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Perils, insurance & roofing, in plain language.

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91 definitions

ACV — Actual Cash Value: A valuation that commonly starts with replacement cost and subtracts depreciation; the policy and applicable law determine the method.See this term in the payment guide →
ALE — Additional Living Expense: Additional Living Expense (ALE) is generally one part of Loss of Use coverage. It addresses necessary increases in living costs when a covered loss makes the residence unfit to live in, subject to the policy. Examples may include temporary housing, extra meal costs and other qualifying displacement expenses. It pays eligible extra costs, not every ordinary household bill. Example: if normal food spending is $600 and reasonable displacement-related food spending becomes $900 for the same period, the additional amount is $300—not the full $900. Keep receipts and records of normal spending, and confirm limits, time periods and documentation requirements.
Appraisal: A policy process for certain disputes over the amount of loss. Its scope depends on the policy and state law.
BUR — Built-up roofing: A roof membrane assembled from multiple layers of reinforcing material and bitumen.
Business income: Coverage for qualifying lost income during a covered interruption, subject to the policy’s calculation and restoration period.
Business interruption: A disruption to business operations and the associated financial effects. It is not itself the physical peril. A business-income claim must satisfy the applicable coverage trigger and calculation requirements; the policy may address qualifying income loss, continuing expenses and a defined restoration period.Explore the related claim guide →
Cause of loss: The event or mechanism that actually produced the claimed damage. It overlaps with ‘peril,’ but a claim may need a more specific explanation of how the damage happened. Example: water entered through a wind-created roof opening, or water escaped from a burst supply pipe. A ceiling stain is an observed result, not the cause. Accurate findings matter because different causes can receive different treatment under a policy.
Code upgrade: Work needed to satisfy applicable building requirements; code requirements and insurance coverage are separate questions.
Coinsurance: A policy provision that can reduce a payment when required insurance-to-value conditions are not met.
Commercial property: Buildings, business-owned contents and other property interests used in business. This identifies the type of insured property rather than a cause of loss. Ownership, leases and coverage schedules help distinguish building repairs, tenant improvements, equipment and inventory.Explore the related claim guide →
Company adjuster: An insurance-company employee who handles claims for that insurer.
Contents / Personal property: Belongings such as furniture, clothing, equipment, and other covered items.
Counterflashing: Flashing that covers and protects the upper edge of base flashing.
Coverage limit: The maximum payable under a particular coverage, subject to the policy.
Date of loss: The date the event causing the loss occurred. It may differ from the date you discovered the damage or reported the claim. Example: a hailstorm occurred on May 10, but roof damage was discovered on May 20; document both dates and the evidence connecting the damage to the storm. If the timing is uncertain or the loss developed over time, say so and keep the supporting records rather than guessing. The applicable date can affect which policy period and claim requirements apply.
Deck / sheathing: The structural surface supporting the roof covering and related layers.
Declarations page: The policy summary identifying insured property, dates, coverages, limits, and deductibles.
Deductible: The part of a covered loss you are responsible for under the policy. It is commonly subtracted from the claim payment rather than paid to the insurer. Example: a $10,000 covered loss with a $1,000 deductible leaves $9,000 before other policy adjustments. A percentage deductible uses the amount specified in the policy—often the insured dwelling limit, not the repair bill. For example, 2% of a $300,000 dwelling limit is $6,000. Different events may have different deductibles.See this term in the payment guide →
Denial: An insurer’s decision that some or all of the requested claim payment is not covered or payable.
Depreciation: A reduction in value associated with age, condition, wear, or other relevant factors.See this term in the payment guide →
Drip edge: Edge flashing intended to direct roof water away from the deck edge.
Dwelling coverage: Coverage applying to the home and associated items described in the policy.
Eave: The lower roof edge, commonly overhanging a wall.
