Does Homeowner’s Insurance Cover Roof Repair in Macomb or Oakland County, MI?

Everyone in Macomb and Oakland County, MI, has heard stories about a neighbor or friend whose insurance covered a roof replacement, but what about a roof repair? Do homeowner’s insurance companies in Michigan cover roof repairs?

The answer is…maybe.

For a roof repair to be covered under your homeowner’s insurance policy in Macomb or Oakland County, you must have a defining incident that caused the damage. For example, if a severe storm brought a tree branch down that punctured a hole through your roof, then yes, that would typically be a covered expense. Another example would be if a neighbor’s fireworks caused a fire that burned a hole in the roof. This, again, would generally be a covered loss.

In both of these Macomb and Oakland County scenarios, the insurance would often cover the emergency tarp installation, the repair of the roof, along with any interior or attic damages. The key is that there was an external, sudden, and accidental factor that caused the damage to occur.

Where most Macomb and Oakland County homeowners become confused is when they develop a generic roof leak. They still hear from friends and family to “call your insurance, they will cover it.” That simply is not the case, nor should a standard policy cover the loss.

Homeowners insurance in Michigan does not guard or protect you against normal wear and tear of the roofing materials or if there was improper installation that caused the leak. This is because the insurance is there to protect you against external forces causing damages or losses to you, not the normal aging or deterioration of the roofing system.

Now, what truly causes confusion for homeowners in Southeast Michigan is that in a scenario involving a leak from simple wear and tear, the insurance company will not cover the cost of the roof repairs, but they WILL cover the cost of repairing any interior damages resulting from the leak.

In that wear-and-tear scenario, you, as the homeowner, are left with the dilemma to accept a small claim to cover the interior, which may raise your premiums, or cancel the claim and pay for the interior and exterior damages out of pocket. The other consideration is that even if you cancel the claim, you will still technically have a $0 “reported loss” on your insurance record. This may, or may not, have an effect on your premiums.

So what is a homeowner in Macomb County or Oakland County, MI, to do if they experience a leak in their roof?