In a word…..yes.
You may be surprised to learn, that the fluffy white flakes that have been falling across the UK this week, could destroy a building.
It will be extreme of course for there to be enough snow on a building to damage it. But, it does happen, particularly with wet snow that accumulates over time.
Within a standard business insurance policy, you will be covered for a range of perils. One of these, is storm. This where you will get the cover for damage to your building and, if applicable, damage to the contents. For example, if the weight of snow collapses your roof, this could in turn damage contents and/or stock. The proximate, or ultimate, cause of the damage was the snow, or storm. But, you need to be aware that if your insurers inspect any damage and note that this was attributable in any way to lack of maintenance, you could have your claim repudiated.
What this means is that if you have a roof that is not a good condition, if it can be proven that this contributed to the loss, then you will lose out financially.
You should always check your policy wordings, terms and conditions. In particular, for any flat felt roof portions. Flat felt roofs are usually to be inspected at least once every two years with any damage rectified by a competent contractor. You will be asked for proof of this in the event of a loss.
Flat felt roofs are really susceptible to damage from water, snow and ice. All they are is a couple of sheets of asphalt on timber board. For this reason insurers do not like to insure flat roofs, without particular conditions.
Check your wording or, if easier, give your broker a call and ask them what conditions apply to your cover. Commercial building insurance policies normally have more onerous terms and conditions applying than a home policy. The bonus is that you buy this through a broker so they are obliged to give you help and advice over the phone.