Endorsement: An endorsement is a document that becomes part of the insurance policy and changes its terms. Endorsements may add, remove or restrict coverage, change deductibles or limits, or modify conditions. Example: a water-backup endorsement may add coverage for certain sewer or drain backups, subject to its own limit and requirements. An endorsement is not always an improvement in coverage. Read it together with the base policy and declarations, including its effective date and the provisions it changes.
EPDM: Ethylene propylene diene monomer: a synthetic-rubber roofing membrane.
Estimate: An itemized calculation of proposed work, quantities, and costs; it is not itself a coverage decision.
Exclusion: An exclusion is policy wording that removes or limits coverage for specified causes of loss, property or circumstances. Exclusions may address flood, wear and tear, or certain repeated leakage, depending on the policy. An exception may preserve some coverage, and an endorsement may change an exclusion’s effect. Identify the exact wording, exceptions and relevant endorsements before deciding how it applies. A damaged item being insured does not mean every cause of damage to it is covered.
Exposed fastener: A fastener that penetrates the weather-facing roof panel and remains exposed.
Extra expense: Qualifying additional operating costs associated with a covered business disruption.
Fair rental value / loss of rents: A benefit that may be included within Loss of Use or another property coverage for qualifying rental income lost when covered damage makes rented premises unfit to live in. The calculation may subtract expenses that do not continue. Unlike ALE, which concerns an occupant’s additional living costs, this concerns the owner’s qualifying rental-income loss. Review the rental arrangement, coverage trigger, limits and applicable period.
Fascia: The board or finish along the roof edge, often behind gutters.
Fire: Combustion that produces heat and can burn, char or consume building materials and belongings. Direct burn damage is different from smoke residue or water used in firefighting, even when all arise from the same event. Example: a stove fire chars nearby cabinets; the full loss may also include soot in adjoining rooms.Explore the related claim guide →
Flashing: Material that directs water away from roof joints, walls, edges, and penetrations.
Flood: Temporary inundation of normally dry land. The NFIP definition generally requires at least two acres or two properties, including the insured property, affected by specified causes such as overflowing inland or tidal water, rapid surface-water accumulation or mudflow; certain shoreline collapse is also included. This is a summary, not the complete policy definition. A wet room from a pipe leak is not automatically an NFIP flood.Explore the related claim guide →
Frozen pipes / freezing: Water freezing within plumbing can create pressure that splits or breaks a pipe or component. Water released as the system thaws may then affect walls, flooring and belongings. Document the freeze, the failure and resulting discharge. Policy conditions about maintaining heat or shutting off and draining systems may affect coverage.Explore the related claim guide →
Hail: Balls or irregular pieces of ice falling from a thunderstorm. Impacts can dent metal, crack brittle materials or affect roof coverings, depending on the material, hail size, wind and other conditions. Surface marks must be assessed in context: a mark is not automatically functional damage, and a storm report alone does not establish the condition of a particular roof.Explore the related claim guide →
Headlap: The overlap of an upper roofing piece over a piece two courses below.
Hip: The outward sloping junction between roof planes.
Hurricane / hurricanes: A tropical cyclone with sustained winds of at least 74 mph. A hurricane loss can involve several mechanisms, including wind pressure, flying debris, rain intrusion and coastal flooding. The storm name does not make these one coverage category. Policy definitions and timing rules for hurricane or named-storm deductibles must be checked separately.Explore the related claim guide →
Hurricane / named-storm deductible: A separate deductible whose trigger and calculation depend on the policy and applicable rules.
Ice — accumulation and ice dams: Frozen water can load structures, collect at eaves or obstruct meltwater drainage. The relevant mechanism may be weight, falling ice or water backing up behind an ice dam. Identify which happened and where; ice on a roof, hail impacts and frozen plumbing are different loss mechanisms.Explore the related claim guide →
Ice barrier: A specified membrane or assembly that helps limit water intrusion from backed-up water at vulnerable roof areas.
Ice dam: A ridge or buildup of ice, often near a roof edge, that obstructs drainage of melting snow. Water can back up beneath roofing and enter the building. This is a specific water-entry mechanism; it is not the same as structural damage from the weight of snow or ice.Explore the related claim guide →
