Our roof was being replaced when a hail storm struck and damaged our home contents. Do we have coverage?

This answer to this home insurance question can get tricky. First, it depends on whether or not you have hail coverage. Most standard homeowners insurance policies do cover hail damage, however, you should ask your home insurance agent about the specifics of your policy.

Next, it depends about the type of hail coverage that you have and the insurance laws in your state. For example, in North Carolina hail coverage is part of a standard homeowners policy that covers damage to the structure of your home. However, hail damage to the contents of your home in NC is only covered if the hail enters your house through an opening caused by a covered peril.

This means that in the event of a hurricane, if wind caused a tree to break through your roof and leave your contents exposed- you would most likely have coverage if hail were to also simultaneously damage your exposed contents. This is because wind is a covered peril.

However, in your scenario, if your home contents were left exposed because your roof was in the process of being replaced- you might NOT have coverage for hail damage to your home’s contents.

Your best bet in this scenario is to ask your homeowners insurance agent about the type of coverage you have.