If you’ve ever applied for homeowners insurance, you may have been asked a specific question: How old is your roof?
There’s a reason insurance companies want to know.
Your roof is one of the main systems protecting your home from rain, wind, hail, snow, and other weather. Its age and condition can therefore be relevant to how an insurance company evaluates the property.
At Barringer Brothers Roofing, we’ve worked on homes throughout the Metro East and Southern Illinois since 2004. With more than 200 five-star reviews, we’ve also talked with plenty of homeowners who aren’t sure how old their roof is.
Here’s what homeowners should know.
Why Does Roof Age Matter to an Insurance Company?
Insurance companies evaluate risk when deciding whether to insure a property and what coverage to offer.
The roof matters because it is constantly exposed to the elements. Over the years, an asphalt roof experiences sun, temperature changes, rain, wind, hail, snow, ice, and ordinary wear.
That doesn’t mean an older roof is automatically a bad roof. Two roofs of the same age can be in very different condition depending on their installation, materials, ventilation, weather exposure, maintenance, and other factors.
However, age gives an insurance company another piece of information about the roof it is insuring.
The Insurance Information Institute notes that a roof’s age and condition can influence how an insurer determines coverage.
Does an Older Roof Automatically Mean You Can’t Get Homeowners Insurance?
No.
There isn’t one universal roof-age rule that applies to every insurance company or every homeowners policy.
Insurers have their own underwriting requirements, and the condition of the property can matter in addition to its age. An insurer may ask additional questions, request documentation, require an inspection, offer different coverage, or handle an older roof in another way depending on its underwriting guidelines.
That’s why you shouldn’t assume that turning 15, 20, or any other specific age suddenly makes a roof “uninsurable.”
If your insurance company is asking about your roof, the best source for what that means for your particular policy is your insurance agent or insurer.
Can Roof Age Affect How an Insurance Claim Is Paid?
This is where understanding your policy becomes especially important.
Two terms homeowners may encounter are Replacement Cost Value (RCV) and Actual Cash Value (ACV).
With replacement cost coverage, covered property is generally repaired or replaced with materials of like kind and quality without subtracting depreciation. With actual cash value coverage, depreciation based on factors such as age and wear is taken into account.
For example, imagine an older roof and a newer roof suffer covered damage.
If depreciation applies to the roof under the policy, the roof’s age and condition can affect the amount paid for the covered loss. The National Association of Insurance Commissioners specifically advises homeowners to understand whether roof claims are settled using replacement cost or actual cash value because the difference can significantly affect out-of-pocket costs.
Importantly, don’t assume the coverage applying to the rest of your house necessarily tells you exactly how your roof is covered. Some policies may contain different provisions or limitations for roofs. The NAIC recommends checking the policy and asking your insurer about the coverage that applies specifically to your roof.
Why Might an Insurance Company Ask When Your Roof Was Replaced?
Knowing the installation or replacement date gives the insurer more information than simply knowing that the home has a roof that “looks okay.”
For example, if your home was built in 1985 but the roof was completely replaced in 2022, those are two very different pieces of information.
That’s why an insurer may ask for the year of the most recent roof replacement rather than simply the age of the house.
You may also be asked what type of roofing material is installed or for documentation showing when work was completed.
How Do You Find Out How Old Your Roof Is?
If you bought your home after the current roof was installed, you might genuinely have no idea.
Start by looking through the paperwork you received when purchasing the house. A seller’s disclosure, inspection report, invoice, warranty information, permit record, or other documentation may identify when the roof was installed.
You can also ask the previous homeowner if you’re able to contact them.
If you know which roofing contractor performed the work, the company may still have records of the project.
A professional roofer can also inspect the roof and evaluate its apparent condition. However, visual inspection generally shouldn’t be treated as proof of an exact installation date. Without documentation, a contractor may be able to provide information about the roof’s condition and approximate age, but that is different from confirming the exact year it was installed.
What If You Recently Had Your Roof Replaced?
