The short answer
It depends on your policy, so read the wording or ask your insurer. Some home policies name garages and outbuildings, but cover is normally tied to a listed cause such as a storm, and wear and tear is usually excluded. Speak to the insurer before any permanent repair, protect the roof from further rain, and keep your photos and receipts.
A garage roof is a building roof like any other, yet insurers treat a gale and old age very differently. Know which one you are dealing with.
Is the garage named in the policy?
A policy is a contract, and its wording decides everything. Some buildings policies cover the house and its permanent outbuildings together. Others list sheds, garages and greenhouses separately, with their own limits, or leave them out. A detached garage may be treated differently from one attached to the house.
Where do I find out?
Look at the policy schedule and the full booklet, not the summary leaflet. Search for outbuildings, garages, detached structures and sums insured. Where the meaning is not clear, put the question to the insurer or to the broker who sold you the policy, and keep their reply in writing. Only they can say what your cover includes.
For our part, we inspect the garage, describe the fault in everyday language and give you dated photos with a written price. You can attach those to a claim if you decide to make one, and a surveyor's eye on the slope, the fixings and the edges often turns a vague worry into something specific.
The state of the roof matters too. A garage that has been dripping for several winters is harder to present as a sudden loss. Early repairs and a record of maintenance help show the condition it was in, and our garage roof lifespan guide explains how long the common coverings last.
Storm damage compared with wear and tear
Insurers separate sudden events from slow decline. A gale that lifts sheets off a garage is an event. A felt roof that has cracked after many winters is ageing, and policies tend to exclude it.
How is a storm defined?
The Financial Ombudsman Service describes its own working idea of a storm: violent winds, generally accompanied by rain, hail or snow. A policy can set its own meaning, so read the exact definition in yours. Which? reported that only 32% of storm-related claims made in 2024 resulted in a payout, which is a good reason to document the damage carefully.
Evidence carries weight. Photograph the damage once it is safe to do so, write down the date and the weather, and hold on to anything that blew off. Dated photos from a roofer's survey that show wind damage, such as sheets lifted along the exposed edge, support a claim better than a general remark that the roof looks tired.
No roofer can promise an insurer will pay. The decision is the insurer's, and you are entitled to challenge it. Our leaking garage roof page covers the first steps when water is already coming in.
The order to do things when the roof is hurt
Sequence matters. Ring the insurer before arranging permanent work, because some policies ask for notice and may want to see the damage first. Then limit further harm. Most policies expect reasonable steps, such as sheeting over a hole or boarding an opening, so rain does not ruin what is inside.
Should I hold off on the permanent repair?
Yes, until you have spoken to the insurer. Make the roof safe now, and keep every receipt for temporary materials and labour. Take photographs before, during and after. IStructE points out that photographs are vital evidence in an insurance claim.
With a leaking roof we make it safe first, then write the permanent repair or replacement into one total price after the survey. If your insurer asks for a roofer's report or a quote, the photos and the written price are there for you to send.
For scale only, MyJobQuote (Oct 2026) puts a replacement garage roof between £750 and £3,500, which helps when you weigh a claim against your policy excess.
What to do if the insurer says no
A refusal can be challenged. Ask the insurer to state in writing which clause applies and what evidence it relied on. If you still disagree, use its complaints procedure. The Financial Ombudsman Service accepts a complaint when the insurer has not replied within eight weeks, and otherwise allows 6 months after the insurer's final response. Using it costs nothing.
Who else can help?
The Citizens Advice consumer helpline, 0808 223 1133, gives guidance on consumer problems. Keep the policy, the photos and every letter in a single folder, because the Ombudsman will want to see them, and add the dates of each phone call as you go.
Even when a claim fails, or the damage turns out to be wear, the roof still needs attention. Waiting only lets more water in. A survey shows whether a patch will do or the covering is worn out, and our garage roof repair or replace guide explains how we weigh that up.
The full range of coverings is on our garage and asbestos roofs page. Whatever the insurer decides, the next step on our side is a survey of the garage with close photos of the damage.
More on policy wording
Does the policy excess apply to a garage roof claim?
Policies usually apply the excess to each claim, whichever building is involved. If the repair costs less than the excess, a claim may not be worth making. Your schedule shows the figure, and the insurer can confirm how it applies to outbuildings.
Is an asbestos cement garage roof covered?
That depends on the wording and on what caused the damage. Asbestos handling adds specialist rules and cost to any repair, so mention it to the insurer early and ask how they treat it. Our asbestos garage roof removal guide explains the handling route.
The full picture: Garage and asbestos roof replacement in Taunton · More short answers