Does Insurance Cover Roof Damage or Replacement in NJ?

We're roofers, not lawyers or insurance agents. This is general information, not advice about your policy. Your policy and your insurance company decide what's covered. Read your declarations page, and call your agent or your insurance company with questions about your own coverage.

The short answer

Homeowners policies usually cover sudden, accidental damage, like wind tearing off shingles or a tree coming down on the roof. They usually don't cover a roof that's just old or worn out, or damage from a slow leak nobody fixed.

Usually covered

• Wind damage: shingles torn off, ridge caps lifted, a section peeled back.
• A tree or a big limb that falls on the roof.
• Hail damage.
• Water damage inside the house that's caused by a covered event, like rain pouring in after the wind opened up the roof.

Usually not covered

• Wear and tear: curling, cracking, granule loss from age.
• A roof that's simply at the end of its life.
• Damage from a leak that went on for months.
• Damage from skipped maintenance, like gutters packed with leaves for years.

Every policy is different, and some limit roof coverage in their own ways. That's why the declarations page matters.

Does insurance cover a roof replacement because of age?

Usually not. Age alone is wear and tear. If a storm damaged an old roof, the storm damage may be covered, but how much the insurance company pays can depend on the roof's age. That's where ACV and RCV come in.

Does insurance cover roof leaks?

It depends on why it's leaking. A leak from a storm that opened up the roof is often covered. A leak from worn-out shingles, failed flashing or old age usually isn't. Either way, stop the water first and take photos.

ACV vs RCV, in plain English

• Actual cash value (ACV) pays what the damaged roof was worth when it was damaged: the cost to replace it, minus depreciation for its age. On an older roof, that can be a lot less than a new roof costs.
• Replacement cost value (RCV) pays what it costs to replace the damaged roof with new materials of like kind and quality.

Many RCV policies pay in 2 parts: first the actual cash value, then the held-back depreciation once the work is done and you send proof. Some policies settle roofs at actual cash value even when the rest of the house is replacement cost. Your declarations page says which you have.

Never waive a deductible

A contractor who offers to "take care of" your deductible usually has to send your insurance company a bill that's higher than the real price. New Jersey's Insurance Fraud Prevention Act (N.J.S.A. 17:33A-4) makes false or misleading claim paperwork a violation, and it's your name on the claim. We don't do that, and be careful with anyone who says they will.

What's a public adjuster?

Your insurance company sends its own adjuster to look at the damage. A public adjuster is different: someone you hire, for a fee, to work on your claim on your side. In New Jersey, acting as a public adjuster takes its own license from the Department of Banking and Insurance (N.J.S.A. 17:22B). A roofer isn't a public adjuster, and neither are we.

If you want one, hire one who holds that license, directly. And read anything a contractor asks you to sign about your claim, or about getting paid out of your settlement, before you sign it.

What to do after storm damage

1. Get safe. Stay off the roof and away from downed wires.
2. Stop the water. Buckets inside, and a tarp over the damage. Your policy likely expects you to take reasonable steps to keep the damage from getting worse. Keep the receipts. Here's how emergency roof tarping works.
3. Take photos. Inside and out, before anything gets cleaned up.
4. Call your insurance company if you plan to file a claim.
5. Get a written repair estimate from a roofer you pick.

Prices after a storm

During a declared state of emergency and for 30 days after, New Jersey's price-gouging law (N.J.S.A. 56:8-107 to -109) limits how much prices can go up. Be wary of "storm specials" and anybody pushing you to sign on the spot. And remember: New Jersey lets you cancel a home improvement contract before midnight of the third business day after you receive a copy of it.

What we do

We start with a free 21-point roof inspection and photos of everything we find. If there's storm damage, we photograph and date it and write a repair estimate you can give your insurance company. Your insurance company decides what's covered. We don't negotiate claims.

Call (732) 344-4702, Monday to Saturday, 7 AM to 7 PM.