an insurance claim for wind and water damage three weeks later. Instead, you have an obligation to mitigate future damage if safe to do so.
If you fail to mitigate future damage, then your insurer could deny or reduce your claim. The insurer could cover the initial damage – like the wind damage to your roof – but deny the water damage and other ensuing damage.
How to Get Covered: Take steps to protect your property if safe to do so. Put a tarp over a hole in your roof, contact restoration crews, and call emergency services. Don’t simply leave your property exposed to the elements after a covered peril.
Reason #5: Taking Too Long to Notify Insurance
You have an obligation to report a loss to your insurance company within a specific length of time. If you fail to report a loss within that time, then your insurer could deny your claim.
Let’s say your roof is damaged in a hurricane. You wait a few months to report the damage to your insurer. During this time, other losses have occurred and you’ve touched up some spots. This makes it harder for the insurer to investigate the claim and determine which damage was caused by each covered peril.
As a policyholder, you have an obligation to report the loss within a certain period of time. Failing to do that could lead to a denied or reduced claim.
How to Get Covered: Check your policy for reporting requirements. Generally, experts recommend informing your insurer of a loss as soon as safe to do so. Check your policy for specific reporting timeframes. Some policies allow you to make a claim for up to two years past the date of the covered peril. In coastal areas, you may need to report the loss within 360 days.
What to Do After Insurance Claim Denial?
If your roof damage insurance claim was denied, or if your insurer is offering a lower-than-expected payout, then there are steps you can take to get the payout you deserve:
Review your insurer’s reason for denial, then check the insurance contract to verify.
If you disagree with the reason for the denial, then dispute the claim, using your insurer’s formal review process to challenge the claim.
Hire a qualified roofing contractor to inspect your roof and provide an estimate on the cost of repairing or replacing the roof.
Hire a public adjuster or insurance attorney. Public adjusters can speed up claims and help you get a higher payout. Insurance attorneys can initiate legal action against your insurer. The two professionals can also work together to solve roof damage disputes.
Final Word
Insurers deny roof damage insurance claims every day.
Sometimes, insurers have a legitimate reason to deny your claim. In other cases, insurers are seeking to limit their payout.
Contact ClaimsMate today for a no-cost consultation on the best way to resolve your insurance claim.
Stephanie is a property insurance claim expert with over 20 years of experience working as an insurance adjuster, expert witness, appraiser and umpire. She is passionate about sharing her expertise, knowledge, tips and training to help both property owners and Public Adjusters in their pursuit of effectively managing claims and recovering the claim settlement they deserve after a loss.
