If water is running down the wall of your house after a storm, the first question is rarely “who do I call for the repair?” It is “will my insurance pay for this?” I get asked it most weeks, often before anyone has even looked at the damage. So here is the honest, plain-English version of how UK buildings insurance usually treats a leaking gutter, a failed fascia or a storm-damaged roof – and what you can do to give a claim its best chance.

The short answer

Most UK buildings policies will pay for damage caused by a sudden, unexpected event – a storm, a fallen branch, a cracked tile letting water in. Most will not pay for the gradual wear and tear that caused the problem in the first place.

That single distinction explains nearly every argument between a homeowner and an insurer. A gutter that has been sagging and overflowing for two winters is maintenance. A gutter that was ripped off the wall by a gale on Tuesday night is usually a claim. Same gutter, completely different answer.

What buildings insurance usually covers

Under a standard buildings policy, the parts of your roofline that are covered include:

• Storm damage – tiles or slates lifted or smashed, ridge tiles dislodged, guttering torn away by high winds.
• Damage from a falling object – a branch, a chimney pot or debris hitting the roof.
• Escape of water that gets in through a sudden failure and damages ceilings, plaster or electrics inside.
• Damage caused by a neighbouring property, in some cases, where liability can be shown.

In practice, what most homeowners claim for after a storm is a mixture: a handful of slipped tiles, a length of guttering pulled off the fascia, and the damp patch that appears on the upstairs ceiling a week later. That is a legitimate claim and worth putting in.

What it usually will not cover

Policies are far more consistent about what they exclude, and it is worth knowing these before you ring anyone:

• Wear and tear, rot and general ageing. If the fascia board behind the gutter has rotted through after twenty years, that is upkeep, not an insured event.
• Poor maintenance. Blocked gutters, cracked seals and loose fixings that were visible and left are the policyholder’s responsibility.
• Gradual water ingress. Damp that has been building for months is normally excluded, however inconvenient the timing.
• Damage caused by inadequate workmanship on a previous job.

The reason insurers draw the line here is simple: insurance is for the unexpected, not for the predictable cost of keeping a house watertight.

Storm damage – the bit that catches people out

“Storm” is a defined term, and it is stricter than the word we use in conversation. Insurers typically rely on a weather condition being severe enough to have caused damage to other buildings in the area, or on recorded wind speeds above a set threshold – often somewhere around 47-55 mph, depending on the policy. A gusty night that loosens your tiles but leaves every other roof on the street untouched can be difficult to argue, and honesty here saves you time later.

If a storm has genuinely been through Shepton Mallet, Wells, Glastonbury or the villages around them, there will be other claims and other evidence, and yours becomes straightforward.

Excess, matching and betterment

Three smaller points that change what you actually receive:

• Your excess comes off the payout. On buildings cover it is often £100-£250, but check – it can be higher for storm or escape of water.
• Matching. If one length of guttering is replaced and it no longer matches the rest, not every insurer will pay to replace the lot. Some policies now include matching cover; many do not.
• Betterment. A payout usually restores what was there, not upgrades it. If your 25-year-old gutter comes back as new plastic, expect to contribute the difference.

What to gather before you call your insurer

Claims are won or lost on evidence, and the first 48 hours are when it is easiest to collect:

1. Photographs and video taken from ground level and, if it is safe, from a window – wide shots to show context, close-ups to show the damage.
2. Date and time of the event, plus the weather conditions. A screenshot of a Met Office warning or a local weather record is useful.
3. A temporary repair to stop further damage. Insurers expect you to mitigate loss, and a board over a hole or a bucket under a drip is not an admission of anything. Keep the receipt for any emergency work.
4. Notes on anything damaged inside – stained ceilings, ruined decoration, affected electrics.
5. The names of any neighbours who have suffered similar damage, since this is the most common way storm claims are validated.

Do not clear up completely before you have photographed the mess. It feels tidy, but it removes your evidence.

Why a dated condition report helps at claim time

This is the part most homeowners miss. When you claim, the insurer’s assessor will want to know whether the damage was sudden or whether the roof was already in poor condition. If you have nothing on paper, it becomes your word against theirs.

A dated report from a local roofer – with photographs of the roofline as it was found, notes on the condition of the fascias, soffits, guttering and tiles, and a clear split between “damaged by the event” and “worn before it” – settles that question before it is asked. I write this free of charge as part of an inspection, and it has helped plenty of clients in this area get a claim approved, and saved a few from claiming for something that would only have been refused and recorded.

If the claim is refused

A refusal is not always final. Ask which exclusion was applied and on what evidence, and put your own evidence – photographs, a dated report, neighbouring claims – in writing back to them. If the decision stands, the practical route is usually to have the work done properly and claimable parts revisited if the insurer changes its mind. Either way, you will want to know what actually needs doing rather than guessing at it.

Getting a straight answer before you claim

Insurance questions are easiest to answer with a pair of eyes on the roof. I inspect rooflines across Shepton Mallet, Wells, Glastonbury, Street and Castle Cary, and I will tell you plainly whether you are looking at storm damage, wear and tear, or a bit of both – no obligation, no sales pressure, fully insured, and every job guaranteed.

Tell me about the job and I will come back to you with an honest view and a free, no-obligation quote. Call Chris today.