How do you know what your home insurance covers and what it does not? The easiest way is to call the insurance representative and ask them yourself. The specifics will only be provided to you by the company representative, including the circumstance when they consider a simple repair or a total replacement. The coverage of roof damages also depends on several factors. Most home insurance companies take the age of the roof, the area where you live as well as the weather condition in the area before they decide that they will pay for its repair or replacement; thus, it is important that you are aware of all these specifics.
Most homeowner’s insurance sold in Canada cover roof damages that may be caused by unpreventable reasons such as fire or even vandalism. Natural disasters also called Acts of God such as tornadoes or hurricanes are usually covered too. Damages that may be caused by the wind, rain or hail are usually covered, but insurance companies consider several factors before the effects of such natural elements are determined to be covered by the policy or not. If so, the company also decide how much they will reimburse because it is rarely the whole amount.
The circumstances and factors considered by most insurance companies in handling claims concerning roof damages may also apply to the claims concerning the exterior part of the property. The outer part of the property includes anything that is attached to the house that is outside the original structure of the property like the siding and the gutters.
Some policies cover roof damages only up to a certain age. Roofs that are under ten years old at the time when the claim was made are usually covered in full – whether it needs minor or major repairs or maybe even a replacement. If your roof is ten years or older, the insurance company may only cover the depreciated value of the roof depending on the assessment of the experts that they hire to check its condition. The depreciated value takes the wear and tear as well as the damages caused by the natural ageing of the roof materials.
And then there are those homeowner’s policies that only cover roof damages up to a certain extent, regardless of the age of your roof or the damage it has suffered. This is one of the many reasons why you should always discuss the details of the policy with the insurance provider before you decide to make a purchase. Knowledge of the specifics of the plan will allow you to be prepared for the worse.