The short answer
Sometimes. Home insurance policies generally treat sudden damage, such as a pot or stack brought down in a storm, differently from gradual wear like crumbling mortar or old flashing, which is usually a maintenance cost. What your policy covers depends on its wording, so read it and ask your insurer. Tell them first, make the stack safe, and keep photos and receipts. No roofer can promise a claim will be paid.
How insurers tend to separate storm damage from wear and tear on a chimney, what to do straight after damage, and what evidence a claim needs.
Storm damage compared with wear and tear
Most buildings policies are written to cover sudden, accidental events and to leave out the slow decline of materials. A gale that tips a pot off the stack or pulls a section of brickwork down is the sort of event that can be claimed on. Mortar that has crumbled over many winters, flashing that has corroded or a flaunching that has cracked with age is wear and tear, and is normally the owner's cost.
The difference is not always clear, and an insurer may send an assessor to decide. A stack that was already weak when the storm hit may be treated as a maintenance fault, even if the wind finished it off. That is one reason regular checks matter: a roofer's photos of sound brickwork before a storm can help show the damage was new.
Policies differ in how they treat storms, excesses and exclusions. Which? reported in November 2025 that, going by Financial Conduct Authority figures, only 32% of storm-related claims made in 2024 resulted in a payout, so read your own wording closely and assume nothing. Our post on tracing a chimney leak helps you tell a sudden fault from a long-running one.
What to do first after damage
Make everyone safe before anything else. Keep people and cars clear of any area under a damaged stack, and do not climb up to look. If bricks or pots have fallen, photograph them where they landed before anything is moved, and note the date and time of the storm if you know it.
Then call your insurer before you arrange the lasting repair. Which? notes that most insurers run emergency helplines, and they can tell you what the policy allows and whether they want to inspect before work starts. Ask what they expect you to do about a temporary repair and whether they have a preferred process.
A roofer can then make the stack safe, for example by taking down a dangerous pot or covering an open flue. Stopping further water getting in comes before the lasting repair. A temporary repair limits the damage, and most policies expect the owner to take reasonable steps to prevent it. Keep the receipt, and ask the roofer to photograph the stack before and after. Our chimney repairs page lists the work that follows.
What a claim needs
Evidence does most of the work. IStructE's January 2025 storm advice calls photographs vital for a claim, because they record how the damage looked. Take wide shots that show the whole house and the stack in context, then close ones of the damage, and keep every original file with its date.
Alongside photos, an insurer usually wants a written account of what happened, a quote or invoice for the repair and receipts for any emergency work. A roofer's survey report with photos of your own stack helps to show the extent of the damage and the likely cause. Every customer gets pictures from the survey and a single written total, and both can go to your insurer.
You decide how to handle the claim itself. The claim stays in your hands with your insurer, and only the insurer can say how it will turn out. Our part is to describe the damage clearly and plainly. Keep copies of everything you send and note who you spoke to and when, because claims can take a while and details get lost along the way, and a tidy folder of dated papers saves arguments later.
If the claim is refused or the policy is unclear
If an insurer refuses a claim, ask for the reason in writing and the part of the policy it relies on. A refusal because of wear and tear can sometimes be challenged if the evidence shows a sudden event, and a roofer's honest account of what they found may help, though it cannot settle the matter.
If you still disagree after going through the insurer's complaints process, you can take the complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service, which is free to the customer. Citizens Advice is another place to start for general consumer questions.
Whatever happens with the claim, an unsafe stack still has to be dealt with. Maintenance is cheaper than repair, so a periodic look at the pots, flaunching, flashing and mortar is worthwhile, particularly before winter. Our guide to chimney repointing explains the usual upkeep job, and our signs your chimney needs repair page lists what to watch for. Back at the hub, chimney repairs shows everything we cover.
More on this in Chimney Repairs in Crawley
Two more insurance questions
Should I repair the chimney before my insurer inspects it?
Tell the insurer first and ask. Make the stack safe and photograph the damage, but hold off on a full rebuild until they have said whether they want to inspect or approve the repair. A temporary repair to stop water getting in is usually expected. Keep any removed bricks or pots until the claim is settled.
Does insurance cover a chimney that leaks over time?
Usually not. A leak that develops slowly from worn flashing, cracked flaunching or crumbling mortar is typically classed as maintenance. A sudden break caused by an event such as a storm is more likely to be considered. Your policy wording decides, so check it, and ask your insurer to confirm in writing.