Impact rating: A result from a specified impact test; it does not mean a roof cannot be damaged by hail.
Independent adjuster: An outside adjuster hired to handle claims for an insurer.
Lightning: An atmospheric electrical discharge that can strike a building or reach equipment through connected systems. It may cause burning, physical damage or electrical failure. An appliance failing during a storm is not, by itself, proof of a lightning cause; inspection findings and event records help distinguish lightning from other electrical faults.Explore the related claim guide →
Line item: One task, material, or cost entry in an estimate.
Loss of use: Loss of Use is generally the broader coverage category for qualifying consequences of being unable to use the residence. It may include Additional Living Expense (ALE) for an occupant’s increased living costs and Fair Rental Value for qualifying rental income lost by an owner. Some policies also contain limited prohibited-use or civil-authority provisions with separate triggers. People often use ‘Loss of Use’ and ‘ALE’ interchangeably, but ALE is a benefit that may sit within Loss of Use rather than describe every benefit in that category. Coverage names, numbering, limits and conditions vary by policy; leaving home does not automatically trigger payment.
Matching: The issue of whether repaired or replaced materials reasonably match adjoining materials; policy language and local law matter.
Mitigation: Reasonable measures to reduce further damage after a loss.
Modified bitumen: Asphalt-based roofing modified with polymers and installed as a specified membrane system.
Nonrecoverable depreciation: Depreciation that is not payable under the applicable coverage.See this term in the payment guide →
Ordinance and Law — Ordinance or Law Coverage: Coverage that may help with additional costs when enforced building codes or other laws affect repair or rebuilding after a covered loss. Depending on the policy, it may address required upgrades, demolition, or the value of undamaged portions that must be removed. Example: a covered roof repair may require additional work to meet an applicable building code. It is not automatic coverage for every improvement or pre-existing defect. Check the specific coverage, limits, exclusions, and documented code requirement.
Other structures: A coverage category for qualifying structures separate from the dwelling.
Overhead & profit: Estimate allowances for business operating costs and profit; entitlement and calculation depend on the work and claim.
Peril: An event or cause that can produce a loss, such as fire, hail, wind, or theft. Risk is the possibility of a loss; a peril is what causes it. Example: hail striking a roof is a peril. Whether that peril is covered depends on the policy, including its exclusions and conditions.
Ponding: Water that remains on a roof instead of draining as intended.
Proof of loss: A formal statement of the claimed loss, sometimes sworn, submitted when the policy or insurer requires it.
Property damage: Physical harm to a building, structure or belongings. This describes the result, not a particular peril. A damaged ceiling, for example, still requires investigation of whether the cause was a pipe leak, rain entry, fire or another event.Explore the related claim guide →
Public adjuster: A licensed professional retained by a policyholder to assist with a property claim, within state-law limits.
PVC: Polyvinyl chloride: a thermoplastic roofing membrane with heat-welded seams.
Rake: The sloped edge at a gable end.
RCV — Replacement Cost Value: The cost of replacing damaged property with comparable new property, subject to policy terms.See this term in the payment guide →
Recoverable depreciation: Depreciation that may become payable after policy requirements, such as documented repairs, are met.See this term in the payment guide →
Reservation of rights: An insurer’s notice that it is investigating or handling a claim while preserving specified coverage defenses.
Ridge: The upper horizontal meeting line of roof slopes.
Risk: The possibility of a loss and the uncertainty about how often it could happen or how serious it could be. In underwriting, an insurer may also use ‘risk’ to mean the property or exposure being insured. Example: a home's exposure to hail is a risk; the hailstorm that causes a particular loss is the peril.
Roofing square: An area of 100 square feet of roof surface.
Scope of loss: The documented extent of damage and the repair or replacement work being considered.
Sewer or drain backup: Water or sewage that reverses direction or backs up through drains, sewers or related systems. Policies may treat backup, sump overflow and flood differently, with separate endorsements or limits. Identifying the source and cause matters; the fact that water appeared at a drain does not by itself settle the coverage question.Explore the related claim guide →
