Home warranty plans cover built-in systems and appliances, such as your HVAC system, water heater, and kitchen appliances, and some policies also offer limited roof-leak protection add-ons. Purchasing a home warranty with roof-leak coverage can help you protect all the important aspects of your home with one convenient policy. The best home warranties have user-friendly service contracts that clearly outline how much coverage you can expect for each potential breakdown, including roof issues.
Homeowners insurance will cover catastrophic roof damage from a perilous event, and manufacturers’ and contractors’ warranties will cover roof costs for a set time following the original installation. However, neither covers roof-leak repairs needed due to normal wear and tear. Home warranties fill this gap, providing convenience and financial predictability.
Top Home Warranties for Roof-Leak Coverage
According to our research of more than 35 providers, the best home warranty companies that cover roof leaks are these five providers:
American Home Shield
Fast Facts:
- State Availability: 49 (all but Alaska)
- Service Fee: $75–$125
- Get a Quick Quote: Visit site
American Home Shield (AHS) includes roof-leak protection up to $1,500 with its ShieldPlatinum plan in all states except Hawaii. Unlike other providers on this list, AHS does not offer a roof-leak protection plan as an add-on option. According to the service contract, AHS’s roof-leak protection does not cover metal roofs, partial or full green roofs, items penetrating the roof, roof-mounted installations, gutters, or downspouts.
The $1,500 coverage cap applies to all repairs, and it’s generous compared to other home warranties that cover roof leaks. Should you need to file multiple claims, they will be covered as long as the sum of the repair costs is less than $1,500. Any repairs that exceed the coverage limit will be your responsibility.
Read More: American Home Shield Review
Choice Home Warranty
Fast Facts:
- State Availability: 49 (all but Washington)
- Service Fee: $85
- Get a Quick Quote: Visit site
Choice Home Warranty (CHW) offers roof-leak coverage as an optional add-on to either of its combo plans. It applies to single-family homes and has a coverage cap of $500, which is $1,000 less than AHS’s roof-leak protection. Choice covers shingle repairs over the occupied living area. It doesn’t cover structural leaks caused by appendages, such as tree branches, flat roofs, downspouts, or any repairs requiring a partial or complete roof replacement.
Read More: Choice Home Warranty Review
Liberty Home Guard
Fast Facts:
- State Availability: 48 (all but Washington and Wisconsin)
- Service Fee: $65–$125
- Get a Quick Quote: Visit site
Liberty Home Guard’s (LHG) limited roof-leak protection is one of 38 add-on options. LHG’s service contract outlines a $500 allowance for patching a roof leak over the occupied living area of single-family homes. It does not cover partial or complete shingle replacement. Like the other providers on this list, it does not cover gutters (LHG offers this as a separate add-on), metal roofs, downspouts, skylights, flashing, cracked or missing material, or chimney components.
Read More: Liberty Home Guard Review
Select Home Warranty
Fast Facts:
- State Availability: 46 (all but Nevada, New Mexico, Washington, and Wyoming)
- Service Fee: $75
- Get a Quick Quote: Visit site
Select Home Warranty offers roof leak coverage with all three of its plans. The coverage is capped at $400, which is $100 less than the typical roof-leak protection offered by other providers. Like the providers mentioned above, Select covers roof-leak repairs over the occupied living area.
Read More: Select Home Warranty Review
Compare the Top Home Warranties for Roof Coverage
You can compare costs associated with the best home warranties for roof-leak coverage in the table below.
Company |
Coverage Cap |
Service Call Fee |
$1,500 |
$75–$125 |
|
$500 |
$85 |
|
$500 |
$65–$125 |
|
$400 |
$75 |
Our Recommendation
If you’re already interested in protecting your home systems and major appliances, adding roof-leak coverage should be an easy choice. While many newly installed roofs will come with a manufacturer’s or contractor’s workmanship warranty, these guarantees are not typically transferable. Purchasing a home warranty allows you to protect yourself or prospective home buyers from the burden of tracking down a contractor to complete minor roof repairs, such as patching leaks.
American Home Shield offers one of the most generous roof-leak protection plans in the industry. While it does not offer it as an add-on option, AHS’s ShieldPlatinum plan includes a wide range of covered items, including your clothes washer, plumbing system, electrical system, $1,500 toward roof-leak repairs, and code violations up to $1,000.
Choice Home Warranty and Liberty Home Guard offer up to $500 toward roof-leak repairs for single-family homes. Select Home Warranty is the only provider on this list to include roof-leak coverage with all three of its plan tiers.
To ensure you’re making the right decision for your home’s needs, we recommend requesting a quote from at least three providers on this list, reading service contracts, comparing quotes, and considering the other major systems and appliances you’d like to cover.
Do Home Warranty Plans Cover Roof Leaks?
Home warranty plans typically offer limited roof-leak coverage as an add-on option. These plans cover the repair of shake (a type of wooden shingle) and composition (like asphalt shingles) when the roof is over an occupied living area. Unfortunately, this means if you have a roof leak over your detached garage, it’s likely excluded from coverage.
Metal roofs are typically not included in home warranty roof coverage. The other common exclusions are these:
- Antennae
- Cemwood shakes
- Chimneys
- Decks
- Downspouts flashing
- Flat roofs
- Foam roof
- Gutters
- Patios
- Patio covers
- Partial or full roof replacement
- Porches
- Roof-mounted installations, such as air conditioning equipment
- Satellite components
- Skylights
- Solar equipment
- Tar and gravel roof
Basics of Home Warranty Roof-Leak Coverage
Home warranty providers rarely include roof-leak coverage in their base plan offerings, but it is a common add-on. While the coverage caps will vary from company to company, home warranties cover roof leaks that occur due to normal wear and tear.
Homeowners insurance will cover roof leaks that result from a perilous event, such as an unexpected hailstorm or fire. However, it’s common for home insurance to deny roof-leak claims if they result from mold, pest damage, wet rot, code violations, improper installation, or insufficient maintenance.
How to Take Care of Your Roof
Routine maintenance is the best way to avoid roof leaks. Whether you are shopping for a new home or you’ve owned your home for a while already, it’s a good idea to start with an inspection, so you are aware of your roof’s current condition.
After an inspection, you will better understand what your roof needs. You can maintain your roof with DIY methods or hire a professional. In either case, thorough roof maintenance typically includes the following steps:
- Clean gutters consistently and remove debris.
- Trim all trees and landscaping at least a few feet away from the roof.
- Remove ice and snow quickly, and don’t allow either to sit indefinitely until melting.
- Replace cracked and missing shingles as soon as you see an issue.
- Remove moss, mold, and other organic matter.
- Check insulation to ensure its efficiency.
- Visually inspect the ceiling and attic frequently to check for water damage.
Home Warranties for Roofs FAQ
How We Chose the Top Home Warranty Providers
Our team reviewed and researched more than 35 home warranty providers, thoroughly analyzed sample agreements, and identified customer pain points based on customer-review analysis and interviews with industry experts.
During this process, we determined that the most critical aspects of a home warranty company include available service plans and add-ons, depth of coverage, plan cost, industry reputation, customer support infrastructure, and additional features. We also focused on the ability to choose your own contractor, upgrade your coverage package, transfer your plan to another owner, and cover roof leaks, high-end appliance brands, ceiling and exhaust fans, and faucets and fixtures.
Our research supported that plan coverage should carry the most weight, with customer support as the second-most important factor. Industry reputation, plan availability, and additional features were rated equally. We determined that price range, while worth considering, should not be the primary basis for choosing a home warranty provider for your home’s needs.