Keep your paperwork.
After a roof replacement, save documents such as:
- Your roofing contract
- Final invoice
- Warranty information
- Product information
- Photos of the completed project
- Any other documentation provided by your roofing contractor
If an insurance company later asks when the roof was replaced, having documentation can make the answer much easier to verify.
It’s also worth contacting your insurance company after major improvements to your home. The Illinois Department of Insurance recommends asking insurers about available discounts and notes that some companies may offer discounts for improvements such as a new roof. Availability and requirements vary by insurer.
Does Replacing Your Roof Guarantee Lower Homeowners Insurance?
No.
A new roof does not automatically mean your insurance premium will decrease.
Insurance premiums are based on numerous factors, and insurers use different rating and underwriting methods. While some insurers may offer discounts associated with a new roof, homeowners should ask their own insurer whether a roof replacement changes their premium or coverage.
That’s an important distinction if you’re considering replacing a roof primarily because of insurance.
A roofing contractor can tell you about the condition of your roof and whether replacement is appropriate from a roofing standpoint. Your insurance company should explain how a replacement would affect your specific policy.
What If Your Insurance Company Says Your Roof Is Too Old?
First, find out exactly what the insurance company is requesting.
Are they asking for:
- Proof of the roof’s age?
- A roof inspection?
- Repairs to a particular area?
- A complete roof replacement?
- Updated photographs?
- Documentation from a roofing contractor?
Those are very different requests.
If the concern involves the condition of your roof, having it professionally inspected can give you a clearer understanding of what is actually happening.
For Illinois homeowners, there are also state rules governing policy nonrenewals. The Illinois Department of Insurance notes, for example, that when a homeowners policy is nonrenewed because the property’s condition has declined, certain circumstances require the insurer to provide time for the homeowner to make required repairs. The exact rules depend on the policy circumstances, so homeowners dealing with a cancellation or nonrenewal should consult their insurer and the Illinois Department of Insurance for information specific to their situation.
Roof Age and Roof Condition Aren’t the Same Thing
One of the most important things for homeowners to understand is that age and condition are related, but they aren’t interchangeable.
A newer roof can have problems if it was poorly installed or damaged by severe weather.
An older roof can still be performing as intended.
That’s why a professional roof inspection focuses on the actual roofing system rather than looking at the installation year alone.
If you don’t know the condition of your roof—or your insurance company has specifically asked you to have it evaluated—an inspection can help identify visible damage, deterioration, installation concerns, and other conditions that may need attention.
Frequently Asked Questions
Your insurer may be updating information about the property, reviewing the policy at renewal, underwriting a new policy, or evaluating the home’s condition and risk. Ask your insurer why the information is being requested and whether it affects your coverage.
An insurer may ask you for the installation year or request supporting information. Records from a previous replacement, permits where available, invoices, warranties, or other property documentation may help establish the roof’s age.
Tell your insurer that you don’t know rather than guessing. Look through your home purchase documents, inspection report, seller disclosures, invoices, warranties, and other available records. You can also ask what type of documentation the insurer will accept.
Not universally. Insurance companies have different underwriting requirements, and policies differ. Some insurers may scrutinize older roofs more closely or change the coverage they offer, but there isn’t one age cutoff that applies to every homeowner and every insurance company.
Actual Cash Value generally accounts for depreciation, while Replacement Cost Value generally pays the cost to repair or replace covered property with like kind and quality without deducting depreciation, subject to the terms, deductibles, limits, and exclusions of the policy.
Have Questions About the Condition of Your Roof?
If your insurance company has asked about your roof—or you simply aren’t sure what condition it’s in—Barringer Brothers Roofing can help you better understand the roofing side of the equation.
We’ve served homeowners throughout the Metro East and Southern Illinois since 2004 and have earned more than 200 five-star reviews from customers throughout the area.
For more information about your roof, an inspection, or an upcoming roofing project, call Barringer Brothers Roofing at (618) 703-3036 or fill out our online contact form.
