Is Storm Damage to a Roof Covered by Home Insurance in Australia?

This is the question we get asked on the phone more than any other, generally by someone standing in a hallway with a bucket. The honest answer is that it depends on your policy and your insurer, and nobody who has not read your policy can tell you otherwise. But the principle behind almost every home policy in Australia is the same, and it's worth understanding before you ring anyone.

Is storm damage to roof tiles covered by home insurance?

Storm damage to a roof is usually covered by Australian home insurance as a sudden, unexpected event. Damage the insurer decides was caused by lack of maintenance, such as long cracked tiles or perished pointing, is usually excluded. Photographs taken before anything is cleaned up are what tell the two apart.

What does the maintenance exclusion actually mean?

Insurers cover sudden damage, not gradual deterioration. If pointing has been crumbling for ten years and finally let water through in a storm, an insurer may argue the storm exposed an existing problem rather than caused a new one. That's the most common reason a roof claim is reduced or refused.

It's also the strongest argument for having your roof looked at while nothing is wrong. A maintained roof that gets hit by a storm is a clean claim. A neglected one is an argument.

What should we photograph before anything is touched?

Photograph the damage from inside and outside, wide shots that show the whole room or roof face, and close ups of each broken item. Photograph any debris, hail or branches before you clear them away. Note the date and time, and keep anything you remove from the roof.

Do not clean up first. It's the natural instinct and it removes the evidence. Make it safe, then photograph, then clean.

How long do we have to make a claim?

Most insurers expect you to report damage as soon as reasonably possible after you notice it. Delaying can make it harder to show the damage came from a particular storm. Check your own policy, and ring your insurer before you commit to any repair beyond making the property safe.