Roof insurance claim: will your insurance pay for the roof?

A roof insurance claim pays for sudden storm damage, not an old roof. If your policy pays actual cash value, a 20-year-old $15,000 roof can bring a $3,000 check, Liberty Mutual's example shows.

Frank's 20-year-old asphalt roof took hail damage in May. His roofer quoted $15,000 to replace it. His insurer's first check was much smaller, and he wants to know why.

What's covered and what isn't

• Usually covered: hail, wind, fire, a fallen tree, the weight of ice and snow.
• Usually not covered: wear and tear, old age, poor upkeep, damage from long slow leaks.
• Read your own policy: some policies carry a separate wind or hail deductible.

The Texas Department of Insurance defines a deductible as the amount you pay before your company pays. It is on the TDI roof and insurance page.

Filing the roof insurance claim

1. Take photos of the roof, gutters, ceilings and anything inside that got wet, with the date.
2. Make small fixes to stop more water, like a tarp, and keep the receipts.
3. Call your insurer or file online and write down the claim number.
4. Be home for the adjuster and have your own roofer there if you can.
5. Read the estimate line by line and compare it with your roofer’s quote.
6. After the work, send the final invoice to collect any held-back depreciation.

In Texas, a roofer cannot act as your public adjuster. It is also illegal there for a contractor to waive your deductible. Both rules are on TDI's know-the-law page and its deductible page.

Why the first check is smaller (depreciation)

Depreciation is the value an old roof has already used up. An actual cash value policy pays the depreciated value, minus the deductible. A replacement cost policy pays the full price, often in two checks.

Liberty Mutual's example: a $15,000 new roof, a 20-year-old roof that lost 80%, a $3,000 payout before the deductible. The NAIC says replacement cost coverage on a roof means no deduction for depreciation. See Liberty Mutual's roof insurance guide and the NAIC homeowners guide.

Roof depreciation calculator

This uses a straight line: age divided by expected life. Frank's numbers are filled in with a 25-year life and a $1,000 deductible. Your insurer may use its own table.

If the claim is denied

Ask for the denial in writing with the policy wording it relies on. Get a second roofer to inspect and write up what they see, with photos. You can ask for a re-inspection, and many policies offer appraisal for disputes over the amount.

Florida has its own roof age rules. A roof 15 or more years old can still be insured if an authorized inspection shows 5 or more years of useful life left, under section 627.7011 (2022 statute). For hail-specific steps, see hail damage on your roof.