Insurance can be hit or miss. Some policies won’t cover wind-driven rain unless there’s visible damage, which surprises a lot of folks.
Yeah, I learned this the hard way after my first storm season. Thought my policy would cover everything, but nope—wind-driven rain was a loophole. Ended up paying out of pocket for a small patch job (just a couple shingles), which was about $250. Not terrible, but still annoying. I do agree about checking the attic after storms... caught a drip early last time and avoided a bigger mess. Guess it really depends on how fast you catch stuff and what your insurance actually covers.
That’s wild—my policy had a similar gap, but I didn’t realize it until after a hailstorm. Ended up replacing a few shingles myself, which wasn’t too bad cost-wise, but it made me rethink what’s actually covered. Do you find your rates went up after the claim, or did you just eat the cost? I’m always torn between filing and just handling small stuff myself.
I’m always torn between filing and just handling small stuff myself.
Same here. I had a minor leak after a windstorm last fall—just a couple shingles, but enough to stress me out. Ended up patching it myself because I figured the deductible plus possible rate hike wasn’t worth it for something under $500. Honestly, insurance feels like a gamble sometimes... you pay in, but then worry about using it. Glad your DIY fix worked out. Makes me wonder how many people just eat the cost to avoid the hassle.
That’s pretty much the dilemma, right? I’ve seen folks pay $300 just for a quick patch after a storm, but if it’s more like a few missing shingles, you can sometimes get away with a $30 bundle and a couple hours on a ladder. Once you get into bigger leaks or flashing issues, though, it adds up fast—especially if you need pros. Insurance is tricky... sometimes it feels safer to just handle the small stuff yourself unless there’s major damage.
Yeah, that’s been my experience too. Last year we had a nasty windstorm and lost a handful of shingles—picked up a bundle at Home Depot for about $35 and did it myself. But when I had a leak around the chimney flashing, it turned into a $700 job with a roofer. Insurance barely covered anything after the deductible. It’s tough to know when to call in the pros, but for minor stuff, DIY usually saves a lot... as long as you’re comfortable on the roof.
