Understanding wind damage: insurance and prevention tips for homeowners

Typical wind-related damage

Heavy winds can cause a lot of damage to your property, including blowing tiles off your roof or knocking down garden fences. If strong enough, they can also dislodge shingles or bricks, and bring down branches and even trees.

To mitigate the potential damage, regularly inspect your roof tiles and bricks to make sure that none are coming loose or are broken. You should also inspect your garden fences to make sure that they are secured to the ground. Consider having tree branches cut back to reduce the risk of damage if they fall. If a storm is forecast, you should take inside any garden furniture or equipment (such as ladders) and make sure your doors and windows are securely fastened shut.

Insurance cover for wind damage

It’s important to have the right insurance in place for your property, so you’re protected if the worst happens. Even if you take steps to mitigate as many risks as you can, there’s always the chance that something could go wrong.

Make sure to check your policy to see what is covered. Buildings insurance does not generally cover damage to fences and gates, falling aerials, or garden furniture.

How to assess and document wind damage for an insurance claim

If your property has been damaged by wind during a storm, it’s important to get in contact with your insurer as soon as possible. Inspect your home inside and out and take photos of any damage so you can submit these as evidence. If you’re sure that your property is safe:

Check your roof: inspect any tiles, bricks or slats that may have been loosened or broken by the storm.

Inspect your windows and doors: check that your windows and doors still open and shut correctly, and that no glass is broken.

Check your exterior walls: check for cracks or crumbling walls.

If your home needs emergency repairs, get in contact with a trusted professional as soon as possible, and let your insurer know that you’ve done this. Make sure you keep any receipts so you can submit these when you make a claim, and take photos of the damage before and after the repair work.

Home insurance from Towergate

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About the author

James Cooper is a respected industry leader with around 10 years' experience in the home and property insurance sector. He works across a broad range of insurance product and policy development and delivery, including product development; customer sales and marketing; and P&L accountability.

Consistent with our policy when giving comment and advice on a non-specific basis, we cannot assume legal responsibility for the accuracy of any particular statement. In the case of specific problems we recommend that professional advice be sought.