Hey I got a leak in my roof, the roof is old and on it’s second layer so the whole thing must come off some plywood has to be replaced and new shingles put on (est cost $5k-$6)
Is this something I should submit to my homeowners insurnce? Will they actually pay for it or a part of it? If so will that increase my rates?
About 1 year after I moved in the hot water heater leaked and the ajioning room carpet got ruinied. I was told that I could submit this but:
1 I didn’t want to bother and chance my rates going up
2 I assmued this is what could happen if you owned a home and that said I assumed the risk of it.
3 Hi O
but they again
1 the floor was much cheaper they the roof.
2 If I am actually entitled to it and have paid for such entitlement I should use it.
3 by O
Sheesh, Dave, I’m just a housewife, but even I know that getting an insurance company to pay for roof repairs is only for “accidents” and “acts of God”, like tornados or fires. If I thought we could get our insurance company to pay for a new roof for our house, which it needs, I’d be nagging the Better Half about getting the roof fixed even more than I am now. Heck, I’d be on the phone soliciting bids from roofers myself.
The insurance company paid for the damage from your water heater because it was an “accident”. Roofs need to be replaced as a “regular maintenance thing”, like every 25 years, which is not an “accident”, and are not paid for by an insurance company.
Oh, okay, they didn’t pay for the water heater damage, but the point is, they would have, if it had been over your deductible and if you had wanted to submit it.
IANAIJ - I am not an insurance adjuster!
I believe the insurance will not pay if the roof is bad because it has worn out. A roof has an expected life time, and shingles, and it sounds like that’s what you have, are generally rated in years. I.E., 25 year or 30 year shingles. Now if there wass a recent storm that caused damage, they may cover part of the cost. A call to your agent or adjuster might “pay off”.
In the case of your water heater, they would most likely pay for the heater because it leaked as well as anything that was damaged by the water. But they would not pay for a new water heater if a heating element had burned out. That’s just a normal repair.
It depends on how old your house is and when you bought it and what your insurance policy/ies say. If the house is not covered by either:
1: A builder’s new home warranty (typically 1-3 years depending)
2: A warranty from the the roofing company last time the roof was repaired (if this was done)
3: A supplementary, home owners policy at the time of purchase (which they do sell) covering defects beyond normal wear and tear per DDG
If none of the above is present (and in your case they do not appear to be) and the roof leak is not related to defective plywood malfunction (per the huge court case a few years ago), falling tree branches, lightening or meteorites etc. you likely have no claim.
Customer: "I would like to get my tires replaced under warranty. They’re worn out.
Service: Um… They’re a “wear” item sir. Unless they’re defective we can’t replace them for free.
Customer: Hey buddy. Don’t give me any trouble I let you guys slide when I replaced my wiper blades and didn’t make a claim.
It came to me in the middle of the night, Dave, that what you need is a kid with a chemistry set. Send the kid into an upstairs bedroom, tell him to “fool around with it”, and wait. Sooner or later he’ll blow a big hole in the roof and then they’ll pay for it.
I’ve got a kid you can borrow, too. Answers to “Bonzo”, eats anything. Literally.
I had a leak on the flat-roof part of my semi-integral garage. The leaking water caused damage to the plaster ceiling of the garage. The insurance company paid for the replacement of the ceiling but not for the replacement of the garage roof. This was because the garage roof was considered life expired. It consisted of roofing-felt on chip-board.
Dave, when it comes to insurance there are (among others) TWO key words: sudden and unexpected. The damage has to be sudden and unexpected. Insurance will not pay for damage which has accummulated over time (like termites) because you could and should have prevented it. They will pay for your roof if a tornado rips it off but not if it has decayed over time. If the reason it has not lasted its expected lifetime is that it was not done properly in the first place, then you may conceivably have a case against whoever did the roof, but not against the insurance.
I didn’t think there was a claim - I could possible go for the water damage to the ceiling in the garage as David C. stated (same thing here) but probally won’t.
Thanks all
D. D. G. Maybe when I get around to re-doing the Kitchen, I’ll borrow Bonzo and pick up a chemistry set - I want to take out a wall too.
GaryM - The insurer will not pay for the water heater because it was damaged/faulty. The insurer would pay for resulting damages, but not for the faulty part that caused the damage. If the insurer paid for the broken cause of loss, then the insured would be in a better condition after the loss and not be indemnified.
Before loss - broken water heater and good floor.
Loss - Water heater leaks and damages floor.
After loss - Good floor and still no heater.
Same economic condition…same floor, same water heater.
OR
Before loss - broken water heater and good floor.
Loss - Water heater leaks and damages floor.
After loss - Good floor and a new water heater.
Better off than before the loss because now we have a new water heater.
You can’t profit (legally) from an insurance claim.
Why don’t you just get on top of the roof, look for a hole, patch it with roof patch ($8 a gal.)? I do that. Sometimes it’s tricky to find the spot so look carefully.
Since it seems insurance will not pay for your new roof, check and see if you can get any deductions for putting a new roof on.
My homeowners policy does adjust when I make a major improvement/repair on my home.
Thier reasoning is… new plumbin/roof/electrical/whatever,
lower risk of claim.
Osip
What you can also do is ,as I did, get the insurance company to give you a list of recommended builders and tradesmen. Even though you will have to pay for the repair using the recommended builders should ensure that you will get a better quality job because it is in the interest of the insurance company that only high quality workmanship and materials are used.