6 min read
Does home insurance cover storm damage to a roof?
This is general information, not insurance advice — your policy wording and your insurer's assessment decide the outcome. But there are patterns worth understanding before you lodge a claim.
Sudden damage versus gradual deterioration
Home insurance policies in Australia are generally built around sudden, identifiable events: a storm, a fallen tree, hail. Gradual deterioration — rust that developed over fifteen years, pointing that crumbled slowly, a valley that was never cleared — is usually excluded as wear and tear or lack of maintenance.
This is why the same physical damage can be covered on one roof and declined on another. The question the insurer asks is what caused it, not what it looks like now.
Document the event, not just the damage
- Photograph damage as soon as it is safe, from several angles
- Photograph fallen branches, hail on the ground, debris — evidence of the event itself
- Note the date and time of the storm
- Keep any weather warnings or news reports for that date
- Photograph interior damage and affected contents before cleaning up
Make-safe work and your claim
Most policies expect you to take reasonable steps to prevent further damage. Keep records and photos of any temporary make-safe work, and check your insurer's process before committing to permanent repairs, since many require assessment first.
Where a roof report helps
A written report with photographs describing what failed and why supports your claim by giving the assessor a clear technical account. It also tells you honestly if the damage is age-related, which is better to know before you lodge.
Want someone to actually look at it?
We'll get on the roof, photograph what we find and explain the options.