The short answer
Buildings cover can pay for a conservatory roof hit by something the policy names, a gale for instance. Age-related decline is a different story, and ordinary policies often leave it out. Whether a claim succeeds depends on your policy wording, how the damage happened and the evidence you can show. Read the policy, photograph the damage and keep any roofer's report.
What a policy usually distinguishes
Insurers draw a line between sudden damage and gradual decline. A branch falls on the roof, a gale lifts a sheet, hail cracks the glazing: these are events with a clear cause and a date. A sheet that has yellowed over ten years, a seal that has perished, a roof that has started to drip in several places as it ages: these are the normal consequences of time, and policies tend to treat them as maintenance, not insurable loss.
The conservatory itself can be a further complication. Some policies include it in the buildings cover automatically. Others treat it as an extension with its own conditions, or ask for it to be declared. Cracked glazing may sit under accidental damage cover, which many households add as an optional extra and some do not have. A few limit cover for glass or for conservatories that lack a certain construction. Only your own schedule can answer that. Look for the sections on storm, accidental damage, wear and tear, and conservatories, and ask the insurer to confirm in writing if anything is unclear.
What counts as a storm
The ABI sets a widely used yardstick for what a storm is, and it starts at gusts of 55mph. If the damage arrived with a gale of that strength, it is the kind of event storm cover exists for. A Which? report from November 2025 warned that water getting in through a poorly maintained roof may fall outside a standard policy, and, quoting FCA numbers, said just 32% of storm claims made in 2024 ended in a payout. The full piece is on which.co.uk.
Treat that figure as a caution and not as a forecast for your claim. It hints at how often cause and condition are argued over, which is why good evidence counts.
Wear and tear versus wind
Disputes tend to come down to the cause. One side says the roof was simply old, the other says wind lifted it. A published Financial Ombudsman case involved tiles blown off a roof and a refused storm claim. The ombudsman weighed the weather on the day instead of one wind-speed reading, found wind to be the chief cause, and added that the exclusion for wear in that particular policy was limited to damage by accident. It is described on the Financial Ombudsman Service website.
That was a single case, decided on its own facts and policy wording. We mention it only because it shows a first refusal need not be final, and that proof of cause can change an outcome.
Evidence that helps a claim
Whether a claim is paid is for the insurer to decide, so any promise from a roofer about the result would be worthless. What a roofer can supply is a clear, factual record of the condition of the roof, which your insurer can then weigh for itself.
- Photographs. Photograph the damage, the roof around it, any debris and the room below once it is safe to get close, and keep the date.
- The weather on the day. Write down when it happened and the conditions at the time. Local weather reports can support the point that wind was responsible.
- A roofer's report. A written account of what is damaged and the probable cause, with photographs attached, gives the insurer something concrete to assess. Our survey photographs show the condition of your own roof.
- Maintenance history. Receipts for earlier repairs, gutter clearing or inspections help show the roof was cared for.
- Emergency steps. Keep receipts for temporary protection. Many policies expect you to limit further damage, so check what yours asks before permanent work starts.
Before the roof is repaired or replaced
Speak to the insurer first. A repair done before the insurer has seen the damage can complicate a claim, and some insurers want to appoint their own assessor or approve a quote. If water is entering, make the room safe and protect the contents, then tell them. Where we are called to a leaking conservatory, making it safe comes first, and we can suggest what temporary protection suits the damage.
If a claim is accepted, the aim is normally to put right what was damaged. A switch to a different type, such as polycarbonate to a heavier tiled roof, is usually an improvement you pay for yourself, and it brings other questions about weight and consent. Our page on tiled conservatory roof weight explains what a heavier roof asks of the frame.
If the claim is not paid
If damage is excluded as wear and tear, the roof still needs attention, and the decision on repair or replacement becomes yours. An old, sun-worn roof that is hot in summer and leaky in winter is often better replaced than patched. We look at a related point in our answer on a conservatory that overheats.
If you disagree with a decision, ask the insurer for its reasons in writing and use its complaints process. The ombudsman can look at a complaint once that process has been used. Our own part is the roofing: a survey with photographs of your conservatory, a fixed price in writing and work that carries a 10-year workmanship guarantee. For what happens on site once you proceed, see the conservatory roof process, and for the whole subject visit conservatory roof replacement.
