Many home insurance policies don’t cover damage that happens gradually, or that comes from wear and tear or poor maintenance, and blocked gutters are often given as an example. Sudden storm damage is treated differently. Check your own policy wording, keep your gutters cleared, and keep a simple record of when they were done.
In this guide
- What do insurers say about gutters?
- Why is gradual damage usually excluded?
- What about storm damage?
- What records are worth keeping?
- What should I check in my own policy?
- What about damage a gutter cleaner causes?
- Does this apply if I rent?
- Does it matter if I bought the house recently?
- Should I tell my insurer about a gutter problem?
- Quick questions
What do insurers say about gutters?
Several insurers name gutters directly in their exclusions or guidance.
Ageas lists blockage or cracking of guttering causing damp walls among things not covered by its home insurance. The Post Office’s home insurance guide says an insurer may not pay if damage was caused by poor maintenance, such as not keeping gutters clear. Other insurers word it differently, but the pattern is common: gradual damage from a blocked gutter is usually treated as a maintenance issue, not an insured event.
Why is gradual damage usually excluded?
Home insurance is generally designed for sudden, unforeseen events, not for problems that build up over time and could have been prevented.
A tree falling through the roof in a storm is sudden. Damp that spread through a wall over a winter because the gutter overflowed every time it rained is gradual. Insurers expect homeowners to carry out reasonable maintenance, and keeping gutters clear is one of the simplest examples.
What about storm damage?
Many policies cover storm damage, but insurers may look at whether the property was in good repair before the storm.
If a storm brings a gutter down, or wind damages the roof, that may be covered under storm cover, depending on your policy and how the insurer defines a storm. If the gutter was already loose, rotten or heavily blocked, the insurer may say the damage was caused or made worse by its condition. That is where a record of maintenance helps.
What records are worth keeping?
The date your gutters were last cleared, who did it, and any photos. A receipt or text from a cleaner is enough.
You don’t need a filing system. A photo of the cleared gutters, a camera screenshot from the cleaner, or a receipt with the date, kept in a folder on your phone, shows that you looked after them. If you do it yourself, take a photo before and after.
What should I check in my own policy?
Look for sections on wear and tear, gradual damage, maintenance, storm, and escape of water, and what each one says.
- Exclusions. Wear and tear, gradual deterioration, lack of maintenance.
- Storm. How the policy defines a storm, and what it says about gutters and drains.
- Escape of water. Usually about pipes and tanks inside the home, not rainwater, but check.
- Conditions. Any general duty to keep the home in good repair.
If anything is unclear, ask your insurer or broker. We can’t advise on individual policies.
What about damage a gutter cleaner causes?
That is normally a matter for the cleaner’s public liability insurance, not yours.
If a cleaner damages your gutter, roof, car or conservatory, they should make it right through their own insurance. That is why it is worth seeing their certificate before the work. See checking a gutter cleaner’s insurance.
Does this apply if I rent?
If you rent, the landlord usually has to keep gutters in repair. Your contents insurance won’t usually cover the building.
In most residential tenancies in England and Wales, the landlord’s repairing duty includes gutters and external pipes. Report problems to your landlord in writing. See who is responsible for gutters.
Does it matter if I bought the house recently?
Insurers generally expect maintenance from the start. If the gutters were in poor condition when you moved in, get them sorted early and keep a record.
A survey report from your purchase may mention the gutters. If it flagged blocked or damaged gutters, dealing with them early, and keeping the receipt, avoids an argument later about whether a problem was already there. If you are not sure when they were last cleared, assume it has been a while.
Should I tell my insurer about a gutter problem?
Check your policy. Some ask you to keep the home in good repair and take reasonable steps to prevent damage, which in practice means fixing problems once you know about them.
The simplest approach is to deal with a blocked or broken gutter quickly and keep the record. If water has already got in, take photos before anything is cleaned up and contact your insurer or broker to ask whether it is something they would look at. They will tell you what they need. Keep notes of who you spoke to and when.
Key points
- Gradual damage from blocked gutters is often treated as a maintenance issue.
- Ageas and the Post Office both mention gutters in their guidance.
- Storm claims may consider whether the property was in good repair.
- Keep a dated photo or receipt each time your gutters are cleared.
- Damage caused by a cleaner should go to their insurance.
Quick questions
Will my insurer ask when my gutters were cleaned?
They might, if a claim involves water coming in from outside. A dated record makes that easy to answer.
Is gutter cleaning a condition of my policy?
Usually it isn’t named as a condition, but most policies expect reasonable maintenance. Check your wording.
Can I claim for a gutter that fell in a storm?
Possibly, under storm cover. The insurer may ask about the gutter’s condition before the storm.
