Is commercial roof repair covered by buildings insurance?

Rainy days are a given at this time of year. It’s also the time of year when you’re most likely to discover leaks in your commercial roof.

A poorly maintained roof can quickly lead to a whole host of problems and expenses. From repairing the roof itself to stained walls and even structural defects, the cost of commercial roof repair can rapidly mount up.

Your buildings insurance may cover you for commercial roof repairs, depending on the cause of the damage. Read on to find out more about this.

Situations when insurance may cover commercial roof repair

Damage caused to your commercial roof by an unexpected event could result in a valid insurance claim. The type of events you are covered for will vary between individual policies, but generally include fires, vandalism and damage caused by severe weather. Check your insurance policy details to find out the exact level of cover it provides.

In most cases, if commercial roof repairs are included on your buildings insurance policy, it will only provide part cover.

Complete commercial roof repairs are typically only covered by buildings insurance in two situations. These are:

  • If a specific cause of roof damage is written into the policy, for example, ‘full roof repair insurance cover in the event of storm damage’.
  • If your roof was brand new or in excellent condition prior to the damage occurring. You will need to provide evidence to prove this.

If your commercial roof repair is required because of lack of proper maintenance, then your buildings insurance policy is highly unlikely to pay out.

It’s your responsibility as the owner of the commercial property to keep the roof in good condition. Therefore, even if the damage was caused by bad weather, disputes could arise with your insurer if they determine that the damage could have been prevented if the roof had been kept in better condition.

Therefore, it’s vital that you keep records and receipts for any commercial roof maintenance work you’ve had done. This kind of documented evidence could help your insurance claim significantly.

How commercial roof repair claims are appraised by insurers

Your insurer will assess the validity of your claim before they decide whether to pay for your commercial roof repair or replacement. The factors they will take into account include:

  • Cause of damage – As discussed above.
  • The age of your commercial roof – Roofs under 10 years old are considered to be relatively new. Newer roofs will typically benefit from a higher level of insurance cover.
  • The condition of your roof prior to the damage occurring – If you can prove that your commercial roof was in good condition before the damage, you should receive a higher level of insurance cover. Keep all documents relating to maintenance and repair work carried out on your roof.

As leading industrial roofing contractors in the UK, NWIR provide scheduled commercial roof inspections and maintenance. When you hire us to keep your roof in optimum condition, we’ll provide you with documents that detail all the work we’ve done. This will enable you to keep a paper record that documents your roof’s condition, which will come in handy if you ever need to make an insurance claim.

Get in touch

To book an appointment for a free site survey, don’t hesitate to get in touch with our helpful team.

You can give us a call on 0800 046 1500 or send us a message using our online contact form and we’ll be in touch shortly.