Author: Ryan Thompson
You pay for homeowners insurance to protect your home from damage and other unforeseen issues. This includes covering your roof if it’s ever damaged.
But will your insurance company pay for a new roof? That comes down to what caused the damage and the type of policy you have.
For years, the team at Vantage Roofing Solutions has guided and helped homeowners through the insurance claim process for roof damage. Because of this, I’ll help you get started by helping you understand if insurance will pay for your new roof and more.
This article will help answer the following questions:
The short answer is yes.
Homeowners insurance may pay for a roof replacement when the damage was caused by a covered event such as Hail or Wind.
Other examples include: Hurricanes, tornadoes, wind-driven debris, fallen trees or limbs, or other sudden covered events.
Left: Wind Damage | Right: Hail Damage
Insurance generally isn’t designed to replace a roof simply because it’s old.
For example, if a 20-year-old asphalt roof is leaking because the shingles have deteriorated over time, that’s very different from a roof that was functioning normally before quarter- or golf-ball-sized hail damaged it during a documented storm.
That’s why determining what caused the damage is so important.This is where homeowners often get confused.
Two neighbors can experience the same storm, have similar roofs, and receive very different insurance payments.
Why?
Their policies may be different.
One of the biggest differences is whether your roof is covered at replacement cost or actual cash value.
Actual cash value (ACV) coverage subtract depreciation for your roof’s age from it’s replacement cost. Your deductible is then subtracted from the insurance payment.
Replacement cost – Depreciation – Deductible = Actual Cash Value
An older roof may mean a smaller payout. The Texas Department of Insurance shows this example for a $10,000 roof replacement with a $4,000 deductible.
| Roof age | Actual cash value | Payment after deductible |
|---|---|---|
| 5 years | $8,500 | $4,500 |
| 10 years | $7,000 | $3,000 |
| 20 years | $4,000 | $0 |
Example only. Actual payments depend on your policy.
Source:
Texas Department of Insurance.
Replacement cost coverage works differently.
Instead of permanently subtracting depreciation because of the roof’s age, an insurance carrier will release the depreciation payment once the work has been completed and all documents have been submitted by your roofing contractor.
Your policy controls how this works, so always read the policy and ask your insurance agent or adjuster about your specific coverage before filing an insurance claim.
Your insurance company will pay to restore your roof to a brand new version of what is currently there.
At Vantage, we upgrade our customers to a Class 3 Impact Resistant shingle for free, which can help reduce your odds of having to file another claim again, and may qualify you for insurance discounts.
The answer is YES.
No matter who knocks on your door saying “I will get you a free roof”, or “We cover your deductible”. Waiving a deductible in Texas is INSURANCE FRAUD.
It’s understandable to some homeowners trying to save money when the opportunity presents itself. However, most of the time the insurance company is going to ask for proof of deductible before releasing the depreciation payment, and the roofer is going to ask you to write a voided or fake check to get that money released. Which means, you are also participating in insurance fraud.
Most deductibles range from $3,000 – $10,000 in Texas. If you slow down and think about what that means for your roof, via the quality of workmanship & materials. That means ALOT of corners will be cut and cause you issues in the near future due to bad installation.
If your claim is approved, you must pay your deductible for a roof replacement.
This a very common issue we run into throughout all of Houston.
An insurance estimate and a roofing contractor’s scope may not initially contain exactly the same items. That doesn’t automatically mean either side is wrong.
The first thing I recommend is comparing the documents carefully and see what the insurance is leaving off, or under paying for.
A roofing contractor can provide estimates, photos, measurements, invoices, and documentation about the construction work.
However, there’s an important Texas Law that homeowners need to understand:
Your roofer is not your public insurance adjuster.
Texas prohibits a contractor who may perform the work from acting as a public adjuster on the same project.
Vantage can document the roof, explain our construction scope, answer questions about the work, and provide supporting documentation.
Questions about coverage, settlement, policy interpretation, or what your insurance company legally owes you should be addressed with your insurance company, agent, and a properly licensed public adjuster who is not performing the work.
The public adjuster can use the contractors information, and negotiate on behalf of you to increase the initial insurance scope. This is called a “Supplement”.
Roof insurance claim supplemented from $18,089.81 to $26,288.35 from missing or underpaid items on a roof claim.
If your home is in Conroe, Spring, Cypress, Katy, Fulshear, Pearland, The Woodlands, or elsewhere in Greater Houston, I recommend following this order:
Don’t let storm anxiety pressure you into signing a roofing contract on the spot.
A good inspection should give you more information—not more pressure.
If a recent hail or windstorm hit your neighborhood and you’re wondering whether your roof was damaged, Vantage Roofing Solutions can inspect it and show you exactly what we find.
We’ll look at the roofing system, photograph visible damage or concerns, and explain the condition of your roof in plain English.
If the roof looks good, we’ll tell you.
If we find storm damage, we’ll document it so you have the information you need to decide what to do next.
Serving homeowners throughout Houston, Conroe, Spring, Cypress, Katy, Fulshear, Pearland, The Woodlands, and surrounding communities.