Winter Storms and Home Insurance: What Every Homeowner Needs to Know

A standard homeowners insurance policy covers many types of winter storm damage, such as losses caused by heavy wind gusts or roof collapse due to excessive snow or ice buildup. Most policies will also cover cleanup or repair costs if your pipes freeze up or your furnace breaks down due to cold temperatures, as long as you take reasonable steps to heat the home and prevent the damage from occurring.

Why Home Insurance Often Covers Winter Storm Claims

Before getting into whether home insurance will pay for your specific winter storm or cold weather-related loss, it’s helpful to understand common perils, or causes of damage or loss, that every home insurance policy covers. 

Under most home insurance policies, the home’s structure and structures attached to it (like a garage or patio) are covered on a broad “all perils” basis. This means that the insurer will cover all causes of damage or loss to the dwelling except for the 10 or so policy exclusions outlined in the first section of your policy.

A standard policy covers most causes of winter storm damage or loss, including:

• Windstorm or hail
• Weight of snow or ice
• Freezing of a plumbing or home heating system
• Fire or lightning
• Falling object
• Sudden water overflow or discharge from a home system
• Sudden tearing apart or cracking of a hot water heating system
• All other perils except flood, earthquake, wear and tear or negligence, or any other perils excluded under your policy

In addition to knowing what your policy does and doesn’t cover, you should also understand the basics of dwelling coverage claims and your rights as the person filing it. For example, for an insurance company to deny a claim for damage to the home, the burden of proof is generally on them to prove that the cause of the damage isn’t covered under the policy.

When Is Winter Storm Damage Usually Covered?

Homeowners insurance covers damage due to wind, snow and ice, freezing temperatures, and other broad perils associated with property damage in the winter. Reading through your policy and the particular perils your insurer covers (and doesn’t cover) is a good place to start before filing a claim.

Generally speaking, most homeowners insurance policies should cover the following winter-related damages or losses provided they were unexpected and not due to homeowner negligence or general wear and tear.

• Property damage from wind, snow, or ice: If extreme winds damage your roof or it collapses due to excessive snow buildup or an ice dam that forms near your gutters, your insurer will likely cover the cost to repair or replace the roof. 
• Broken pipe or appliance-related damage due to freezing temperatures: If your pipes freeze up or your pipes or appliances burst or rupture, homeowners insurance will generally cover the cost of cleanup and repairs to your floors, walls, furniture, or anything else that was damaged. But insurers won’t pay to replace the broken pipe or appliance itself. 
• Unexpected water or mold damage: Home insurance covers water and mold damage as long as the underlying cause of damage is covered under your policy and the loss was unexpected or unpreventable, like if a pipe bursts and floods your basement, leading to mold.
• Unpreventable damage from fallen trees or branches: Besides covering direct damage caused by wind, snow, ice, or any other covered peril, homeowners insurance usually covers indirect damage if caused by a covered peril. In other words, if a tree on your property topples over onto your home’s siding or frozen tree branches fall and damage your roof due to a blizzard or ice storm, your insurer may cover the cost of repairs since the underlying cause of the loss—also known as the proximate cause—is covered under your policy.

To be reimbursed for repairs, the total damage or loss from a covered event must be higher than your policy deductible, which is an amount you’re responsible for before insurance starts paying. So if your insurer estimates that your home incurred, say, $1,500 in damage and your policy deductible is $1,000, your insurer would only pay out $500.

When Is Winter Storm Damage Typically Not Covered?

In addition to reviewing your policy to verify if a loss is covered, you should also be aware of the various policy exclusions and coverage exceptions that insurers often cite when they deny claims. Here are the main policy exclusions to be aware of before making a winter storm damage claim. 

• Damage from preexisting damage or general wear and tear: If your insurer concludes that your home was ultimately damaged due to lack of property maintenance or preexisting damage, they may use that as a reason to deny your claim. For example, say you file a claim for roof damage after a major snowstorm, except during their claim investigation, the insurer finds that your roof was over 20 years old and had noticeable cosmetic damage. In this case, the insurer may cite the inadequate maintenance or wear and tear exclusion as grounds for denying your claim.
• Broken pipes or systems in an unmaintained home: While property damage due to freezing temps is typically covered, insurers can deny these claims if they find that the underlying cause of the loss was homeowner negligence or lack of diligence. For example, if your insurer discovers your pipes froze because you forgot to adequately heat the home or turn off your water supply line before an extended vacancy, they may deny your claim.
• Obvious or preventable water or mold damage: If your home or belongings sustain water or mold damage that was preventable or obvious to the naked eye—like if your window wasn’t sealed properly, allowing moisture inside over time—your insurer likely wouldn’t cover your claim due to the inadequate maintenance or workmanship exclusions.
• Damage due to natural flooding: Home insurance will not cover damage due to flooding, even if the flood was caused by snow, ice, or any other covered peril. If you live in an area susceptible to rapid snowmelt and flooding during the winter months, check if your home insurer offers additional coverage for flood damage, or consider purchasing a separate flood insurance policy to be fully protected.

How to Protect Your Home From Winter Storms

The best way to avoid winter storm damage and the extensive (and costly) claims process that comes with it is by making sure your home is fully prepared to withstand the winter elements. Here are some tips for protecting your home during the long winter season:

• Clear your gutters of leaves, sticks, and other debris that traps water and causes ice blockages as it gets colder.
• Trim trees and branches that are extra susceptible to falling and causing damage during freezes.
• Add extra insulation where needed in basements, crawl spaces, or anywhere else where pipes may be exposed and prone to freezing.
• Consider installing an emergency pressure release valve in your plumbing that automatically activates when the pressure within the pipes hits a certain level, limiting the chance of a burst water line.

You should also consider reviewing your policy to see if there are any gaps in coverage worth addressing ahead of the winter storm season. A home insurance coverage endorsement like water backup coverage is a relatively inexpensive add-on that covers the cost of cleanup and repairs if extreme snowmelt or precipitation leads to a sewer or sump pump backup in your home, while equipment breakdown coverage reimburses you when your home systems or appliances suffer unexpected mechanical or electrical damage.

The Bottom Line

Homeowners insurance typically covers most winter storm damage, including wind, roof collapse, frozen pipes, and water or mold damage—provided the damage wasn’t due to negligence, wear and tear, or excluded perils like flooding. To ensure a speedy and successful storm damage claim, maintain your home by insulating pipes, clearing gutters, trimming trees, and addressing existing damage before automatically assuming you’ll be covered.