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The Importance of Replacing Your Roof and How It Relates to Your Homeowners Insurance
February 2, 2022
Agency

The Importance of Replacing Your Roof and How It Relates to Your Homeowners Insurance

The Importance of Replacing Your Roof and How It Relates To Your Homeowners Insurance

The influence on your homeowner’s insurance is one of the most critical aspects to consider when planning a roof replacement. Like most homeowners, you may believe that a new roof would lower your insurance costs immediately. This isn’t always the case, though, because a variety of circumstances determine how a roof repair affects your homeowner’s insurance coverage.

A new roof, for example, might help you save money on your insurance since it makes your house safer and reduces the amount of damage it experiences. However, if you require a new roof due to a disaster, a roof replacement may result in a rise in your rates rather than a decrease. The fundamental distinction is whether you hire a roofing contractor to replace your roof proactively or reactive.

For many homes, replacing a roof is excessively expensive. In the United States, a new roof costs slightly over $7,000 on average, but it may cost up to $30,000 if it’s built of premium materials, is very big, or has a difficult design or pitch.

Home insurance should cover basic roof damage in the case of a storm or fallen tree. However, because roof replacement is one of the most expensive repairs, your insurance provider may refuse you coverage.

Importance of Replacing Your Roof

 

You may take a step back and dismiss such an expensive repair after obtaining a quote for a new roof. It’s practically every homeowner’s first instinct when they start looking into the costs of a new roof.

There is no escaping the reality that roofing is costly. If you inherit a new roof, you have the option of undertaking some preventative maintenance to lengthen the life of the roof and, ideally, avoid costly repairs.

If you move into an older home, however, you may discover that the roofing has been neglected for years, if not decades, and you may be forced to replace the entire roof.

§  Greater Energy Efficiency

If the roofing is coming towards the end of its usable life, it’s probably not keeping heat out of your house very well. Aside from being prone to cracks and spots where air might seep in, previous shingles were not built to resist heat away from the house. They were more likely to absorb heat and bring it into the house.

§  Healthier Home

One of the most general problems with older roofs is that they don’t always keep water away from the house, enabling water and damp to enter. Even if the leak is little, water and moisture can accumulate over time, causing mold and mildew to grow and posing health risks to family members. If mold is present in the home, even people who aren’t allergic to it can develop problems with their eyes, nose, throat, and lungs.

 

§  High Return on Investment

The high return on investment is one of the most significant benefits of a new roof. As previously said, you’ll almost certainly recover most if not all of your roofing expenditures when you sell your property. A new roof helps you to sell your house for a greater price and makes it more desirable to potential purchasers since potential buyers prefer properties that don’t require extensive structural maintenance. Most individuals choose a house that does not need them to spend a lot of money on it right away after they move in.

§  Improved Curb Appeal

Don’t be fooled by the fact that popular home décor publications and home renovation programs don’t devote much effort to roofing design. A new roof may significantly improve a home’s exterior appeal.

The roof of a house is one of its most noticeable aspects, accounting for a substantial portion of its façade. A home with an ancient roof with missing shingles and moss growing on it appears aged and neglected. A wonderful way to refurbish and revive the exterior of any house is to get a new roof.

§  Safety

Your home’s roof is meant to protect you from debris, fallen trees, and wind, in addition to repelling water. As a roof age, it might become structurally unsafe and unable to resist all it is supposed to protect against. Even if no evidence of deterioration can be seen from the outside, a roof that has approached the end of its lifespan is in danger of failing when you need it most.

Why Is Insurance Likely Not Covering Roof Damage?

 

A basic all-perils homeowner insurance policy will cover the expense of rebuilding your roof if it is damaged. That is excellent news. However, you are typically only protected if the damage or destruction is the consequence of a sudden accident or natural disaster. Problems resulting from ordinary wear and tear or a roof that has outlived its planned life span are not eligible for compensation since they come under the homeowner’s general maintenance responsibilities.

o   Your Roof Is Too Old

You can presume that your house insurance will cover roof damage in the event of a fire or theft, which is a valid assumption in most situations. Roof coverage, on the other hand, may not be available if the roof is judged “too old.”

Most roofs are deemed too old if they are 20 years or older, as this is the functional life of most tile roofs in the United States. If one of the bottom levels of the roof is 20 years old and a new layer of the roof was placed on top of it rather than paying for a complete replacement, the roof may be considered too old.

An insurance company does not want to pay full price to repair a roof that was likely towards the end of its depreciable life expectancy, regardless of whether it was damaged. As an alternative to not providing coverage, your insurance carrier may pay for the repair but not the replacement. In addition, they may pay for roof repair at real cash worth, taking depreciation into account rather than the original value.

o   Roofing Material Is Too Big a Financial Risk to Cover

An insurance company’s primary purpose is to produce money; they are unlikely to cover roofing materials that are either extremely expensive or readily damaged. Wood plank roofs are especially dangerous since they are expensive, have a similar or shorter lifespan than tile roofs, and are readily burned. Because wood ceilings are prone to fire and water damage, many carriers do not cover them at all. If your ceiling is made of wood, make sure you do your homework before purchasing insurance coverage.

While metal roofs are fire-resistant, they are also costly to replace and are readily dented by hail. Slate stone ceilings are opulent, but they’re also heavy and costly to install. Insurance companies may pass off damage to these sorts of roofs as a “cosmetic” issue in order to avoid having to replace more expensive roofing materials. They may also charge a higher price for the more expensive roof covering.

Insurance companies, on the other hand, frequently provide higher coverage and other incentives to homeowners who have impact-resistant or wind-resistant roofs, as these roofs lessen the likelihood of having to pay for hail and windstorm damage.

o   The damage was your fault

Homeowner insurance usually covers Roof damage in unusual circumstances beyond your control. On the other hand, roof damage is unlikely to be reimbursed if the insurance company can reasonably blame you for a roof failure.

One of the most prevalent instances when roof damage might be deemed “your responsibility” is if your roof leaks due to natural wear and tear. For example, if a shingle broke loose and fell off your roof, exposing the underlayment to rain, but you never corrected the problem, your insurance will most likely not cover water damage. According to the organization, you should have had a professional roofer assess and maintain your roof.

If you attempt a simple roof repair and wind up making the issue worse, your insurance provider may refuse to pay the damage. Some roof tiles, for example, are sensitive and can shatter or fall off when stepped on, or you can try to repair a shingle and puncture the roof in the incorrect area, causing a leak. You will be liable for the repair or replacement since you personally caused or worsened the damage rather than bringing in a trained specialist.

o   The risk that caused the damage is excluded or not covered by the policy

It’s usually a good idea to thoroughly review your house insurance coverage. To do so, you must first understand which sorts of damages or “perils” are covered and which are not. Remember that by signing the policy, you agree to the conditions, including the roof coverage exclusions.

Conclusion

 

Among the most costly things, a homeowner may have to face roof replacement. Your house insurance policy will cover roof-related losses, but only for covered risks such as extreme weather, falling items, or fire. A well-maintained roof is more likely to resist harsh weather and unforeseen incidents. That is why it is critical to remain on top of maintenance in order to avoid a more serious problem in the future.

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