The short answer
The wording of your policy and the cause behind the leak settle it. Insurers tend to treat sudden storm damage differently from a roof that leaks because it is worn out, and only your policy wording settles which applies to you. Report the leak, stop further water coming in with a temporary fix, and keep photographs and receipts. Nobody outside the insurer can say in advance what will be paid.
The leak alone does not decide the answer. The cause behind it does, and the small print of your policy defines what counts.
Sudden storm or slow wear
Home cover is built around events: a gale lifts an edge, a branch lands on the roof, hail splits the membrane. A roof that lets water in because its covering is spent, or because the outlets were never cleared, looks more like a maintenance problem to an insurer, and policies often draw a line between the two.
What does a storm mean to an insurer?
The Financial Ombudsman Service describes a storm as something that usually involves violent winds, often together with rain, hail or snow. A wet week is not automatically a storm on that reading, and steady rain finding a weak seam may be judged as wear. That is the Ombudsman's wording for its own casework, so check how your own policy defines the term.
On a flat roof the difference is hard to see from indoors, because either cause leaves the same brown ring on a ceiling. Evidence helps. Think dated photographs, the weather on the day, and a roofer's account of what failed and why it failed. Our answer on home insurance and a leaking roof looks at the wider question.
Your first steps once water gets in
Order matters. Before anything permanent goes on the roof, let your insurer know about the leak and ask what they need from you. Many policies expect prompt notice and a sensible effort to limit further damage, so read the part of the document that lists your duties.
Should I repair it myself before they look?
Keep the work temporary. A tarpaulin or a stick-on patch that stops the rain is reasonable. A full new covering laid before anyone has seen the damage could cost you the chance to show what happened. Hold on to damaged material until you know whether it is wanted.
The structural engineers' body IStructE calls photographs vital for a claim, because they record how the roof looked at the time. Take them wide and close, inside and out wherever that is safe, and note the date on each.
Keep every receipt too, whether it is for a tarp, a call-out or a dehumidifier. When we attend a leak, our order is to stop the water first and sort the proper repair afterwards, and we can describe the damage in writing so that you have it to hand.
How often storm claims succeed
It helps to be realistic. Which? reported that only 32% of storm-related claims made in 2024 resulted in a payout. That covers all sorts of cover and all sorts of damage, so it says nothing about your own flat roof. It does show why the wording and the evidence deserve care.
Where does a refused claim go next?
Begin with the insurer's complaints team, and ask for the decision with reasons, in writing. Per the Financial Ombudsman Service, a firm that has sent no final response letter within 8 weeks lets you bring the case to the Ombudsman. After the final response letter lands, 6 months from its date is the window for referring the matter. Using the Ombudsman costs nothing.
Keep the policy, the photographs and the roofer's report together, since you will want all three in one folder. Our answer on an insurer rejecting a roof claim covers the steps in more detail.
We cannot tell you whether a claim will succeed. We can describe the roof accurately, in plain language, so that nobody has to guess at what was found.
Paying for the repair while you wait
Not every leak turns into a claim, and not every claim is worth making. A small repair can cost less than the excess, and some owners prefer to keep a minor leak off their record. That is for you to weigh with the policy in hand.
Can the proper repair wait for the insurer?
The roof cannot wait without risk. Water on a flat roof runs along the deck and soaks the insulation, so a leak left for weeks grows. A temporary measure keeps the damage down, and the lasting repair comes after the insurer has taken whatever evidence they need.
What a repair costs depends on its cause and its extent. A split seam, a failed upstand, a damaged outlet and wet insulation are very different jobs, and a survey shows which one you have. We look at the roof, share pictures of the damage, and write one total price down, which you are free to pass on to your insurer.
For typical patch jobs, see flat roof patch repair, and the flat roofing page covers the full service. If your roof is leaking now, send a message and ask for the survey.
More on flat roof claims
Will the insurer pay for a whole new flat roof?
That depends on the policy, the cause and the extent of the damage. A policy may pay for repair of the damaged area and not for renewing a worn covering. Ask the insurer in writing what is covered, and ask the roofer whether the damage is local or whether the covering as a whole has failed.
Do I have to use the insurer's roofer?
Check your policy and ask the insurer directly. Some policies name approved repairers or ask for their agreement before work begins. If you are free to choose, get a written report from the roofer you pick, with photographs, so the insurer can read what was found and what was done.
The full picture: Flat roofing in Taunton ยท More short answers