Does Homeowners Insurance Cover Snow Damage?

Photography by Getty Images; Illustration by Bankrate

Home insurance covers a limited amount of snow damage. If your roof collapses due to snow and ice buildup, you can typically file a claim with your insurance company. However, damage that occurs over time usually won’t be covered. Home insurance is also unlikely to pay to remove an ice dam; but if the dam creates a roof leak, your policy may help. Here’s what to know about home insurance and snow damage.

When snow damage is covered by homeowners insurance

Snow damage can come in all shapes and sizes, but homeowners insurance can help cover repair costs in some instances. Below are examples of the damage that snow can cause and how a standard homeowners insurance policy usually covers them:

1. Roof collapse: Snow and ice buildup can get heavy quickly. If it triggers a roof collapse, that damage will likely be covered by your home insurance policy.
2. Damage from ice dams: When snow melts on your roof, it can create an ice dam, which prevents water from running off. If your roof begins leaking because of the ice dam, your home insurance policy may help repair your roof. However, if your personal property is damaged by the leak, your home insurance policy may not cover that.
3. Broken tree branches and falling trees: Falling objects like trees, branches and limbs are typically covered by your home insurance policy. However, if the tree is dead or multiple limbs were hanging over your roof before the damage occurred, your claim could be denied.
4. Structural damage: Intense snow and hailstorms can break windows, tear shutters and cause other damage to your home’s physical structure. Those repairs would likely be covered under the Coverage A part of your policy, also known as dwelling coverage.
5. Frozen pipes: Winter weather and high winds can bring frigid temperatures and frozen pipes. Home insurance covers sudden and accidental water damage, like the result of a burst pipe. However, your insurance company is only likely to approve the claim if your home is kept at a reasonable temperature. Failure to heat your home could be seen as homeowner negligence and result in a denied claim.

When snow damage is not covered by homeowners insurance

Water damage is something of a gray area with home insurance. Importantly, home insurance does not provide financial protection against flooding — and exactly what constitutes a flood can be more complex than you’d think. For instance, in 2024, a Massachusetts court ruled that “standing waters” on roofs, ones that accumulate from heavy rain and snow melt, are not floods. Thus, that damage is covered by your home insurance policy.

However, this may not be the case in every state since home insurance is regulated at the state level, not federally. It’s up to each state to determine which losses are covered and which are excluded. This is why wind is excluded in some Texas counties and why Florida homeowners can choose to opt out of wind insurance.

Speaking with a licensed insurance agent can give you more insight into how your state views snow- and water-related losses. If you’re worried about damage caused by flooding, you may want to consider a flood insurance policy.

Across the board, home insurance won’t cover snow-related damage like:

• Ice dam removal: If an ice dam harms your roof, your home insurance policy might cover some of the resulting damage and offer limited coverage for the removal process. However, if you just want an ice dam cleared off your roof, your policy is unlikely to pay for it.
• Snow removal: Similarly, if you just want your roof cleared, you won’t be able to file a claim for snow removal.
• Homeowner negligence: As a homeowner, it’s on you to stay on top of your home’s maintenance. If your insurance company views any damage as preventable — meaning, it wouldn’t have happened to a well-maintained home — your claim will likely be denied.

How to prevent snow damage to your home

The best way to avoid filing a snow-related home insurance claim is to prevent the damage in the first place. This is especially true now, when extreme weather has become more destructive — and more than 1 in 4 homeowners say they are unprepared for the potential costs associated with extreme weather, according to Bankrate’s Extreme Weather Survey.

Here’s how you can get your home winter-ready and hopefully avoid snow damage:

Learn more: 12 steps to prepare your home for winter

Frequently asked questions

• Does homeowners insurance cover removing snow from my property?
  

  No, homeowners insurance does not typically pay for removing snow from your property. Policies do not cover maintenance costs, as these expenses are considered the responsibility of the homeowner. However, if a visitor were to slip and seriously injure themselves on your property due to an accumulation of ice or snow, then your home insurance policy will likely help cover medical bills related to injuries sustained from the fall.

• What are some limitations of my homeowners insurance coverage for snow damage?
  

  There are some limitations when it comes to “wear and tear” on your home caused by snow damage. For example, rusting metal roofs caused by repeated exposure to snow is usually not a covered type of loss. And if the wood on your porch begins to rot over time due to repeated exposure to weather conditions, your homeowners insurance won’t likely cover the repairs.