Roof leaks can be frustrating. When left untreated, they can cause thousands of dollars in repairs. With home warranty coverage, you’ll have added protection for roof leaks caused by normal wear and tear. You’ll also save on unexpected repair costs and keep your home protected into the future.
To help you choose the best roof-leak coverage, our team reviewed the nation’s best home warranty companies and chose the top providers offering roof protection.
Are Roof Leaks Covered Under a Home Warranty?
A home warranty is an annual service contract that covers repairs or replacements on major home systems and appliances such as your clothes washer, water heater, air conditioning, and plumbing system. In addition to protecting these items, a home warranty covers optional items such as swimming pools, well pumps, and roofs.
While some home warranty companies cover roof leaks, this coverage type is usually optional or listed as an add-on that requires additional costs.
Roof coverage will cover leaks due to normal wear and tear. Certain roof types are excluded from coverage, including eco-friendly and metal roofs. Most providers don’t cover attachments to your home’s roof, such as solar panels and downspouts. Any leaks caused by construction, poor maintenance, full roof replacements, or natural disasters will generally not be covered.
Cost of Roof Repairs
Roof repairs can be one of the most expensive home repair costs. Depending on your house size, they can cost a few thousand dollars without a warranty or protection plan. For example, a roof leak repair could cost $150 if it’s in an isolated area. Larger leaks could cost as much as $1,500 before labor.
However, if roof leaks aren’t repaired quickly, they could escalate into bigger issues. Evan Greene, Sales Manager of Northeast Exteriors for the New England Branch of Long Home Products, says, “A roofing problem does not fix itself. The problems can snowball into other issues, such as mold and wood rot.” If your leak causes major structural damage, your costs could increase substantially. Major repairs, such as roof replacement, could cost $8,000 or more.
How To Shop for Roof Leak Coverage
When shopping for home warranty plans with roof leak coverage, keep the following considerations in mind:
- Add-on versus included coverage: Some companies offer roof-leak coverage as an add-on, which increases your premiums. Select home warranty companies provide coverage as part of their standard plan coverage. We recommend checking each plan’s details to verify your coverage options. Our team found it helpful to review sample contacts and compare quotes to find the best options.
- Coverage limits: Home warranty companies have a coverage limit for covered items. These limits vary between companies and may not offer a high enough cap to cover all expenses.
- Exclusions: Typical roof-leak coverage only applies to normal wear and tear. Secondary conditions (such as mold or rot), weather damage, or other environment-based issues won’t receive coverage.
Annual Home Warranty Cost Calculator
Our team created a calculator to break down the estimated annual cost of owning a home warranty. Enter your monthly premium, service call fee, and estimated number of claims to see your projected annual cost. It’s best to request a quote directly from one of our recommended providers, as annual costs and service fees vary between them.
Life span and repair cost data sourced from InterNACHI and Home Depot
How to Maintain Your Roof
According to the International Association of Certified Home Inspectors (InterNACHI), a typical asphalt shingle roof can last up to 20 years. Since your home warranty only covers normal wear and tear, practicing routine roof maintenance will help extend your roof’s durability. Below are a few tips to help you keep your roof in excellent condition:
- Avoid walking on your roof, which could damage shingles. Use a ladder instead.
- Clean your gutters at least twice per year—once in spring and once in fall. Leaves, dirt, and other debris can build up in your gutters and prevent rainwater from draining properly. If your gutters get too backed up, it could lead to water damage around your roof and cause your gutters to burst.
- Clean roof shingles once per year and remove any moss or mold you find. Use a moss removal solution and a soft-bristled brush instead of using a pressure washer, which can lift up the shingles and damage your roof further. You can also pay for professional roof cleaning services.
- Prune tree branches near your home to prevent them from striking your roof.
The Top 4 Home Warranty Companies That Cover Roof Leaks
Based on our in-depth research into roof-leak coverage, these are the best home warranties with roof plans:
- American Home Shield: Best for Comprehensive Coverage
- Liberty Home Guard: Best Customer Ratings
- Select Home Warranty: Best Value
- America’s First Choice Home Club: Best Customization
Our team pulled sample quotes based on a 2,028-square-foot, single-family home in Atlanta, Georgia. Your monthly premium may vary based on your home’s location, size, type, plan choice, and add-on choices.
American Home Shield
American Home Shield covers up to $1,500 for roof leak patching. Exclusions include patching or repairing metal and eco-friendly roofs, items attached or penetrating your roof, and roof attachments such as gutters and downspouts.
Plans and Pricing
American Home Shield provides three coverage plans: ShieldSilver, ShieldGold, and ShieldPlatinum. The ShieldSilver plan covers major appliances only. ShieldGold plan combines major systems with home appliance coverage. The ShieldPlatinum plan covers all items listed in ShieldGold and increases the home appliance coverage cap. American Home Shield offers $75, $100, or $125 service call fees. The higher your service call fee, the less you pay monthly.
