Home warranties are annual service contracts that homeowners take out to cover the costs of services, repairs, and certain replacements of various home systems and appliances. However, you may be wondering about what exactly a home warranty covers – and whether or not it covers your roof.
Many home warranties do offer roof coverage. Roof coverage may be provided as an additional cost. Roof coverage does not cover your roof in the event that it needs to be replaced. Typical roof coverage will only cover the costs of repairs done to the roof. Companies will stipulate the limitations of the roof coverage.
When it comes down to a home warranty, you want to ensure that it covers everything you need it to – including your roof. After all, your roof covers you – but who covers your roof? In this article, we’ll explain everything you need to know about roof coverage!
What a Typical Home Warranty Covers
While home warranty plans may differ from company to company, a vast majority of these companies provide similar coverage. As a responsible homeowner, it is essential that you know what your home warranty plan options are and what a warranty will (and will not) cover. Keep reading as we break down what a typical home warranty covers!
A home warranty is used to cover the costs of servicing, repairing, or replacing certain systems and appliances in your home. In this way, having a home warranty can protect your budget. Furthermore, the coverage provided by your standard home warranty is two-fold.
Let us take a look at the home systems covered by a typical home warranty. Generally, a home warranty will cover your electrical system, heating system, interior plumbing, and your water heater. Often, your roof will also be covered to some extent – but we’ll take a look at that in a moment.
Your average home warranty will also cover various appliances. From your dishwasher to your garbage disposal, from your oven to your garage door, home warranties cover many important appliances. Coverage for appliances like air conditioners, pool equipment, and refrigerators may also be covered by a home warranty.
Ultimately, the coverage offered by a home warranty will differ between providers. For this reason, it’s important to do your research about different home warranty options and what each will cover. In the next section, we’ll take a look at roof coverage in more detail
Is Roof Coverage Included in a Home Warranty?
In the previous section of this article, we looked at what a typical home warranty will cover in terms of systems and appliances in your home. We briefly mentioned that a home warranty might offer roof coverage. Let’s take a look at the particulars of home warranties and roof coverage.
When you compare different home warranty options, you’ll find that not all home warranties provide roof coverage. However, there are still plenty of great home warranty plans that do provide cover for your roof. With certain companies, roof coverage may be provided at an additional fee.
Now that we’ve explained that it is possible to get roof coverage with a home warranty, you might be wondering what that will cover. Let’s take a look!
What Roof Repairs Will a Home Warranty Cover?
Many homeowners are under the impression that roof coverage will cover the costs of a roof replacement. Unfortunately, this is not true. Home warranty plans that offer roof coverage always stipulate that the warranty does not extend to a roof replacement. So, what does it cover? (Related article: Roof Replacement Cost & Consumer Guide)
Generally, roof coverage only covers leaks that develop in your roof. Essentially, a home warranty that does offer cover for your roof will pay for the costs of the leak to the repair. However, any damage caused by the leak will not be covered either. However, that may be covered by other insurance.
Furthermore, various companies that offer home warranties with roof coverage may specify exceptions to the coverage. When doing your research about different home warranty plans, it’s important to consider aspects like this. For example, a company may not cover leaks that occur on a patio.
Despite the limitations of roof coverage, it’s still an important aspect of a home warranty to consider. After all, when it comes down to average home repair costs, roof repairs are among the costliest repairs that homeowners have to make. Having roof coverage can protect your budget on that rainy day for a real rainy day!
Why Roof Coverage is an Add-on
As we discussed above, roof coverage often has to be added to a home warranty plan. Furthermore, these plans often have limitations in what they will and will not cover. For example, leaks that happen on a patio may not be covered. You might be wondering why that is!
Ultimately, this comes down to the factors that influence the lifespan of a roof. The first of these factors is the design of your roof. The second is, of course, how your roof was installed. When you’re getting a home warranty plan that offers roof coverage, your roof will likely need to be inspected.
When this inspection is done, the installation of the roof will be assessed. However, there’s another important factor that comes into play here, arguably as important as a proper installation. Remember, if your roof is relatively new and was properly installed, it’s safe to assume you don’t have any issues with it currently.
However, that’s where the final factor comes into play: roof maintenance. When a roof is improperly maintained, it can lead to damage and the formation of leaks. Due to this, an inspection of your roof isn’t enough to protect the company.
That is why roof maintenance is typically stipulated in warranties that provide roof coverage. In many cases, companies will specify that a roof needs to be regularly maintained for the warranty to remain intact and cover roof repairs. In fact, failure to maintain a roof is one of the most common reasons for denied warranty claims.
Tips for Maintaining Your Roof
To prevent voiding your home warranty’s roof coverage, you must ensure that your roof is regularly maintained. To help you maintain your roof, we’ve compiled some essential tips to protect your roof. With these tips, you’ll extend the lifespan of your roof!
Final Thoughts
Understanding what a home warranty’s roof coverage does cover (like a roof repair) and what it doesn’t cover (like a roof replacement) is crucial. Luckily, we explained everything you need to know about home warranties and roof coverage in this article!