Is my roof covered if it's old?

Short answer: An old roof can still have covered storm damage. Age isn't a cause of loss; what decides the claim is evidence of what caused the damage and when, and that evidence is what Homeland documents. Age matters in other ways too: wear and tear is excluded, many policies pay older roofs on a payment schedule or at actual cash value, and in Florida roof age affects whether an insurer will write or renew the policy.

Storm damage vs. wear and tear

Most policies exclude deterioration, so insurers often deny older roofs as “wear and tear.” Storm damage leaves different evidence than aging: creased or torn shingles, missing tiles, impact marks and damage patterns that line up with the storm's direction. How wear-and-tear denials are answered.

How age changes the payment

Many policies include a roof payment schedule or pay the roof at actual cash value, so an older roof is paid at a reduced amount. Your declarations page and endorsements say which applies; Policy Scan shows you.

Florida roof-age rules

• An insurer may not refuse to issue or renew a homeowner's policy solely because of the age of a roof that is less than 15 years old (Fla. Stat. §627.7011(5)).
• For a roof at least 15 years old, the insurer must let you have it inspected by an authorized inspector, at your expense, before requiring replacement; if the inspection shows 5 or more years of useful life left, the insurer may not refuse to issue or renew solely because of roof age.
• Since Senate Bill 4-D (2022), if your roof was built or replaced to the 2007 Florida Building Code or later, only the repaired section must meet current code. The old 25% rule, explained.

Follow-up questions