Homeowners insurance usually pays for sudden roof damage, such as a fallen tree or shingles torn off by wind. It does not pay for a roof that has worn out. This page is general information, not insurance or legal advice. Your own policy and your insurer decide what is covered.
Does homeowners insurance cover a new roof?
Insurance can cover a new roof only when a sudden, covered event has damaged the roof badly enough to need one. In the Bellevue area that most often means a tree or large limb coming down in a wind storm. It will not replace a roof because it is old, mossy or at the end of its life.
Does insurance cover a leak from an old roof?
Usually not. Policies generally exclude wear and tear, old age, rot, moss damage and lack of maintenance. If a storm tears off shingles and rain gets in, the damage is typically covered. If rain gets in because 25-year-old shingles gave up, it typically is not. Some policies cover the sudden water damage inside the house even when they do not cover the worn roof itself. Read your policy or ask your agent.
How do I know if my roof has hail or wind damage?
Wind damage shows as missing, lifted or creased shingles, ridge caps blown off, bent flashing and branches or punctures on the roof. Look from the ground and check the yard for shingle pieces. Hail damage shows as round dents in metal vents and gutters and dark bruises where granules are knocked off. Damaging hail is rare in the Puget Sound lowlands, so be careful with anyone who tells you your Bellevue roof has hail damage. Ask for dated photos. How do you know if a roofer is exaggerating storm damage? Ask to be shown each damaged spot in a close photo and a wide one, taken that day on your roof. Real wind damage is easy to point at. If you are unsure, get a second inspection from a roofer who did not knock on your door, or wait for the insurer's adjuster.
How does a roof insurance claim work?
A roof claim works in these steps:
- Stop further damage: tarp the roof and keep the receipts.
- Photograph everything before clean-up.
- Call your agent or insurer and ask what they need.
- Get a written inspection and scope from a roofer.
- The insurer's adjuster inspects and writes an estimate.
- You compare the two, settle the scope and the work is done.
- Any held-back depreciation is paid when you show the work is complete, if your policy has replacement cost coverage.
The Washington Office of the Insurance Commissioner says an insurer must accept or deny a claim, or say it needs more time, within 15 business days of getting your completed forms, and should finish its investigation within 30 days where it can.
What is the difference between actual cash value and replacement cost?
Actual cash value pays what your old roof was worth on the day of the loss, after subtracting for its age. Replacement cost pays what a new roof of the same kind costs. On a 20-year-old roof the gap is large. Some policies switch older roofs to actual cash value or use a payment schedule by roof age. Look for this on your declarations page before you ever need it.
Should I call the roofer or the insurance company first?
If water is coming in, call the roofer first for a tarp, because your policy expects you to limit the damage. For anything else, either order works. A roofer's inspection first tells you whether there is real storm damage worth claiming, and whether the repair cost is even above your deductible.
Can a roofer pay or waive my deductible?
You should expect to pay your deductible yourself. We found no Washington statute written only about roofers waiving deductibles, and RCW 19.186, the state's roofing and siding contractor law, does not address it. But a roofer who offers to 'cover' it usually does so by billing the insurer more than the true price. Giving an insurer a false invoice can be insurance fraud. Treat the offer as a red flag.
A roofer knocked on my door after a storm. What should I do?
Do not sign anything at the door. Take the card and look the company up on the L&I Verify a Contractor tool. Washington's RCW 19.186 applies when a roofing or siding contractor solicits a homeowner, including door to door, for a job over $1,000 on a home of four units or fewer. The written contract must list the work, the materials, the price and the contractor's name, address and registration number. A violation is treated as an unfair practice under the state Consumer Protection Act.
The adjuster's number is lower than the roofer's quote. What now?
Compare the adjuster's estimate and the roofer's quote line by line. The gap is usually in scope: decking, flashing, code-required items, steep-roof labor or the number of squares. Your roofer can send photos and measurements to support the missing items, and the insurer can revise its estimate. Who pays the difference if the insurer still approved less than the roofer's estimate? You do, unless the insurer agrees to add the items. The contract for the roof is between you and the roofer, so settle the scope before work starts. If you still disagree on the amount, the Insurance Commissioner's office notes that policies provide an appraisal process, and you may hire a licensed public adjuster. Its consumer line is 800-562-6900.
