Will My Insurance Company Insure a 15-Year-Old Roof?

Are you feeling stressed after being notified that your insurance policy will not cover your asphalt roof after a certain amount of time? Do you want to know what you can do to either keep your insurance coverage or find new coverage, even if your roof is in bad shape?

At RoofSmart, we are committed to getting you the best coverage possible to help you fix your roof damage. In fact, the last 100 customers of ours who filed for coverage got an increase on their claim after we helped them negotiate with their insurance company.

In addition, for this article, we brought in Tom Jacoy from Sea-Mountain Insurance to provide insights on insurance policies and cancelations. He is not affiliated with RoofSmart, but he comes equipped with many years of experience helping customers with personal and commercial insurance claims.

In this article, you’ll learn why your insurance company might cancel coverage for your roof and what your options are for obtaining future coverage. You’ll also learn why the difference in coverage between a roof warranty and your insurance is so important.

By the end, you’ll understand how insurance companies make decisions about coverage and why they are concerned with a roof that is 15+ years old.

Why do insurance companies care about the state of my roof?

Tom Jacoy says that if a roof is old, or if it’s showing signs of deterioration, then insurance companies care because it’s most likely going to fail. That roof failure will then become a claims payout. The older the roof, the higher the fail rate and the higher the claims.

Your roof becomes more and more of a liability and more expensive to cover as it gets older. A worn-out roof does not work as well and is more susceptible to damage.

What are common roof issues that lead to cancellation?

According to Jacoy, these are the things that insurance companies look for when assessing your eligibility for coverage:

1. Age: Having an old roof (around 20 years or more) is a major red flag that can lead to cancellation. The older a roof gets, the more likely it is to have issues.
2. Moss: If a house has moss on it, you will have 60 days to treat the moss and send in proof that it was treated. Having any moss on the roof is not a good sign, but excessive moss growth is an indicator that your roof is nearing the end of its life. So, moss is a major red flag for insurance companies.
3. Branches hanging over: Tree branches can be incredibly damaging to your roof. Your insurance company will want you to make sure that branches hanging over the roof are trimmed back to minimize the possibility of damage. Otherwise, they might deem it necessary to cancel your policy.

How do I have a 15-year insurance policy when I have a 50-year warranty for my roof?

Jacoy emphasizes that this difference in coverage causes the common misconception of homeowners believing that their roof is covered and that their insurance policy should be upheld because they have a long roof warranty.

Each type of coverage is very different and the coverage you receive from your homeowner’s insurance is not determined by your roof’s warranty.

The 50-year warranty that you get when you purchase a new roof only covers your shingles. It is meant to help you with reimbursement in case they are damaged due to a manufacturer’s error. Other parts of the roof, like the roof deck or flashing, are not covered under most manufacturer’s warranties.

Often, homeowners assume that because they have a 50-year warranty on their roof they will have a similar coverage length through their insurance policy. However, homeowner’s insurance takes into consideration all pieces of the roof when assessing the loss of your claim.

This means that insurance agencies will consider those other pieces of the roof (ex. the roof deck or flashing) as part of the total loss of the roof if you were to file a claim for it. Because those things are not covered, they are a cause for concern, especially as the roof gets older and older.

In a 15- to 20-year-old roof, your shingles might be in good condition, but that doesn’t mean that the rest of the roof is. Other parts aside from the shingles might be deteriorating or leaking and causing a lot of damage to your roof. This means that your roof has a higher percentage of loss and is a bigger risk to the insurance company.

What is causing this recent phenomenon of people getting notices that their insurance will be canceled after 15 years?

Recently, insurance companies have had a lot of customers filing claims for all kinds of different issues. Some companies are struggling to make a profit after paying out all of these claims, so they’re not able to assist as many clients.

This issue has contributed to the recent phenomenon of customers getting cancelation notices. If your roof is determined as a higher risk, then your insurance agency will not want to cover it.

Is there a time limit on the coverage I get for my roof from my homeowner’s insurance?

There is not necessarily an official cutoff or timeframe stated in the policy, but based on the state of your roof, your insurance company can notify you that they will cancel.

Having a 20-year roof has been the standard benchmark for insurance carriers for a while. This means they’ve noticed that once a roof reaches 20 years, it’s usually much more likely to fail. And, a lot of people have a roof that only lasts around 20 years.

After 15 years, your roof poses a higher risk of failing or having issues, so your insurance company won’t want to cover it. You might have to look for a different type of insurance if you have an older roof.

In the past, this wasn’t something that insurance companies were underwriting. However, with the use of tools like Google Maps which has a street view and time stamps, it is much easier to keep track of the age of someone’s roof.

In the past a person might get sent out every once in a while or if the insurance company noticed that it had been a while. They would also send someone out to get a picture before a renewal. But now they can get fairly updated information on the state of your roof by checking online.

How can you keep insurance coverage for your old, uninsurable roof?

Understanding why your insurance company might cancel coverage for an older asphalt roof is the first step toward protecting your home and your finances. With the insights shared by Tom Jacoy, it’s clear that a roof’s age and condition play significant roles in an insurance company’s decisions.

By addressing common red flags like moss growth, overhanging branches, and age-related wear, you can either retain your current policy or explore other insurance options confidently.

If you’re facing coverage issues, don’t wait—reach out to your insurance provider to understand your specific situation. If needed, contact a trusted roofing professional to evaluate your roof and address any concerns before they become a liability.

Want to know what you can do if the insurance coverage for your roof is about to get canceled? Check out our article “What Do I Do If My Insurance Company Tells Me to Replace My Roof Or It’ll Get Canceled?” to learn more.