Does Insurance Cover a Damaged Conservatory Roof?

Insurers tend to start with one question: did something sudden and outside the building break the roof, or did it fail slowly? A branch through a polycarbonate sheet, or a gale that lifts a glazing bar clean out of its seat, sits on one side of that line. A sheet gone brittle with age, or a seal that perished and let a slow drip in, sits on the other.

How is a storm defined?

For its disputes, the Financial Ombudsman Service takes a storm to mean violent winds, often with rain, hail or snow alongside. That is how the ombudsman looks at a dispute, and your own policy may define the word differently, so the wording beats any general rule.

Which? reported that only 32% of storm claims made in 2024 ended in a payout. Careful preparation, meaning dated photos and a clear account of the day, gives a claim its best chance. It is no reason to expect a refusal. Your insurer, reading your policy against your evidence, is the one who decides where your roof lands. Gradual leaks are a common sticking point, because an insurer will ask how long water has been getting in.

Pull out the whole policy booklet rather than the one-page summary, and read four points slowly. Insurers and customers often disagree over a single word in a clause, so it is worth knowing exactly what yours says before the first phone call.

Which clauses decide the outcome?

First, whether the conservatory is covered at all, and whether it sits under buildings cover or is treated as a separate structure. Second, exclusions for glass or plastic roofing, for gradual deterioration, or for faults in the original build. Third, the excess you would pay. Fourth, any rule about telling the insurer before repairs start or about who may do the work.

Age matters here. HomeBuilding puts the typical life of a polycarbonate roof at about 10 years, while The Eco Experts quote 10 to 15 years for glass or polycarbonate. Treat both as guides rather than a deadline, but an insurer may ask how old the roof is, so find the invoice or fitting date if you can. If the roof is plainly tired, a claim for the damaged part may be more realistic than a claim for the whole roof. Note down who fitted it and when, and whether anyone has repaired it since.

Tell the insurer first. Starting permanent work before they know can put the claim at risk, and an insurer may expect you to stop the damage from spreading.

What counts as a temporary repair?

Covering a broken sheet with tarpaulin or board fixed from inside or from a safe position, moving furniture clear of drips, and sweeping up glass. IStructE advises that photographs are vital evidence, so photograph the roof, the debris and any water indoors before you touch anything. Date them if your phone allows. Do not throw anything away: a cracked sheet or a bent bar is evidence, and an assessor may ask to see it, so store it somewhere dry until the claim is settled.

Keep each receipt for the temporary work. If we are called to a leak, we take pictures of the damage as we find it, so you have a record to pass to your insurer. Your claim is between you and the insurer, and the decision is theirs. For a leak with no storm behind it, our answer on why a conservatory roof leaks lists the usual causes.

A refusal need not close the matter. Ask the insurer to put its reasons in writing and to name the clause it relied on. You can then test that reasoning against the policy and the facts, such as the weather on the day.

Where can you complain?

Go through the insurer's own complaints procedure first. The Financial Ombudsman Service says you can take the complaint to it if 8 weeks pass and no final response letter has arrived. You have 6 months from the date of that final response to do so, and the service is free to use.

Does repairing the roof affect the claim?

Keep any damaged parts you can, along with the quote and invoice for every job, and photograph the repair as it goes on. A claims handler can only weigh what has been recorded, and a tidy folder of dated evidence makes any later conversation shorter. A failed claim still leaves a roof that needs fixing. Our page on whether to repair or replace a conservatory roof helps you weigh it up. The wider choices sit on our conservatory roofs page, and the survey of the roof itself comes before any written price.