The short answer
Ask the insurer to explain in writing why it said no, then compare that with your policy wording and complain through its own process. Once you hold a final response letter, or eight weeks pass without one, you may refer it to the Financial Ombudsman Service. It allows 6 months, counted from the date on that letter, and costs nothing. Your policy may carry its own time limits too.
A rejection letter is not always the last word. There is an order to follow, and the dates in it matter.
Start with the reasons in writing
Before you do anything else, find out exactly why the claim was refused. Request the insurer's reasons in writing, with the policy clause it relies on. A phone call is not enough, because you may need the wording later, and a letter cannot be misremembered. Note the date you asked, and chase if nothing arrives.
What are the usual reasons?
Common grounds include wear and tear, gradual damage, lack of maintenance, or a finding that the damage did not arise from a covered event like a storm. Sometimes the argument is about the condition of the roof before the event, or about how promptly you reported it. Read each reason against your policy wording, because insurers apply their own definitions, and an exclusion that sounds general may be narrower on the page.
On storm complaints, the Financial Ombudsman Service asks first whether there was a storm on the date, usually violent wind with rain, hail or snow. If your insurer says there was no storm, set that view against the weather on the day. Keep every letter, email and note of a call, with dates, in one folder, so the whole story can be followed by someone who was not there.
Gather evidence of the roof and the cause
A rejected claim often turns on facts about the roof, so build the record. Collect your own dated photographs, any receipts for temporary protection, the weather on the day, and anything that shows the condition of the roof before the damage.
Can a roofer's survey help?
It can give you something specific to put forward. A roofer who reads the roof properly can photograph the fault and describe what was found: which tiles were displaced, whether the fixings failed, whether timbers were sound or rotten. How an insurer or the Ombudsman weighs that evidence is for them to decide, and the claim itself stays in your hands. A survey produces dated photographs and a written account of what they show, which you are free to pass on.
Do not let a repair destroy the evidence. If water is coming in, make the roof safe first and keep the damaged materials where it is practical to do so, and take pictures before and after. Our page on storm damage versus wear and tear explains the distinction an insurer is likely to be drawing.
Complain, then escalate to the Ombudsman
If you still disagree, make a formal complaint to the insurer. Say what you are complaining about, why you think the decision is wrong, and what outcome you want, such as the claim being reassessed. Insurers have to reply, and the reply that closes their process is called a final response letter.
What are the time limits?
If no final response letter turns up within eight weeks of your complaint, the Ombudsman accepts the case regardless. When a final response does arrive, count 6 months from the date at the top of it, and write that date in your diary the day it lands. The service itself costs nothing and is designed to be simple to use.
Your policy may also carry its own time limits or conditions, for example about how soon you must report a loss, so read it carefully. A late complaint can be refused on time grounds, however strong the case. If you are not sure which date applies, ask the Ombudsman or the insurer directly, and do it early.
Gather the file before you submit: policy, correspondence, photographs, survey notes and receipts.
Keeping the house dry while you argue
A dispute can take weeks, and the roof does not wait. Water that gets in while you argue causes further damage, and an insurer may later say you failed to limit your loss.
Should you repair the roof anyway?
Make it safe at the least. A stop-gap repair, backed by pictures and receipts, halts the damage and shows that you acted sensibly. Our page on temporary roof repairs says what a stop-gap involves. You can then decide on a permanent repair once you know where the claim stands, or fund it yourself if the roof cannot be left.
If the insurer's refusal rested on the roof being worn out, an honest look at its condition may be worthwhile. Sometimes a repair is the better buy, and sometimes the covering has little life left. Our answer on home insurance and a leaking roof covers the steps before a claim, and the emergency roof repairs hub links the remaining questions.
When you want a survey, send pictures of the damage first. You then see the fault in photographs and receive the repair as one written price, which gives you something concrete to hold alongside the insurer's reasons.
More on a rejected claim
How long do I have to go to the Ombudsman?
The Financial Ombudsman Service gives you 6 months, counting from the date on the insurer's final response letter. If eight weeks pass with no final response, the Ombudsman will still take the case. Your policy may also have its own time limits, so read it for those.
Does it cost anything to complain to the Financial Ombudsman?
The Financial Ombudsman Service describes itself as free, and easy to approach. You do not need a solicitor or claims company, though you may want to keep photographs, the survey, the policy wording and every letter organised before you start. Complain to the insurer first.
The full picture: Emergency and general roof repairs in Taunton ยท More short answers