How To Obtain Insurance Coverage With an Older Roof

Lately, multiple homeowners in the state of Florida are receiving policy cancellation notices from their insurance company. Many of them are being told that their roof is too old to be covered under such policies.

First of all, homeowners should know that an older roof (over 20 years old) is, more likely, not insurable in the state of Florida due to high risks associated with potential roof leaks. Also, if a homeowner has a 4 point inspection report that has the roof condition as unsatisfactory, or a remaining life of less than 3 years, the roof is less likely to be insurable. Therefore, a complete re-roofing might become the only solution for homeowners seeking insurance coverage.

At that time, the homeowner should:

1. Pick the type of roof covering material desired. The life expectancy for shingle roof is 15-20 years, concrete tile roof is 25-50 years, and metal roof is 40-70 years.

2. Get quotes from multiple roofing companies

3. Review the chosen roofing company reviews

4. Review the chosen roofing company credentials and license information. To do that, go to the Florida Department of Business & Professional Regulation website. Here’s the link: https://www.myfloridalicense.com/wl11.asp?mode=0&SID= From there, select “search by name” and click search. Then, enter the roofing company name under "search by organization" and click search. Hire only companies with an active license.

5. Review the quote carefully to understand what will and will not be included within that price. Roofing contracts can be tricky. If you don’t understand, ask questions. Most of the time, rotted fascia board replacement, gutter removal & installation, and replacement of rotted plywood sheet (roof deck) is not included. Most companies will include 3 pieces of plywood for free. Thereafter, every additional plywood sheet averages $90-100 each. Things add up!

6. Before starting the installation, ask the roofing company to pull a permit. Roofs done without a permit creates issues with insurance and may affect the re-sale value of the property. Make sure to obtain a physical copy of the roof permit upon roof completion. Some insurance carriers require that document for insurance coverage.

7. Hire an inspector to conduct a roof inspection during installation. The roofing company will tell you that the city inspector will do that at no cost. City inspectors cannot go into the attic to verify nailing requirements and roof deck installation. Therefore, they do not complete a full roof inspection. Our roof inspection makes sure that the roofing material has been installed properly and that the installation will be satisfactory for insurance purposes. I already discovered 6 wrong installations this month. My clients were able to get their roofs re-done, once again, at no extra cost.

8. Once the roof is completed, call us to schedule your 4 point and wind mitigation inspections. That way, you will have all documents needed to request an insurance quote.

9. Provide both inspection reports to your insurance agent.

10. Done. Your roof is now insurable!

Florida Wisdom Home Inspections is here for you. We can guide you along this process to provide you peace of mind. Call us today to schedule your roof inspection!