Home Warranties with Roof Coverage: What You Need to Know
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Are you a homeowner who is concerned about their roof? A home warranty can help cover many of your home's most important items, but warranties often don't include roof protection. Fortunately, a few of the best home warranty companies in the industry have roof coverage available for purchase.
The top options for roof coverage are:
Do Home Warranties Cover Roofs?
Most home warranty plans do not cover roofs. However, a few companies do have roof coverage available as an add-on option. This can be purchased in tandem with your base plan for a few extra dollars per month.
Roof coverage usually comes with a hefty amount of limitations and exclusions; you will want to study your contract so you know what is and isn't covered. Since roof coverage is usually offered as an add-on, you can purchase it in the middle of your home warranty term if you suddenly need it.
Cost Of A New Roof
A new roof can be wildly expensive. HomeAdvisor has estimated, based on over 40,000 reports, that replacing or installing a new roof typically costs between $5,300-11,000. A home warranty policy that includes roof leak coverage can help protect your roof from long-term damage.
Many factors need to be considered when you think about potential roof repairs, such as:
Age of roof
Roof material
Square footage
Extent of damage
Companies With Roof Coverage
Select Home Warranty
Select Home Warranty not only offers roof leak coverage—it offers it as a free add-on. Roof leaks are fully covered as long as the leak is over the occupied living area of a single-family home. Exclusions, via Select's sample contract, are as follows: patios, metal roofs, shingle replacement, tiles, tar and gravel roofs, flat roofs, gutters, downspouts, attic vents, and chimney components.
As is the case with every home warranty company, Select will not cover a partial or complete replacement of your roof. If you're interested in a policy with free roof coverage, get a free quote from Select by completing this form or by calling 888-370-3956.
Choice Home Warranty
Choice Home Warranty is another top provider with an optional roof leak coverage add-on. Unlike Select Home Warranty's coverage, which is free, Choice's roof leak coverage costs $70 per year, or $5.83 per month. We think $70 per year is a very reasonable price for the peace of mind a roof leak policy provides.
Though it costs more than Select Home Warranty's free coverage, Choice's roof leak coverage is more comprehensive. Per a CHW sample contract, its roof leak coverage covers the repair of shake, shingle, and composition roof leaks over the occupied living area. Exclusions include porches, patios, cracked or missing material, foam/tar/gravel/metal roofs, masonite shingles, flat roofs, gutters, skylights, decks, solar equipment, and chimneys. Choice maintains a $500 limit on roof service.
To see how roof coverage can factor into your home warranty plan, get a free online quote from Choice Home Warranty or call 929-400-6165.
The Home Service Club
The Home Service Club offers roof protection that is similar to Choice Home Warranty but with a more generous limit. The Home Service Club protects your roof from leaks due to wear and tear. It will not cover broken shingles or structural damage, and it will not provide replacement to your roof.
While Choice Home Warranty offers similar protection with a $500 limit, The Home Service Club sets a limit of $1,000, which is better overall coverage. The Home Service Club's higher limits are part of the reason why we think it is a great choice for homeowners worried about their roof. For a sample contract that includes more information about roof coverage, get an online quote from The Home Service Club or call 800-842-9334.
Protecting Your Roof
As you may have already noticed, most home warranty companies' roof coverage plans provide incomplete protection. Usually, these policies only protect you from isolated leaks in your roof.
To ensure your roof lasts as long as possible, it's important to take preventative measures. Here are some ways to protect your roof from expensive repairs that are not covered by your home warranty.
Gutter care: Gutters are an important part of protecting your roof from rainfall. Make sure your gutters are in working order. Once or twice a year, we recommend cleaning your gutters to make sure they're not clogged. Items like leaves, pine needles, and dirt can create stoppages and allow water to build up and damage your gutters, downspouts, and shingles.
Trim tree branches: Examine your yard to see if there are any branches or trees hanging above your roof. In the case of a storm or heavy winds, loose branches may fall onto your roof, causing expensive damage.
Clean your roof: Roofs are exposed to the elements and are the line of defense between the outdoors and your home's interior. Moss and mold can build up over time and weaken your roof.
Home Warranty Rating Methodology
The Home Service Research Team at Better Homes & Gardens strives to provide unbiased and objective reviews to readers by compiling relevant information on home warranty companies and rating the providers on a variety of factors.
Here's what our review process looks like:
We examine each provider's website to determine plan details, coverage, customer service offerings, and other benefits. We also speak with company representatives to get more insight on plan details.
We read sample contracts from each home warranty company to analyze and compare coverage details, limits, and exclusions.
We read at least 100 third-party customer reviews for each home warranty company to determine the real-life benefits and drawbacks of each provider.
We gather cost information for a variety of home warranty plans in different states by completing online quote forms and speaking with sales representatives to simulate the quote process.
We revisit each company's offerings on a seasonal basis, ensuring that we include the most up-to-date information in our reviews.
We also created a 100-point rating system to score companies based on objective factors, such as plan options, coverage, and customer service:
Overall, the Home Service Research Team has reviewed over 70 home warranty companies to select the top-rated providers in the industry.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a home warranty to protect my roof?
You do not necessarily need a home warranty to protect your roof. We think the best way to protect your roof is by taking preventative measures so your roof lasts as long as it can. However, prices for add-on coverage for roof leaks may fall within your budget, and we think it's a great way to provide you with peace of mind. Roof leak repair can be costly, and many home warranty policies can help you avoid unexpected and expensive repairs.
If I already have a home warranty policy, can I add roof leak coverage?
Since roof leak coverage is usually an optional add-on for companies that offer it, you can likely add it on in the middle of your term. Check with your home warranty provider to confirm that this option is available.
Will roof leak coverage protect me from storms?
Roof leak coverage from home warranties usually only covers damage due to wear and tear—not natural disasters or acts of God. If you were to purchase protection against storms, it would likely be found in a homeowners insurance plan.
