The short answer
Tell your insurer the roof is stone, and ask whether the sum insured allows for rebuilding it in matching stone. Storm cover often stops short of gradual damage and wear, so a tired roof may not be paid out on. Old stone slates can be stolen, so keep photographs. We do not deal with claims and cannot say any will succeed.
Why stone changes the insurance picture
The buildings sum insured should be enough to rebuild your house as it stood. For a stone roof that means hand-sorted limestone slates in diminishing courses, with lead flashings and often a swept valley. It is a specialist covering that costs more to reinstate than a modern tile. Cotswold District Council's 2000 guidance reckons the roof's load at about 1000 kg per 10 square metres, a clue to the effort and money involved.
The practical point is to make sure the policy knows what you own. Say that the roof is stone slate, and whether the house is listed. Ask whether the buildings sum insured is worked out on a basis that allows for matching stone and not a standard tile. If the sum is set too low, a claim can be cut back.
Policy wording is a matter for your insurer or broker, and we do not deal with claims. Our Cotswold stone roofing page explains what repair and relaying involve, which helps when you discuss rebuilding costs.
Storm damage against wear and tear
Many policies cover storm damage, but what counts as a storm is defined narrowly. A Which? article of 20 November 2025 explained that insurers often rely on a wind-speed test of gusts reaching 55mph, and that ordinary policies may leave out wear and tear. Its illustration was a leak caused by a roof left in poor repair. It also reported FCA figures showing that 32% of storm-related claims made in 2024 ended in a payout.
When complaints reach the Financial Ombudsman Service, its questions are whether a storm really struck on the day, whether the damage looks like the work of a storm, and whether the weather was the principal cause. The Ombudsman is unlikely to back a policyholder who knew the roof was already failing, or whose storm only revealed a defect that had been there for some time.
For a stone roof that is already shedding flakes, that distinction matters a great deal. If an insurer concludes the real cause was age, the weather becomes a side issue.
For a stone roof that is already flaking, that matters. Our page on swept valleys shows one spot where age and weather combine. Keeping the roof in good order, and keeping the paperwork, is the best defence against a dispute.
When slates are stolen
Old stone slates are valuable. The 2000 Cotswold guide notes that the reuse of second-hand stone has led to many other old buildings being stripped, occasionally through theft. If slates vanish from your roof, the policy may respond, depending entirely on its terms. Report the loss to the police and to your insurer straight away.
The sensible habit is to document the roof. Photograph it every so often in good light, with one set shot at ground level and another taken in the roof void, so that its condition and the pattern of its courses are on record. If slates go missing, a picture from before the loss makes matching and valuing far easier. Our page on stolen stone slates covers what to do next and how replacements are matched.
A roof that has lost stone has to be made watertight quickly. A leaking roof is the job we turn to first, and we secure it before anything else, but the claim itself is between you and your insurer. Speak to them before commissioning more than temporary work.
Keep every record. A dated photograph, a receipt for temporary sheeting, and a short note of what turned up when the roof was opened all help an insurer understand the loss and help you to show that the roof was cared for before it was hit.
Questions worth putting to your insurer
A short conversation with your insurer or broker before you ever need to claim costs nothing and shows where you stand. Useful questions include these.
- Does the buildings sum insured allow for rebuilding the roof in matching stone slate?
- Is theft of roof slates covered, and are there conditions about security or inspection?
- How does the policy treat gradual deterioration and wear?
- Should the house be protected by a listing or sit in a conservation area, are the added costs of consent and specialist materials allowed for?
- Which temporary repairs can I arrange without putting cover at risk?
The ABI's Storm Eunice advice of 2022 advised owners to report the damage to their insurer without delay, to arrange emergency repairs only where needed to stop damage spreading and even then to speak to the insurer first, and to keep each receipt, since receipts feed into a claim. The advice suits any storm.
Our page on consent for a stone roof in a conservation area explains when further permissions may come into play.
Where we fit in
Whether a claim succeeds is out of our hands, and claims are not something we run. What we can do is inspect the roof, find the cause of the fault, and set out in writing what is wrong and what the lightest sound repair would be. Our written quote arrives with pictures of the roof itself, which leaves you with a clear record to show your insurer or simply to file away.
If storm damage is the cause, the roof is made safe first. If the cause is wear, you will be told that plainly, along with whether repair or relaying is the sensible course. Our work comes with a 10-year workmanship guarantee in writing, a promise from us that no insurer stands behind.
Knowing the trade vocabulary helps when you describe a loss. Our page on Cotswold slate names lists the terms roofers use, so your description to the insurer is accurate. You can reach us on 01793 626096, through WhatsApp, or via the enquiry form on this site, and it helps if you can attach pictures taken in daylight.