Does a Home Warranty Cover My Roof?

Several home warranty companies offer roof coverage, but they often limit what qualifies for a repair. For example, most home warranty companies won’t pay to repair a leak caused by a hurricane. Some companies don’t include roof coverage in their plans; you have to pay an extra monthly fee.

Regardless of whether roof coverage is in your plan or an add-on option, take the time to read through the coverage exclusions to ensure you know what type of coverage you’re buying.

What’s included in home warranty roof coverage?

Most home warranties only pay to repair roof leaks, not major repairs or replacements.

Each home warranty provider specifies which types of roofs it will repair and in which circumstances, but it’s more common for them to clarify what’s excluded from coverage rather than list every type of roof leak that they will repair.

Home warranties typically won’t cover:

• Tar, gravel and metal roofs.

• Flat roofs or roofs that are built up.

• Roofs on mobile homes, condominiums or townhomes.

Home warranties also typically exclude:

• Specific parts of a traditional roof, including shingles or tiles, flashing and vents.

• Items that are connected to your roof as part of the home’s design, such as skylights or chimneys.

• Items that you’ve installed on your home, even if you used a licensed contractor, such as solar panels, satellite dishes or guttering.

• Structural components that are damaged by a roof leak.

In other words, a home warranty might help repair the leak enough to stop more water from getting into your house, but it probably won’t repair every type of roof leak or fix everything involved.

Roof coverage: Home warranty vs. homeowners insurance

Homeowners insurance is likely to cover roof repairs that a home warranty won’t cover. For example, depending on your policy, homeowners insurance might cover roof damage caused by natural disasters, hail, a structural fire and items striking or penetrating your roof, such as falling trees.

Homeowners insurance might also pay for roof damage to structures that aren’t attached to the main house, such as a detached garage or barn.

A homeowners insurance policy usually doesn’t cover roof leaks caused by a lack of maintenance or age, but some home warranties might pay to repair such a leak. Be sure to read the contract before signing.

What to look for with home warranty roof coverage

When comparing home warranty plans for roof coverage, answer these questions to determine which company offers the best plan for your needs.

Is roof coverage included in a plan or do I have to pay extra? If a provider doesn’t include the roof as part of a plan’s coverage, it will often offer it as an add-on item. Optional coverage items usually come with an extra monthly fee that you pay on top of your monthly premium.

What are the coverage limits? Pay attention to how much a company will pay toward a qualifying roof repair. Limits generally range from $400 to $1,000, but some companies cap the total amount and how much they’ll pay at a time.

What’s excluded? Every home warranty service agreement has exclusions, but what each company excludes varies. If you want coverage for a particular part of your roof or in a certain situation, read through the exclusions to ensure you won’t be paying for different roof coverage than expected.

Our top picks for home warranty roof coverage

With relatively high coverage limits and smaller sets of exclusions, American Home Shield’s coverage is a good one to consider.

• Covered repairs: Nonstructural roof leaks.

• Notable repair exclusions: Leaks caused by nonroof items such as skylights or chimneys, items installed on roofs such as solar panels and guttering sections.

Although its coverage isn’t as high as some of its competitors’ limits, the company’s list of exclusions is smaller compared with most competitors.

• Covered repairs: Roof leak patching over the occupied living area.

• Notable repair exclusions: Leaks caused by cracked or missing materials; repairs to shingles or tiles; structural damage; gutters; installed items such as skylights, flashing and chimney components.

With one of the higher coverage limits, Old Republic Home Protection’s roof coverage is unique. If the area where a roof leak occurs must be partially replaced to repair the leak, the company will still pay up to the coverage limit for most customers.

• Covered repairs: Roof leaks in roof or roof cap over the occupied living area of the main dwelling if normal wear, rain or deterioration caused the leak and only if the roof was watertight.

• Notable repair exclusions: Leaks caused by lack of maintenance, installation of nonroof items such as skylights or solar panels, or standing or walking on the roof; flashing, ridge vents, patio or balcony covers and guttering are also excluded.