Are My Gutters Covered by Homeowners Insurance?

Homeowners insurance generally pays for repairs or replacements if your gutters are severely damaged by a sudden peril like fire, hail or vandalism. However, your insurance company won’t cover damage that results from poor maintenance or other types of gradual damage.

Continue reading to find out more about when homeowners insurance covers gutters and how you can take care of your gutters to avoid unnecessary damage.

On This Page

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  When Does Homeowners Insurance Cover Gutters?

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  How Much Does It Cost To Get Gutters Replaced?

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  How Does an Insurance Claim Work for Damaged Gutters?

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  Tips for Keeping Your Gutters Clean

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  FAQs

When Does Homeowners Insurance Cover Gutters?

A standard homeowners insurance policy should cover gutter systems under the dwelling coverage portion of your policy, which insures the structure of your home against any peril that isn’t explicitly mentioned in the policy as an exclusion. This generally includes coverage for the following 16 perils.

However, the above list is not exhaustive. For example, if a heat wave causes your gutters to suddenly warp or crack, your dwelling insurance should pay to repair or replace them as long as your policy doesn’t name extreme heat as an exclusion.

Home Insurance Exclusions

While homeowners insurance covers your gutters if they are affected by unexpected perils, it generally doesn’t cover gradual and preventable sources of damage. For example, your insurance carrier likely won’t pay to replace your gutters if they collapse due to a buildup of leaves that you failed to clean up. Similarly, home insurance typically excludes coverage for wear and tear, mold and infestations.

Your home insurance policy also likely won’t cover sudden losses caused by the following:

• Flooding caused by heavy rains, mudflows or sewer backups
• Ground movements like earthquakes, landslides and sinkholes
• Nuclear hazard or war
• Government action or enforcement of local building codes

You should also keep in mind that insurance companies don’t cover intentional losses. If you are caught intentionally damaging your gutter system in an attempt to collect an insurance payout, your claim will be denied and your policy will most likely be canceled.

How Much Does It Cost To Get Gutters Replaced?

It typically costs between $4 and $30 per linear foot to have a gutter system installed, which comes out to a total price of around $1,900 on average. However, the exact amount you have to pay will depend on various factors such as the length, material and type of gutters and downspouts you select.^[1]

How Does an Insurance Claim Work for Damaged Gutters?

If your gutters incur a significant amount of damage due to a peril covered by your policy, you should take these steps to file a homeowners insurance claim:

1. Dial 911 and have the responding officers fill out a police report if the damage is related to a crime like theft or vandalism.
2. Call your insurance provider to inform them about your damaged gutters and tell them that you intend to file a claim.
3. Document as much relevant information as possible for your claim such as taking pictures or videos of the damaged portions of your gutters.
4. Patch up holes and make other emergency repairs if necessary to prevent additional damage.
5. Contact your mortgage lender to let them know that you are filing a home insurance claim.
6. Compile all relevant evidence to show to the insurance adjuster.
7. Keep track of receipts, contracts and other documents related to your claim and address any problems that arise with your claim.

Remember that your insurer will subtract your deductible from your payout if the claim is approved. Your deductible is the amount of money you have to pay out of pocket on all claims. Otherwise, your insurer should cover the costs of gutter repairs or replacements up to your policy’s dwelling coverage limit.

Tips for Keeping Your Gutters Clean

Since your insurance provider won’t cover preventable damage, it’s important to take the following steps to keep your gutters clean so you can avoid paying for costly replacements entirely out of pocket:^[2]

1. Plan on cleaning your gutters at least twice a year, ideally once in the spring and once in the fall.
2. Check for signs that your gutters need to be repaired or replaced such as cracks, rust, visible water damage or sagging.
3. If it has just rained, wait a few days before you start cleaning your gutters.
4. Be safe while climbing on a ladder or, if you do not feel comfortable climbing on a ladder, hire a professional to clean your gutters for you.
5. Clear leaves and other debris from your gutters by hand and then use a garden hose to flush any remaining dirt from the gutters.
6. Check to make sure that your gutters are sloped appropriately and that the downspouts are draining water properly to avoid future water damage.