After reading the service contract, we learned that you can add roof-leak repair to its ShieldSilver and ShieldGold plans for an extra $10 monthly. ShieldPlatinum bundles roof-leak coverage with its plan.
Below is a breakdown of American Home Shield’s monthly premiums.
- ShieldSilver: $29.99–$39.99
- ShieldGold: $49.99–$59.99
- ShieldPlatinum: $79.99–$89.99
Fill out American Home Shield’s quote form or call 844-529-9298 for your free quote.
Learn more: American Home Shield Review
Liberty Home Guard
Liberty Home Guard (LHG) offers new customers free limited roof coverage when they purchase a plan plus two free months of coverage. Roof coverage includes roof-leak patching on your home’s occupied area. Plan exclusions include metal roofs, shingles, gutters, flat roofs, skylights, flashing, satellite, and chimney components.
Plans and Pricing
Liberty Home Guard offers three home protection plans. The Appliance Guard protects major appliances, such as refrigerators and garbage disposals. The Systems Guard covers major systems, including ductwork and electrical systems. The Total Home Guard Plan combines the coverage of the Appliance Guard and Systems Guard. Our team learned that service call fees range from $65 to $125 and vary by location, plan choice, and add-ons.
LHG adds a $2,000 coverage cap for all covered items, including roof-leak repair coverage. Homeowners can purchase limited roof-leak coverage as additional coverage with each plan. You can expect to pay $11.99 monthly for limited roof-leak coverage.
Here’s a breakdown of Liberty Home Guard’s monthly premiums :
- Appliance Guard: $49.99
- Systems Guard: $54.99
- Total Home Guard: $59.99
To request your free quote, fill out Liberty Home Guard’s quote form or call 866-452-9107.
Learn More: Liberty Home Guard Review
Select Home Warranty
With Select Home Warranty, single-family homes receive roof-leak coverage. However, patios, metal roofs, shingles, and structural leaks aren’t included. Select also doesn’t cover repairs that require a partial or complete roof replacement.
Plans and Pricing
Select Home Warranty provides three plans: Bronze Care, Gold Care, and Platinum Care. Its Bronze Care plan covers home appliances, and its Gold Care plan covers home systems. Its Platinum Care plan bundles the Bronze Care and Gold Care plans into one comprehensive coverage package. Service fees vary by state but could cost $75–$125.
Each plan includes up to $400 roof-leak repair coverage, whereas other providers include roof-leak coverage as an add-on. However, the company’s cap is much lower than our other reviewed companies.
Here is a breakdown of Select Home Warranty’s monthly premiums:
- Bronze Care: $44.42
- Gold Care: $44.42
- Platinum Care: $47.75
Fill out Select Home Warranty’s quote form or call 888-370-3956 for your free custom quote.
Learn More: Select Home Warranty Review
America’s First Choice Home Club
America’s First Choice Home Club (AFC Home Club) includes a $250 coverage cap for roof-leak repairs, the lowest of the providers we selected for this list. However, AFC Home Club allows you to choose your own roofing contractor. Most providers send their own preapproved contractor for service calls. AFC Home Club strictly covers roof leaks that occur over dwelling areas of your home. It excludes leaks on patios, metal, and eco-roofs, as well as roof attachments.
Plans and Pricing
AFC Home Club provides four coverage plans and three service call fees for homeowners who value customization. AFC Home Club’s Silver Plan covers home appliances, and its Systems Plan covers major systems. Its Gold Plan combines all covered items in Silver and Systems plans. The Platinum Plan includes additional coverage for built-in microwaves and more with its systems and appliance coverage. AFC Home Club offers a $75, $100, or $125 service call fee.
Roof-leak repair coverage is available as an add-on. AFC Home Club charges an extra $2.09 per month for roof-leak repair coverage, one of the lowest monthly premiums in this review.
Below is a pricing breakdown for AFC Home Club coverage pricing:
- Silver Plan: $35.25–$40.08
- Systems Plan: $42.50–$47.33
- Gold Plan: $49.75–$54.58
- Platinum Plan: $54.58–$59.42
Fill out the AFC Home Club quote form or call 877-755-1115 for your free quote.
Our Conclusion
A home warranty provides financial peace of mind by covering your home’s roof, essential systems, and appliances from costly breakdowns. We recommend getting quotes from at least three companies to compare options, negotiate better deals, and find a plan that fits your budget.
FAQ About Home Warranty Roof Coverage
Our Rating Methodology
The This Old House Reviews Team backs up our home warranty ratings and recommendations with a detailed rating methodology to objectively score each provider. We conduct research by speaking with company representatives, requesting quotes, analyzing sample contracts from each company, and conducting focus groups and consumer surveys. We then score each provider against our review standards for coverage, value, trustworthiness and transparency, availability, and customer service to arrive at a final score on a 5-point rating scale.
To share feedback or ask a question about this article, send a note to our Reviews Team at reviews@thisoldhousereviews.com.