Short answer: usually yes, if the damage is from a sudden covered event — hail, wind, fallen tree, fire. Usually no, if the damage is from age, wear, or lack of maintenance. The longer answer depends on your specific policy, and the difference can be tens of thousands of dollars.
What's almost always covered
Standard Minnesota homeowners policies (HO-3 is the most common) cover roof damage from 'sudden and accidental' perils, including:
- Hail damage — the single most common covered claim in the Twin Cities
- Wind damage — lifted, creased, or missing shingles after a storm
- Fallen trees or large branches
- Fire and lightning
- Weight of ice, snow, or sleet that causes structural damage
What's almost never covered
Insurance is not a maintenance plan. These are typically excluded:
- Normal wear and tear — a 22-year-old roof that's at the end of its life
- Granule loss from age
- Leaks from poor installation or unaddressed flashing issues
- Damage from lack of maintenance (clogged gutters causing ice dams, for example)
- Cosmetic-only damage on policies with a cosmetic damage exclusion
RCV vs. ACV — the policy detail that changes everything
Two homeowners on the same block with identical hail damage can get wildly different checks based on this one line in their policy.
Replacement Cost Value (RCV): insurance pays what it actually costs to replace the roof today, minus your deductible. This is the standard on most newer policies and on newer roofs.
Actual Cash Value (ACV): insurance pays the depreciated value — replacement cost minus depreciation for age and wear. On a 20-year-old roof, depreciation can be 60–80%, meaning the check covers only a fraction of the replacement. Some carriers shift older roofs to ACV automatically at a certain age.
Read your declarations page or call your agent and ask: 'Is my roof on RCV or ACV?' If you don't know the answer, you don't know what your policy is actually worth.
Deductibles: flat vs. percentage
Most policies have a flat deductible ($1,000, $2,500, $5,000). Some Minnesota policies — especially newer ones — have a separate wind/hail deductible that's a percentage of your dwelling coverage. A 2% wind/hail deductible on a $400,000 dwelling is $8,000 out of pocket before insurance pays anything.
If your deductible is percentage-based, your effective coverage on a roof claim is much smaller than you think. Check this now, not after a storm.
Roof age matters more every year
Many carriers in Minnesota have tightened terms on older roofs: shifting to ACV at 15 or 20 years, adding cosmetic exclusions, raising deductibles, or non-renewing the policy if the roof is past its useful life. If your roof is approaching that window, get an inspection — both to document its condition and to know where you stand before a claim happens.
What 'covered' actually pays for
When a claim is approved, insurance pays for the full like-kind replacement of the damaged roof — not just shingles. That typically includes tear-off, underlayment, ice and water shield to current code, drip edge, ridge venting, flashing, ridge cap, and disposal. Code-required upgrades (e.g. ice and water shield to current code where the old roof had less) are usually covered if your policy has Ordinance or Law coverage — most do, in small amounts.
Quick self-check before you file
Before filing a claim, you should know:
- Is your roof on RCV or ACV?
- What is your wind/hail deductible (flat or percentage)?
- How old is your roof, and does your carrier have age-based limits?
- Has a contractor confirmed there's claimable storm damage?
If the answer to any of those is 'I don't know,' that's the place to start — not the claims line. We offer free roof inspections with a written report and will read your insurance scope with you at no cost, whether or not you hire us for the work.