Flat roof insurance

It's important that you tell your home insurance provider that you have a new extension and that the roof is flat as it may affect the cover available under your policy. The HomeProtect policy will cover you for flat roof damage and any resulting damage to the room and belongings housed beneath the flat roof, just as long as you have told us about the flat roof, and that it is regularly checked and maintained.

It is recommended to get your flat roof inspected by a professional every 5 years. You can have the survey carried out by a qualified builder, roofer or surveyor. You will need to provide documented proof of the inspection and any repair works in the event of a claim.

Flat roofs have a tendency to leak. This is particularly the case when flat roofs are not laid correctly or when they have been neglected for some time. Regular maintenance of flat roofs is often a condition of your insurance policy.

If you have recently purchased a property with a flat roof then you should be able to find out how much of it is flat by referring to the home buyer’s survey for specific measurements.

Alternatively, you can have a survey carried out by a qualified builder, roofer or surveyor and ask them to calculate the percentage of the roof that is flat. It’s important to have this information to hand when taking out a quote so as to be able to secure accurate cover for your property. To get a quote, you need to know which bracket your flat roof fits in to: 0-33%, 34-50%, 51-75% or 76-100%.