How long do I have to file a roof claim?
Your policy sets the deadline, so read the section on your duties after a loss. Policies require prompt notice. We have not verified a single Washington time limit that covers every policy, so we give no number. Report damage as soon as you find it. Waiting makes it harder to show that the storm caused it.
Will a claim raise my premium?
It can. Insurers look at your claim history when they price a renewal, and each company weighs it differently. Ask your agent before you file if the damage is close to your deductible. A claim that pays only a few hundred dollars may not be worth making.
My roof claim was denied. What can I do?
Start by asking the insurer for the reason in writing, with the policy wording it relied on. Then check that reason against the facts. If the claim was denied as wear and tear and you have dated photos of storm damage, send them and ask for a second inspection. A roofer's written report can help.
If you still disagree, the Washington Office of the Insurance Commissioner takes complaints and questions from consumers, by phone on 800-562-6900 or through its website. Its guidance also notes the right to an appraisal when the dispute is about the amount of the loss. For a coverage dispute, an attorney is the person to ask. This is general information, not legal advice.
About 15 shingles are gone and my deductible is $2,500. Is it worth filing a claim?
Probably not. It is only worth filing when the repair costs clearly more than the deductible. HomeGuide's national 2026 figure for replacing up to about 25 missing shingles is $100 to $300. That is far under $2,500, so the insurer would pay nothing and the claim could still sit on your record. Get the repair priced first. If the inspection finds much wider damage, such as a whole slope lifted or a limb through the deck, the sums change and a claim can make sense.
The damaged shingles are discontinued and new ones will not match. What happens?
It depends on your policy. When a shingle line is discontinued, a repair can only use the closest available product, and the patch will show. Some policies pay to replace a whole slope or more so the roof looks uniform. Others pay only for the damaged area. We have not verified a Washington rule that settles this for every policy, so ask your adjuster in writing how matching is handled. A roofer can confirm in writing that the product is no longer made.
How does recoverable depreciation work?
Recoverable depreciation is the part of a replacement cost claim that the insurer holds back until the work is done. The first check is the actual cash value: the cost of the roof less depreciation for its age, less your deductible. When the roof is finished and you send the final invoice, the insurer releases the held-back amount. Policies set a deadline for this. On an actual cash value policy the depreciation is not recoverable. The Washington Insurance Commissioner's office says insurers may not depreciate labor costs when working out actual cash value.
What should I do before the adjuster comes?
Before the adjuster comes, gather your evidence and make the roof safe. Keep the tarp receipts. Have dated photos of the damage outside and inside, and of any fallen limbs before they were hauled off. Find the paperwork that shows the roof's age. Clear access to the attic. Write down when the storm hit and when you first saw the damage. You can ask a roofer to be there to point out what they found. The adjuster decides what the insurer pays, and you decide who repairs your roof.
Should I sign an assignment of benefits or let the roofer deal with my insurance?
Be careful with an assignment of benefits. The Washington Office of the Insurance Commissioner warns that the form could let the contractor negotiate, make decisions and settle the claim directly with the insurer without your approval. Read it fully, and ask your insurer or an attorney before you sign one.
A roofer can still help in an ordinary way, by giving you photos, measurements and a written scope to pass to your adjuster. You stay the one who talks to your insurer and approves the settlement. If you want someone to negotiate for you, the Commissioner's office says a public adjuster must be licensed in Washington, and rates vary.
What size hail damages a roof, and does every hailstorm mean a new roof?
No, not every hailstorm means a new roof, and there is no single size of hail that settles it. Damage depends on how hard and large the stones are, the wind behind them and the age of the shingles. Old, brittle shingles bruise more easily than new ones. Small soft hail, the kind the Puget Sound lowlands see now and then, usually leaves no lasting harm. Real hail damage shows as dents in soft metal and round bruises in the shingles, and it can be photographed.
A free roof inspection with photos and a written quote is the only way to get a real price for your roof. Call or text The Bellevue Roofers at (425) 522-5354.