Slope / roof pitch: Common roofing shorthand for vertical rise per 12 inches of horizontal run. A 4:12 slope rises four inches over that run.
Smoke & soot: Smoke is the mixture of gases and particles produced by combustion; soot is a carbon-rich residue from incomplete combustion. Effects may include surface deposits, discoloration and odors away from the burned area. Visible residue and appropriate professional findings help identify the affected materials; odor alone does not establish the entire repair scope.Explore the related claim guide →
Snow — weight of snow: Accumulated snow can impose a load on a roof or other structure, potentially causing deformation or collapse. The weight depends on density and water content, not just depth. A policy may refer to the weight of ice, snow or sleet. Load-related structural damage differs from water entering as snow melts.Explore the related claim guide →
Soffit: The underside of a roof overhang; vented soffits may provide intake air.
Standing seam: A metal-panel system with raised seams joining adjacent panels.
Starter course: The first specified strip or course that supports correct installation at a shingle roof edge.
Storm surge: A storm-driven rise in coastal water above the level expected from tides alone. When that water inundates land and buildings, it is part of the flood picture rather than direct wind damage. It can occur during a hurricane or another coastal storm; document water levels and timing separately from wind effects.Explore the related claim guide →
Sublimit: A smaller limit for a particular type of property or loss.
Supplement: A request for additional claim consideration supported by information about scope, quantities, or costs.
Tear-off / recover: Tear-off removes existing roofing; recover adds an approved roof system over an eligible existing roof.
Theft: The unlawful taking of property. The claim record should identify what is missing and any damage caused during entry. Burglary describes a type of unlawful entry and is not a synonym for every theft. Coverage for missing items, special categories of valuables and unexplained disappearance depends on the policy.Explore the related claim guide →
Tornado: A rotating column of air extending from a thunderstorm to the ground. Destructive winds and windborne debris can affect roofs, walls, openings and outbuildings. Tornado losses are commonly evaluated within windstorm coverage, subject to the actual policy; rain entry and other resulting effects should be documented separately.Explore the related claim guide →
TPO: Thermoplastic polyolefin: a single-ply roofing membrane with heat-welded seams.
Umpire: A person selected under an appraisal process to help resolve differences between appraisers.
Underlayment: A protective layer between the deck and the roof covering.
Valley: The inward junction where two roof slopes meet.
Vandalism / malicious mischief: Intentional destruction or defacement of property, such as deliberately broken fixtures or damaged finishes. It is distinct from accidental breakage, ordinary deterioration and theft of an item. Incident details, photographs and occupancy information can matter because policies may apply exclusions or vacancy conditions.Explore the related claim guide →
Water — accidental discharge or overflow: Water escaping from a plumbing, heating, cooling or appliance system, such as a suddenly ruptured supply line. The failed component, route of water and resulting wet materials are separate parts of the record. This is different from rising surface-water flooding, sewer backup or leakage developing over time. Policy wording determines how each is treated.Explore the related claim guide →
Wind / windstorm: Moving air that can exert pressure or uplift, dislodge building materials and propel debris into property. Example: wind removes roof covering or breaks a window. Identify direct wind effects separately from subsequent rain entry. A policy may address wind and hail together or impose a separate deductible or exclusion.Explore the related claim guide →
Wind rating: A tested or approved wind-performance classification for a specified roof assembly and installation.
Wind-driven rain: Rain carried by wind against or into a building. Water may enter through a storm-created opening or through other pathways; those facts can receive different treatment under policy wording. Wind-driven rain is not the same mechanism as storm surge or rising surface-water flooding.Explore the related claim guide →

These explanations are a starting point. Your policy’s defined terms, endorsements, and applicable law control the claim; a glossary does not determine coverage.

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Understand the words.Understand your claim.

Perils, insurance & roofing, in plain language.

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You Pay NothingUnless We Win.

Understand the words.
Understand your claim.

You Pay Nothing
Unless We Win.