July 3, 2025

Your roof and your insurance: Valuable lessons you need to know.

Dear Reader,


What does your roof look like?
When last did you climb up and inspect your roof for cracks, loose tiles etc?

When last did you clear your gutters?

What condition is it in and has it been properly maintained?


Most of us never look at our roof and we wouldn’t be able to answer those questions. 


But knowing those answers will give you an advantage if the day ever comes that you need to submit a claim for your roof. 


In my experience, roof claims are very difficult, and claims are frequently rejected. Of course, as your broker, I want to help you ensure that your claim is successful should you ever need to claim for your roof. So, in this month’s newsletter, I am going to tell you the three things you need to know about roof-related insurance claims. 

1. Proper maintenance is the secret to a successful claim.


Roofing claims are often rejected because the homeowner didn’t maintain the roof properly or at all. In just the past month alone, I’ve had two roof claims rejected for those reasons. One of those two clients has agreed to let me share his story here:
Following a recent storm, the client noticed some minor damage near the top of his roof. His house is less than five years old, so he assumed that the damage on the roof had to have been caused by the storm and lodged a claim for it.
The assessor arrived and inspected the roof. His findings were a shock to the client. The roof, although only a few years old, was in a terrible state, with dozens of cracked or broken tiles, and cracks found throughout the ridgeline cement. The assessor’s conclusion was that the damage that the client had noticed, was a direct result of poor materials used during the construction. The cracked tiles were likely a result of careless builders walking on the roof during its construction. According to the assessor as well as a second opinion the client obtained, both issues could have been resolved had the roof received adequate maintenance since construction.

The lesson here is that proper roof maintenance is critical to a successful claim. Know the state of your roof and attend to any problems before they become major issues.

Note to tenants: The above lesson is important for you, too. Although the roof is your landlord’s responsibility, if the roof is damaged, your belongings will suffer resultant damage. So, it’s in your interests to inspect the roof and inform your landlord should you spot any problems.

2. Regularly inspect all installations on your roof.


What do I mean by that? Well, DSTV dishes, TV antennae, solar geysers, solar panels, skylights, etc. 

Anything that is installed on your roof, must be inspected often, including after the installation. Don’t just take the contractor’s word for it that the installation was carried out correctly. Climb up and inspect it yourself, because if you don’t, and the installation is bad, your roof claim is liable to be rejected. If you can’t/won’t inspect it, I recommend finding someone who will do so on your behalf.


This exact issue came up with a recent claim from one of my clients. Water had begun leaking into the client’s house. The source of the leak was eventually traced back to a mounting screw for their solar geyser on their roof. The screw had not been waterproofed correctly by the geyser installer, and water was getting in.

The insurer, unfortunately, rejected the claim on the basis that the installation of the solar geyser had not been carried out correctly.


The lesson here is that had the client inspected the geyser installation, it’s possible that this issue could have been identified and resolved before it became a problem.

3. Relax - Not all roofing claims are rejected.


Roofing claims are difficult and are frequently rejected. But don’t worry, it’s not all bad news when it comes to these kinds of claims. One of my clients recently successfully claimed for a roofing-related loss of an unusual kind. A solar power panel on his roof actually burst. The claim was submitted and the insurer paid out. So remember that if your roof maintenance is sorted, and your loss falls within the insured perils in your policy, you should have very little to worry about when the day comes to claim for your roof.

And finally:


Please also check your gutters regularly and remove any blockages. The ideal time to do this is obviously before the rainy season. It’s particularly important if you have steel gutters, which can rust and develop leaks. Blocked gutters can cause unintended flooding and other waterproofing issues.


Hopefully, you’ve enjoyed this month’s newsletter. If you have any questions about roofing insurance, please feel free to reach out to me. But in the meantime, please continue to keep yourselves and your families safe.


Always keeping a roof over your head,


Stephan Kruis

Know your Policy Season Finale - Stuff You Take Out of the House

June 17, 2025
Dear Reader, I know that it’s a hard pill to swallow, but the sad news is that my epic three-part series is coming to an end this month. But don’t worry, I’ve got plenty of exciting content lined up after this one! Today it’s the season finale and it’s a subject that is probably one of the least understood amongst policyholders. No, I’m not talking about annual cost increases (sorry). But if you guessed ‘All Risk Items’, well then you’d be surprisingly correct. Today that’s what we’re covering. Otherwise known as ‘Portable Possessions’ or, as I like to call them, ‘ Stuff you take out of the house ’. Stuff you take out of the house is exactly what it sounds like - it’s any possessions that you leave the house with and which therefore isn’t covered by your household contents policy section. These possessions are insured under a section of your policy called ‘All Risk’ or ‘Portable Possessions’ . Statistically, we are all likely to have to claim against this part of our policy at some point. And yet, it’s one of the policy sections that clients least understand . Let’s change that.

Know Your Policy Part 2: Household contents

June 10, 2025
Dear Reader, This month, we continue my riveting series that I began last month. In that newsletter, we looked at all the things you need to know about your vehicle insurance. This month, it’s Episode 2: Know your household contents policy In other words, we’re discussing your stuff, and the insurance that you’ve taken out (or perhaps haven’t taken out yet!) to protect it. Household contents cover insures your belongings against various listed dangers (or ‘perils’ as your policy may refer to them). Specific listed perils will vary from policy to policy but generally you can expect your household contents policy to cover your belongings against fire, floods and theft. Additional perils may or may not be covered depending on your policy and on the cover you chose. But as with most things in life, the ‘devil is in the details’ and you really need to know your policy in order to benefit from its cover. Before I continue, remember that my team and I haven’t been inside your house and we haven’t seen your possessions, so it’s your responsibility to make sure you check your policy and make sure that it covers your stuff adequately. In particular, please study your policy wording in detail as this is what the insurer is going to use when adjudicating a claim. The policy wording will inform you of what is covered, but more importantly, it will inform you of what is NOT covered - or what is excluded - from your policy. And now, to help you ensure that any future claim of yours is successful, here are three things you need to know about your household contents cover:

Know your policy – Part 1 – Vehicle Insurance

June 1, 2025
This month, I’m introducing our very own series. Critics say it is a sleeper hit. Some say Netflix is concerned. And now, with the series you’ve all been waiting for, I proudly introduce: Know Your Policy , and today is Episode 1: Know your Vehicle Insurance As you know from my previous newsletters, my priority is to make sure that you aren’t left disappointed by the outcome of your next insurance claim. But I need your help to ensure that your policy reflects your insured assets correctly.