Is a leaking roof covered by your Michigan homeowners policy

What DIFS actually says about leaks

No web page can tell you whether your leak is covered. What we can give you is what the Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services (DIFS) has published, and what to do so that the answer, whichever way it goes, comes from your policy and not from guesses.

DIFS says most homeowners policies cover many types of wind and hail damage, but that coverage varies by policy. In its winter guidance, DIFS says standard homeowners policies cover a wide range of winter disasters, naming burst pipes, ice dams, wind damage, leaky roofs and a building collapse caused by the weight of ice or snow. Coverage still turns on the cause of the loss and the wording of your policy. We found no DIFS statement on wear and tear or on how insurers schedule roof payments, so a page that claims to know whether a particular leak is covered is guessing.

The practical question is what produced the water in your house and what your policy says about that cause. Wind lifting shingles in a storm, a limb coming through the deck, snow melting behind an ice dam and a flashing joint opening over time are four different stories, and the policy may treat them differently. Your agent or the insurer’s claims staff can read the policy for you.

Document the leak before anything moves

The steps DIFS gives for storm claims apply just as well to a leak. Before cleaning up, photograph and film all the damage, list damaged items with dates and values, and keep damaged items until the insurer advises otherwise. For a roof leak that means the ceiling stain, the wet insulation if you can see it, the floor, and the outside of the roof from the ground.

Add details you will not remember in a month: when you first noticed the water, whether it was raining, snowing or thawing, whether anything fell on the roof, and which room and wall it reached and how far across. Write the date on each note. DIFS also suggests keeping notes of every conversation with the insurer: date, representative name, claim number and a summary.

Stay off the roof for this. A wet or snowy roof is a poor place to take photographs, and a roofing company or the adjuster can photograph the damage you cannot see from the ground.

Limit the damage, keep the receipts

Most insurance policies, DIFS says, require policyholders to take reasonable steps to prevent further damage. The example DIFS gives is covering a damaged roof with a tarp. DIFS lists the same duty as a policyholder responsibility, with the examples of boarding up or covering damaged property. Save receipts for what you spend, since DIFS says these expenses may be reimbursable. That describes typical policies and is not a statute, so the real duty is in your policy.

At the same time, DIFS says to make only temporary repairs, and not permanent repairs until the insurance company has inspected or tells you to proceed. A tarp, a patch or a bucket and a towel come first; a new section of roof or a full replacement waits for the adjuster. Our roof leak page covers what a temporary stop looks like, and the emergency roof repair page is for a leak that cannot wait.

Tell the insurer early

DIFS says to notify your insurance company or agent as soon as possible. Telling the insurer is not the same as deciding to pursue a claim. You can describe the damage, ask how the policy treats it and ask what the insurer wants from you. Our hail and wind claim guide lays out the 30 day and 60 day clocks that begin once you file: DIFS says the insurer must tell you within 30 days what proof of loss it needs and pay within 60 days after receiving it, or owe 12 percent simple interest. DIFS also says there is no limit on how long the insurer may investigate.

If the insurer decides the damage is partial, note what DIFS says: a homeowners policy covers the portion of the roof that was damaged, and the insurance company is not required to replace the entire roof.

Questions to put to your agent

The words to look for are the ones DIFS defines. Ask whether the roof is insured at replacement cost or actual cash value. DIFS says replacement cost pays the cost to repair or replace with materials of the same kind and quality, minus the deductible, up to the limit, and actual cash value is the replacement cost at the time of loss minus depreciation. Ask what your deductible is. Ask what the policy says about the cause you think produced the leak, and whether the insurer needs an inspection before any work starts.

Two more are worth writing down before you call: what the claim will mean for your premiums, since DIFS lists your claim history among the factors insurers rate on, and which of your documents the insurer wants first. Ask for the answers in writing, or note them with the date and the person’s name.

If the answer is no

Michigan treats failing to give a reasonable explanation, based on the insurance policy, for a denial as an unfair claim practice (MCL 500.2026), though it counts only when it is a course of conduct and not an isolated incident. So ask the insurer to point you to the policy language behind the denial. DIFS encourages trying to resolve a dispute with the insurer first. After that, you can file a complaint with DIFS online or call 877-999-6442, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. DIFS says it can explain policy language and review complaints, and determine whether an insurer complied with Michigan insurance laws and the terms of your policy.

DIFS also says an eligible homeowner cannot be denied insurance solely because of the age of the house, its location or the type of neighborhood, though a home in a condition that presents an extreme likelihood of a significant loss may be ineligible. That is about the house, and DIFS gave no roof age rule in the pages we read.

Ice dams, and who you pick for the repair

Ice dams appear on DIFS’s winter list, and its advice is to keep gutters clean to prevent ice damming. ENERGY STAR says that air sealing combined with attic insulation can help to alleviate the formation of ice dams. Our guide to ice dams and the ice barrier code goes into Michigan’s code on that.

When the repair is approved, DIFS says your insurance company may recommend contractors, but you have the right to choose your own. DIFS advises you to verify licenses when required, get written estimates, read contracts and not feel pressured into an immediate decision. This matters most when someone knocks on your door right after a storm, a situation covered in our guide to door-to-door roofers and assignments of benefits.