Ice Dams and Your Homeowners Insurance

 

Since it’s been a mild winter so far, now is probably a good time to revisit how to deal with ice dams.

 

Whenever we experience snow there’s bound to be a few calls from random people shopping around inquiring whether or not homeowners insurance is supposed to cover damages caused by ice dams.

 

Ice dams usually occur after a snow pour, when ice builds up on the edge of your roof and prevents melting snow from running off the roof. Water damage from ice dams can ruin your roof, insulation, and the inside of your home. Sometimes, you don’t even realize that the mold growth in your roof is caused by slow water leakage caused by ice dams in the winter. Regardless, you want to know how much you’ll have to pay out-of-pocket.

 

Does homeowners insurance cover water damage caused by ice dams?

Unless your policy specifically excludes snow/snowstorms, or ice dams, most homeowner policies will cover damages caused by ice dams. If you submit a claim for flooding or water leakage, be sure you assess whether or not it’s worth your deductible, and also consider if the issue is bound to occur again. Filing a claim every year whenever a snowstorm hits, may push cause your policy to become non-renewable.

 

Does homeowners insurance cover ice dam removal from my roof?

More than likely, an insurance company will not pay for ice dam removal if there are no related damages to the home. If there is leakage or water damage that is evidently from the ice dams, then your insurance company will likely pay for the ice dam removal.

 

Again, be aware of how you report the damages since you will only be covered for anything they assess to be causing actual structural damage to your home. For example, if an ice dam 5 feet away is responsible for the water leakage in the kitchen, but you assume that it’s the ice dam directly on top that’s causing the damage, then the insurance company will only pay for the removal of what you claim.

 

Ways to prevent ice dams

We’re always about safety and prevention here at Capps. Taking the right steps can help prevent danger and costly damages. To avoid being in icy situations, be sure to keep these things in mind this winter.

• Clear snow off your roof. If you can access the roof the ground, clear snow and ice from your roof before it beings to melt.
• Get a contractor. If you can’t do it yourself safely, don’t waste your time finding DIY solutions. Let the pros handle it.
• Never chip on ice with a mechanical device. This may only damage your roof.
• Clear your gutters.
• Get proper insulation and ventilation in your attic to help reduce the chances of snow melting on the roof and refreezing at the edges of your roofs.

 

If you’ve had problems with ice dams before, leave us a comment and share some helpful information regarding your experience.