Understanding Roof Damage Claims for Your Business

Depending on the amount of damage, a damaged roof on a commercial facility can necessitate expensive repairs and result in a potential loss of revenue.

Roofing systems are a significant investment for business owners, which makes any damage extremely irritating. Ensure that your business insurance carrier covers any potential roof damage before the unexpected occurs.

Depending on the type of damage caused by a business property's roof, insurance companies may pay all or a portion of the claim. There are damages, however, that your company insurance coverage will not cover.

Damages That Are Not Insured

There are a number of situations under which an insurance policy is unlikely to cover a claim for damages, including:

• Leak and Water Destruction

Water damage, including leaks, is only covered if the damage was caused by a covered occurrence. For example, if a hailstorm caused damage to your roof, resulting in a leak, that damage would be covered.

If hail or wind damage is not covered by the existing policy, if a leak develops over time due to gradual wear and tear, or if the roof has not been properly maintained, most insurance policies will not cover water damage to a roof.

• Roof Age

A roof that is too old may not be insured for damage claims. In most circumstances, "old" refers to a roof that is at least 20 years old, which is the average lifespan of shingle roofs.

A business building's roof may also be considered too old if one of the lower levels is 20 years old and a new layer was added to it instead of the entire roof being rebuilt.

Property Damage Caused By Homeowner

If the homeowner causes damage to their own roof, the claim will likely not be paid by their insurance.

Water damage caused by normal wear and tear, as well as attempts to self-repair the roof, might result in property owner damage.

Financially Risky Components

Roofing materials that are either extremely expensive or readily damaged may not be covered by insurance.

Materials like wood burn easily and so may not be covered. Hail can cause damage to costly metal roofs. Because slate roofs are extremely heavy and expensive to install, they are typically not covered.

Your insurance company may deny, delay, or undervalue your claim for business property damage.

If the current policy covers damage to the property's roof, but the insurance company refuses to pay the claim, it may be in the business owner's best interest to retain the services of an expert insurance coverage attorney.