is it possible to claim repairs/replacement for roof?

Question

Hi folks, I had originally planned to replace my roof sometime this summer as it was getting old and was highly recommended by the inspectors when I purchasing last year. There had already been some minor leaks that had been repaired in the past so figured this was something I should do sooner than later.

However, my friend mentioned that it may make sense to just wait till the roof gets damaged, then claim insurance so that I don't need to pay 100% of the repair/replacement out of pocket.

I checked with my insurance agent and they had confirmed that this was possible, though I'm unsure to what extend they'd be able to cover. It'll depend on the damage of course and a visit by the insurance team to evaluate.

Questions:

1 - Has anyone chose to go this route and take the risk instead of just paying out of pocket to replace?

2 - How bad can the weather in Cleveland really get to damage an old roof?

3 - Are there any other factors I'm missing here as I'm considering these options?

Really appreciate the help as always BP Cleveland.

-Al

Greg Scott · Answer

Albert:

I've replaced a half dozen roofs through insurance.  On three occasions the were roofs nearing the end of their useful life so I was lucky they got hit by big storms that caused them to be damaged.  Each one was in a different state.  So, yes this is something that can be done.

However, one key difference between those situations and the one you describe is that the roofs were still in functioning order before they got damaged.   You have to weigh the risk of POSSIBLY getting an insurance claim vs having additional damage done because your roof was leaking behind a wall for months and you didn't know it.  Insurance won't cover a poorly-maintained roof that causes water damage over a long period of time.

Good luck.