Does your homeowner's insurance cover snow damage?

There is a snowy roof in the background and an umbrella in the foreground

Photo by Getty Images. Illustrations by bankrate

Home insurance covers limited amounts of snow damage. If the roof collapses due to snow and ice buildup, you can usually file a claim with your insurance company. However, damage that occurs over time is not usually covered. Home insurance is also unlikely to pay to remove the ice dam. However, if the dam creates a roof leak, your policy may be helpful. Here are some things you need to know about home insurance and snow damage.

If snow damage is covered by homeowner’s insurance

Snow damage can come in any shape or size, but homeowner insurance can help cover repair costs in some cases. Below are examples of possible damages snow can cause and how standard homeowner insurance policies typically cover them.

Roof collapse: Snow and ice buildup can become heavy quickly. If you cause a roof collapse, the damage may be covered by your home insurance.
Damage caused by ice dam: When snow melts on the roof, an ice dam is created to prevent water from flowing. If your roof starts leaking due to an ice dam, your home insurance may help you repair your roof. However, if your personal property is damaged by a leak, your home insurance may not cover it.
Broken tree branches and falling trees: Falling objects such as trees, branches, and limbs are usually covered by home insurance. However, if the tree is dead or multiple limbs hanging on the roof before the damage occurs, your claim may be rejected.
Structural damage: Heavy snow and living room can break windows, tear shutters, and cause other damage to the physical structure of the home. These repairs are probably part of your policy and are also known as housing compensation.
Frozen pipe: Winter weather and strong winds can lead to frigid temperatures and frozen pipes. Home insurance covers sudden and accidental floods, like the result of a burst pipe. However, your insurance company may only approve a claim if your home is kept at a reasonable temperature. Inability to warm your home can be considered negligence by the homeowner and lead to denied claims.

If snow damage is not covered by homeowner insurance

Floods are like gray areas with household insurance. Importantly, home insurance does not provide financial protection against flooding. What really makes up a flood can be more complicated than you think. For example, in 2024, a Massachusetts court ruled that there was something accumulated from “standing water” on the roof, heavy rain and melting snow. do not have flood. Therefore, that loss is covered by your home insurance contract.

However, this may not be the case in all states, as home insurance is regulated at the state level rather than federal. It is up to the state to decide which losses will be covered and which will be excluded. This is why wind is ruled out in some Texas counties, and why Florida homeowners can opt out of wind insurance.

Talking to licensed insurance agents will give you more insight into how the state sees snow-related and water-related losses. If you are worried about damage caused by flooding, we recommend considering flood insurance.

Overall, home insurance does not cover snow-related damages such as:

Ice dam removal: If an ice dam does harm the roof, home insurance could cover some of the resulting damage and provide limited coverage for the removal process. However, if you just want to clean up an ice dam from the roof, your policy will rarely pay for it.
Snow removalSimilarly, if you want to clean your roof, you cannot file a request for snow removal.
Homeowner’s fault: As a homeowner, it’s you who maintain the maintenance of your home. If the insurance company views the damage as preventable, that is, it would not have happened to a well-maintained home – your claim will likely be rejected.

How to prevent snow damage to your home

The best way to avoid filing a snow-related home insurance claim is to prevent damage in the first place. According to Bankrate’s extreme weather survey, this is especially true when extreme weather becomes more destructive.

Here’s how you can get ready for winter and avoid snow damage:

Please inspect the roof	A roof inspection can help you find problem areas before a large leak occurs.
Insulates the pipe	This is especially useful in areas where you don’t feel the heat or are extroverted.
Clean the grooves	Clean ditches help to melt snow and prevent ice dams.
I’ll cut the tree	Tree branches can be measured quickly by snow and ice. Leave mower, especially those hanging on the roof, to prevent the branches from snapping and causing damage.
Consider a heated cable or snow guard	Heated cables can melt snow before they stack and become ice dams, and snow guards can help melted spills to be safely ejected.