The short answer
Ask the insurer for its reasons and the policy wording it relied on, then make a complaint to the insurer first. The Financial Ombudsman Service accepts complaints once eight weeks have gone by with no final answer, or when the answer you receive leaves you dissatisfied. This page explains the route. It does not promise any outcome.
Read the refusal before reacting to it
Insurers decline roof claims for a handful of reasons. The commonest is wear and tear, which standard policies may not cover; Which? gives the example of a leak into a house whose roof was left to deteriorate. Others include a finding that the event did not meet the policy's storm definition, that the damage was gradual, or that a policy condition was not met.
Find the clause the insurer relies on and set it beside your booklet and schedule. Look at the dates, what the loss adjuster or inspector found, and whether the letter names the evidence that was missing. A refusal that says only the damage is not covered is not much use, and you are entitled to ask for a fuller explanation in writing.
Making your complaint to the insurer
Start with the insurer itself. Put the complaint in writing, keep a copy and say clearly which part of the decision you dispute. Add evidence that was missing or overlooked, such as dated photographs, a roofer's written report, weather records for the day and receipts for temporary work.
If the insurer sent a loss adjuster, ask for the report. Our guide to loss adjusters and roof claims explains who they are and what they look at. After a survey we can give you pictures of the fault and a plain account of its likely cause. Whether a claim succeeds is not something we can forecast, and we do not run claims for customers.
A short covering letter helps. Set out the facts in date order, say what the insurer decided, say why you disagree and list what you attach. Ask for a reply by a stated date and send the letter by a method you can prove, such as email with a read receipt or recorded post. Polite and precise beats long and angry, because the person reading it may have dozens of similar files on their desk.
The final response and the eight-week rule
The insurer should look into your complaint and send you a final response. The Ombudsman's rules open the door in two cases: eight weeks go by without a final response, or the response you get leaves you dissatisfied. Write down the date of your first complaint so that you can count the weeks, and keep every letter and email.
A final response should mention the six-month Ombudsman limit. If it arrives and you disagree, you do not have to accept it. The service costs the consumer nothing, but accepting a final decision award can limit going to court later.
When you do go to the Ombudsman, send the same bundle you gave the insurer: the policy, the refusal, your complaint, the final response and your evidence about the roof. A clear timeline at the front makes the case easier to follow. If your roof was already in poor shape when the damage happened, be candid about that, because the Ombudsman will ask and a straight account carries more weight than a gap.
How the Ombudsman looks at storm damage
For storm claims, the Financial Ombudsman Service asks a few plain questions. Was there a storm on the date of the damage? Does the damage fit what is usually seen after a storm? Did the storm do the damage, or would it have occurred regardless? Where the roof was tired already and its owner had noticed, a complaint is unlikely to be upheld, particularly where the storm merely revealed an existing weakness.
That is why the roof's history matters. Photographs from before the event, records of past repairs and a roofer's account of the cause all help. Our page on photos for a roof claim lists what to capture. Which? also reports FCA figures showing that only 32% of storm-related claims made in 2024 resulted in a payout, which tells you refusals are common, not that yours is necessarily wrong.
Keeping the roof safe while you wait
A dispute can run for weeks, and a leaking roof cannot wait that long. Do not let the building deteriorate during the argument, because an insurer may say that failing to protect the property made the damage worse. Arrange temporary protection, keep the receipts and photograph the roof before and after.
For a flat roof, a temporary patch is often possible while the discussion continues. Our page on emergency flat roof leaks covers that. Lightning is another cause that is sometimes disputed, and the page on lightning damage to a roof explains how it shows. Our emergency roof repairs service makes a leaking roof safe before anything else.
Preparing for the next season
Whatever happens with this claim, the next one goes more smoothly if the roof is in good order and you hold the evidence. A survey with photographs leaves you with a dated record of how the roof stood. Our page on storm season preparation lists the checks worth doing before autumn. Our quote arrives on paper after the survey, and ten years of workmanship cover is given on paper with the finished job.
It is also worth reading your policy once a year, when the renewal arrives, to see whether the wording on storms, accidental damage or unoccupied homes has changed. A small change in a definition can decide a future claim, and it costs nothing to check.