Roof Repair vs Insurance Deductible: When a Claim Pays

Roof repair vs insurance deductible comes down to two questions. Was the damage sudden, like wind, hail or a falling branch? And is the written repair quote clearly bigger than your deductible? If the answer to either one is no, a claim pays you little or nothing. The deductible is the part of the loss you pay yourself. When the repair costs less than that, the insurer has nothing left to pay. What follows is how to tell which side of that line your roof is on.

The cause comes before the cost

Don’t start with the dollar figure. Start with the cause, because it decides whether there’s a claim at all.

The Insurance Bureau of Canada puts it plainly. A peril is a chance event that is unexpected and accidental. The gradual deterioration of shingle roofing is natural and expected, so it’s not an insured peril. In its words, a home insurance policy is not a maintenance contract.

That splits roof damage into two piles.

• Sudden. Wind and hail are on the IBC’s list of insured perils, for the outside of the building. The list also names a falling object. Shingles torn off in a storm, a dented vent cap from hail, or a branch through the deck belong here.
• Gradual. Curled shingles, bald spots, a pipe boot that cracked over ten summers, flashing that rusted through. These belong to the age of the roof. Our post on the signs you need a roof repair covers how to spot them.

If your damage is in the second pile, in our view a claim is unlikely to help. You pay for the repair, and the goal is to fix the cause before it spreads into the plywood.

Ice dams sit in a grey zone

Ice dams are the hard case from Wasaga Beach to Collingwood and inland to Stayner. The National Research Council’s digest on ice on roofs says the main cause of snow melting on a roof is heat lost from the house through it. The melt water drains down to the eaves, where some of it freezes. The water backed up behind that ice can leak into the house through the shingles.

The IBC says damage from melting or moving snow and ice is not covered. It also says extra coverage for damage caused by roof ice damming may be available for purchase. That means an ice dam leak can go either way, and the only place to find out is your own policy. Read it before February, not after.

An ice dam is also a sign, not just a bill. The heat that melts the snow comes from the house, so in our view the attic is the first place to look. If you get big icicles every winter, read about attic insulation and ventilation before the shingles at the edge get the blame.

Where the damage shows up

The damage you see is rarely where the roof failed. A stain on the bedroom ceiling may start at a lifted shingle or a pipe boot several feet uphill. That matters for a claim, too.

The IBC says wind and hail cover the inside of the house only if the storm has first created an opening. A ceiling stain after a windstorm is a question about the roof above it. Did the wind open something? Or did an old, tired seal finally let go in the rain that came with it?

You can start that answer yourself without climbing up.

• From the lawn. Walk around the house with binoculars the morning after the storm. Look for a patch of missing shingles, a bare strip of underlayment, or shingles lying in the yard.
• From the attic hatch. On a dry day, shine a flashlight along the underside of the roof deck above the stain. Fresh wet wood around a nail hole points to a new opening. Dark, stained wood over a wide area has been wet for a long time.
• With your phone. Take photos of the yard, the ceiling and the attic, with the date on them. The IBC’s first step for any claim is to document everything.

Never walk the roof to look. Leave that to a roofer.

Three roofs, three answers

We’d read three situations this way. Treat these as our view, not as a ruling on your policy.

A few shingles off after one windstorm, nothing wet inside. This is sudden damage, so it may qualify. But it’s a small repair. Compare the written quote with your deductible. If the quote is smaller or close to it, pay for the repair yourself.

A patch torn open by wind, and water came into the bedroom. Now the roof and the inside are both part of the loss: shingles, underlayment, maybe wet plywood, plus drywall, insulation and paint. Added together, that can be well past the deductible. This is the case where a claim makes sense, and where you should call your insurance representative soon.

Old shingles, a slow leak at the valley. This looks like wear, and the IBC says gradual deterioration of shingle roofing is not an insured peril. In our view, the size of the repair doesn’t change that. The useful question here is repair or roof replacement, and that depends on how much of the roof looks the same.

How old your roof is matters too

The IBC says insurers generally prefer that roofs are updated within 20 years. It adds that if a roof has reached its lifespan and a leak happens, the interior damage may be covered, but the roof itself would not be.

On an older roof, then, a claim may pay for the ceiling and not for the shingles that let the water in. You’d still pay for the roof repair. Factor that in before you decide which side of the deductible you’re on.

We get it, you pay the premium

We get it. You pay for insurance, so it feels wrong not to use it on a roof problem.

One fact answers that. The IBC says your personal claims history may have an impact on your premium, because past claims are often an insurer’s best predictor of future claims. In our view, a small claim that pays out a little over the deductible can end up costing more than it paid, if the premium goes up. In our view, it’s worth saving the claim for damage that’s clearly bigger than the deductible.

If you do make a claim

Four things to know before you call.

• Limit further damage. The IBC says your policy requires you to act to limit any further damage. Put a bucket under the drip, and move what you can out of the way.
• Report it soon. You must report the loss to your insurance representative with complete, accurate details as soon as possible.
• Watch for the proof of loss. If the insurer asks for one, it typically has to be returned within 30 days. Untrue statements on it may void your insurance.
• Pick your own roofer if you want. You can use a contractor of your choice. The insurer will estimate the damage. If your contractor charges a different price, you would be responsible for the difference.

That last point is why a written quote that names each part matters. It lets you and the adjuster talk about the same shingles, the same flashing and the same sheets of plywood.

What to ask for in the quote

Ask the roofer to start at the stain and work uphill: the attic above it, then the flashing, the vents and the valley. Ask for a written quote that names the parts that failed and where they sit. If the deck under a leak has gone soft, it should get new wood before new shingles go on. Our page on roof plywood replacement explains that step.

That quote is the number you hold up against your deductible. If your house is near the beach, start with our page on roof repair in Wasaga Beach. The full list of repairs is on our roof repair page.

Questions homeowners ask

Where do I find my deductible?

In your home insurance policy. The IBC tells homeowners to review the policy and know its deductibles, coverage limits and exclusions. If it’s not clear, ask your insurance representative before you need it.

Is a roof leak from an ice dam covered?

It depends on the policy. The IBC says damage from melting or moving snow and ice is not covered. It also says coverage for damage caused by roof ice damming may be available for purchase. Check your policy for it before winter.

Can I use my own roofer on an insurance claim?

Yes. The IBC says you can use a contractor of your choice. The insurer will estimate the damage, and if your contractor charges a different price, you would be responsible for the difference.

Will a small roof claim raise my premium?

It may. The IBC says your personal claims history may have an impact on your premium. Ask your insurance representative how a claim would affect your policy before you file.

The one thing we can’t see from here

This post can tell you which side of the line your damage probably sits on. It can’t tell you what’s under the shingles above your stain, or whether the wind opened the roof or an old seal gave out. Only a look at the roof itself settles that, and only then is there a number to hold up against the deductible.