Home Insurance leaking roof

domnadz

The roof has started leaking and had a roofer come out who said that the leak is due to not enough overlap between the tiles. Apparently the roof met building regulations at the time it was built but wouldn't now. Due to the lack of overlap, rain has got to the felt underneath which has warped. My insurance company has said this won't be covered by them as is wear and tear. The roofer said it should be covered as is not our fault and damage is due to the tiles used. Has anyone had this before and is it worth appealing through the claims company. There is no visible damage to tiles where the leak is. Any advice welcome.

sal_III

How long ago where the tiles installed? If it was not long ago, hopefully there is warranty for the work and you should chase the roofer that installed it. If it was long ago and it only just leaked, it looks like wear and tear.

If you are unhappy with the verdict, you should lodge a formal complaint with your insurance company and if that fails you can proceed with a case with the FSO.

eddddy

domnadz wrote: »

My insurance company has said this won't be covered by them as is wear and tear. The roofer said it should be covered as is not our fault and damage is due to the tiles used.

I can't see why your roofer would think that.

If it's caused by bad materials (tiles) or bad workmanship, that's always excluded in buildings insurance policies.

Similarly, if something has worn out (wear and tear), that won't be covered either.


If you read your buildings insurance policy, you'll see the specific risks covered. They'll be things like:

• fire, explosion, storms, floods, earthquakes
• theft, attempted theft and vandalism
• frozen and burst pipes
• fallen trees, lampposts, aerials or satellite dishes
• subsidence
• vehicle or aircraft collisions

So you would only have a valid claim, if the leak was caused by one of those risks.

The only plausible one in this case is 'storm'.

But you would have to specify the date of the storm (and insurers check the local weather history), and it doesn't sound like your roofer thinks it's storm damage anyway.

Chickenlips

Your roofer isn't an expert in insurance, and I'm assuming he hasn't read your policy. I meet a lot of contractors that think they know more than I do (an adjuster) about insurance. If they haven't even read the policy, I always struggle to see why they think this specific policy covers this specific damage.

Please consider what the cause of damage to the roof is and look at if your policy covers it.

Arguing with insurers that your contractor said it will be covered won't cut it, but some insurers will consider the internal damages provided they were sudden and unforeseen. Check your policy wording to see if it is excluded or not (usually under accidental damage).

Your insurer may consider the internal damage, but if it gets worse due to inaction on your part, they will only consider the initial damage.

Chickenlips

It won't let me edit.

Your policy doesn't cover things that aren't your fault (unless it is all risks, but if your insurer can prove an exclusion is in force you won't get cover).

Domestic buildings insurance is usually on a perils basis. The FOS will back the view that the policyholder has to prove an insured peril was responsible for the damage.

What edddy has said is spot on.

Dangermac

domnadz wrote: »

The roof has started leaking and had a roofer come out who said that the leak is due to not enough overlap between the tiles. Apparently the roof met building regulations at the time it was built but wouldn't now. Due to the lack of overlap, rain has got to the felt underneath which has warped. My insurance company has said this won't be covered by them as is wear and tear. The roofer said it should be covered as is not our fault and damage is due to the tiles used. Has anyone had this before and is it worth appealing through the claims company. There is no visible damage to tiles where the leak is. Any advice welcome.

This sounds like straight forward wear & tear over time, rather than damage that has occurred on a specific day.

The question of 'fault' is irrelevant. If your oven stopped working or your budgie became ill, that wouldn't be your fault , but equally wouldn't be covered by household insurance.

The damage seems to have happened, over time, through wear & wear, possibly due to the method of installation.

I cannot see, under these circumstances, how this would be covered by insurance.

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news

Good luck

DM

Brewer20

I've seen three instances where a roof leaks, one with slight drip the other leaking like a sieve. In all three cases it was a breakdown of the membrane under the tiles.
You don't say how old the roof is and the membrane below?


This year I had arranged to have my son's roof (just one side) made waterproof, the roofer put new membrane under the original tiles, in other words he stripped the lot off new battens and membrane. He said although the tiles are in good nick they aren't the best used but would do the job, he replaced any broken ones he'd broken.


As others have said, it sounds like wear and tear.