Leaking roof - buildings insurance claim?

joncombe

I've been away for a few days spending Christmas with my family. On returning home (I left on the morning of Christmas Eve) I have found that my roof has started to leak, causing a damp patch on the ceiling of one of the bedrooms. I went in the loft and could see it dripping so have put a bucket under the area the leak was coming from. As I have been away for a few days I don't know when the leak started. The damage appears to be limited to just a stain on the ceiling so hoping I can get it fixed quickly before further damage is caused.

I have buildings and contents insurance (excluding accidental damage) and tried to contact my insurer this evening (Halifax) to find if I was covered but told the "out of hours" team can only submit a claim (unless it is an emergency) and not answer queries about whether I would be covered. I was advised to ring back between 9am and 5pm tomorrow.

I am a little concerned that if I do ring back tomorrow they will say I've claimed even if I find I am not covered. This is because a few years ago my freezer broke down and I called to find out if I was covered for the contents. I was but the £150 excess made it not worth claiming, although they tried to claim I had "made a claim" when I renewed but backed down when I explained I had made an enquiry but did not log a claim. So I don't want to call and find out I am not covered but still have my premium go up.

As far as I can tell from the policy document I would be covered if the damage was caused by "storm or flood". I live in Surrey and it was very stormy here on Christmas Eve so that could have damaged the roof, but I don't have a ladder to go up and take a look, but I can't see any visible damage from the street. The policy document does say it excludes "wear and tear". So I just wanted some advice as to whether it would be worth making a claim for this or if it is likely to be excluded? The house was built in 1982 so not sure if 30 years is a reasonable lifespan for a roof (it is tiled). It seems a little short!

Thanks.

fimonkey

I do not work in insurance, nor do I advocate fraud or not disclosing material facts. I am giving a scenario that may suit you or it may not.

First things first, your insurance company would have called your 'freezer issue' a 'notification'. Even if you do not go on to claim it will still stay on your file and may affect future premiums (because apparently those who 'notify' are likely to then go on and claim, so you are a higher risk).

A possible scenario, which may not be moral/wholesome/healthy/legal is thus:

1. get a quote ASAP for the damage, and for it to be determined whether it is wear and tear or storm damage. The former you're probably not covered for, so just cough up for the repairs. If its storm damage your buildings should cover it, in which case check your excess and decide whether its worth claiming
2.If you decide its worth claiming, do so immediately and tell your insurance company that you're claiming for storm damage because that's what the tradesman said it was (hence you are informing them as soon as you've noticed it is storm damage rather than wear and tear. You're not a roofer so how can you be expected to know the difference?)

NB: most insurance companies are deluged (pun intended) with claims for storm damage at the moment, and if its less than --approx £500 ish (some are going higher) are likely to just pay up without sending out a loss adjuster. Up to you to get the quotes though and decide whether its worth it.

Spikey1

FiMonkey......there's nothing unethical about your suggested approach... its good advice and the only reason why an insurer would challenge this would be of there was a significant delay before they were eventually approached.


Cheers

fimonkey

Thanks Spikey, I had a previous discussion with folk on here re: notifications vs claims..... I was shot down in flames hence the clauses in my advice.

joncombe

fimonkey wrote: »

Thanks Spikey, I had a previous discussion with folk on here re: notifications vs claims..... I was shot down in flames hence the clauses in my advice.

Thanks Fimonkey for your helpful advice, that sounds like a good plan.

joncombe

I found a square piece of cement in the front garden today that looks very much like it has come out from under a roof tile - probably the cause of the leak. Hopefully that means it will be classed as "storm damage" anyway so my insurance will cover it. I suspect the wind blew it down (some houses lost tiles in the recent windy weather) and water is getting into the gap.

Quentin

Find out what a local roofer will charge for the repair and do the sums before you make a claim. (Cost of repair v paying excess + Ioaded premium for up to 5 years + effect of loss of any ncd)

Do dummy quotes online with and without this claim to see what difference it makes to the premium.

joncombe

Quentin wrote: »

Find out what a local roofer will charge for the repair and do the sums before you make a claim. (Cost of repair v paying excess + Ioaded premium for up to 5 years + effect of loss of any ncd)

I've had two quotes, one for £960 and one for £980

I've had confirmation my insurance company will cover it and my excess is £150. Whilst I appreciate I'm going to be paying quite a bit more for insurance going forward if nothing else it will allow me to pay in part over a few years rather than the best part of £1000 right now! Thanks for the advice though.