ROOF
Roof age and homeowners insurance
Carriers treat an old roof as a wind and hail problem. There is no single age, on this site, at which every insurer must nonrenew or surcharge. The age on the worksheet, and the settlement basis on the declarations page, are the facts that matter.
Why the roof dominates the loss story
Wind and hail were 42.5% of homeowners incurred losses in the 2023 ISO tables Triple-I republished. Fire and lightning were 21.6%, and water damage and freezing were 22.6%. The tables exclude Alaska, Texas, and Puerto Rico. [22]
Needs verificationA roof built or last replaced 15 or 20 years ago is a common underwriting question in hail and hurricane states. Whether your company uses 15 years, 20 years, or another cutoff needs verification on the rating worksheet or the underwriting guidelines. Do not treat a neighbor’s letter as your rule. [22]
Replacement cost and actual cash value are different roofs
Needs verificationThe declarations page is where the company states the roof’s loss-settlement basis. A renewal that changes that basis can show a lower premium and a larger repair bill. Read the change as a coverage change, and check your state’s notice rule if the company imposed it. The legal name of the settlement option on your form needs verification against that page. [27]
What to gather before you argue the age
Ask the company which roof year it has on file, and compare it with a permit, a contract, or an inspection. A wrong year is a rating error. A correct old year is an underwriting fact. If the company nonrenews because of the roof, the state notice statute still sets the warning period. The roof does not cancel that clock. [26][27]
Questions people type
Does a new roof guarantee a lower premium?
No. Wind and hail losses are why underwriters care about the roof, but the credit is whatever that company filed. Get the credit in writing on the new offer. [22]
Can an insurer nonrenew me only because the roof is old?
Many do, and the legal limit is your state’s nonrenewal statute, including the reason and the number of days. This page does not list a national age that makes a nonrenewal unlawful. [27]
Sources reviewed 2026-10-14
Open the document. The sentence above is only as current as that reading.
- [22] Facts + statistics: homeowners and renters insurance. Insurance Information Institute (Triple-I). Reviewed 2026-10-14. https://www.iii.org/fact-statistic/facts-statistics-homeowners-and-renters-insurance
- [26] SERFF Filing Access. NAIC. Reviewed 2026-10-14. https://filingaccess.serff.com/sfa/home/
- [27] State insurance department directory. National Association of Insurance Commissioners. Reviewed 2026-10-14. https://content.naic.org/state-insurance-departments