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I'm in Texas and we are interested in a home with a roof that is 20 years old. Seller had a roofer inspect it and certify that it is fine with no damage. (We would have our own roofer inspection done to verify.). However, our insurance agent told us they wouldn't be able to write a policy due to the age of the roof, regardless of its condition. Will this be something the seller will encounter with every buyer (unless it's a cash only buyer)? Or are there insurance agencies that are less stringent and will write a policy on a good, but old roof?
Many times, you can get the name of the seller's insurance company and they'll write the policy. Then you can typically shop for policies after a few months or wait for a hail storm.
In essence, the seller is selling the house in its current condition. It's not the seller's job to get you insurance. You have to figure that out.
I absolutely agree that it's not the sellers job to figure out insurance for me. Which is why I'm posing the question about other possible companies that will be ok with an old roof. Thanks for the feedback regarding looking into the seller's ins co. That's a good idea.
While you're getting quotes on insurance, get a bid for a new roof! I would be sure you're ready to tackle that expense in the next couple of years before considering this house.
While you're getting quotes on insurance, get a bid for a new roof! I would be sure you're ready to tackle that expense in the next couple of years before considering this house.
Ok so this is where my ignorance really shows - lol, but outside of storm damage, what would cause the roof to need to be replaced? Asked differently, in what kind of situation are roofs replaced in which it's not covered by insurance?
Roofs have a useful life and they wear out, from weather, from sun and heat and cold and moss and water.
It's always best if you fix/replace them BEFORE they leak and cause rot and interior damage.
Reshingling an asphalt roof, by far the most common roof, costs this >----<much.
Waiting until the sheeting underneath is rotten, and other damage has been done costs >--------------<much.
Cost depends on your roof, and your local labor market forces. We just spent $20K on ours but we had a large house with covered porches, large garage and apartment that all had to be redone. Typical range starts around $5K on up, depending on the square footage, pitch, and other factors.
Obviously, this is all theoretical not having seen the roof or a photo.
If it is an asphalt composition roof, like most are now, it will gradually lose granules which exposes the base layer material to the sun. The UV light can dry and crack the shingles, which can allow water in if tabs break off and generally make them brittle and more susceptible to wind or hail damage.
A typical X year warranty (20 year or 30 are most common) shingle can last well beyond that and be fine or start to develop problems earlier due to the specific exposure, installation, how well the attic is ventilated, if trees or other vegetation is allowed to build up on it, etc.
If a roofer went up on a 20 year old roof and said it was good, that's a good sign for sure. Wouldn't be a bad idea to pay for a separate inspection as you mentioned, paying special attention to any penetration flashing as the rubber boots on those can crack and are easily replaced. Also, be sure to have someone check from inside the attic as well. If that company says it's good, I wouldn't worry too much for now, but I would definitely be budgeting for some additional looks and repairs over the next few years and eventual replacement.
My roof was a 30 year product, so if I had an insurance company refuse to write a policy on the house because of a 20 year old roof in good condition, I'd be writing a letter to the CEO of the company to complain, and then taking all of my insurance policies to a different company. Because that is just stupid.
Now what they usually do is that if something happens to the roof, they will only cover a depreciated portion. So on a 20 year old roof, they might only cover a small amount of the repair cost, or none at all. But I've never heard of one refusing to write a policy at all on a roof certified by a roofing inspector to have at least 5 good years of life left on it.
I would ask your agent further questions, and see if you can get your own roofing inspector to certify that there is at least 5 years of good life left in the roof.
Then you can get covered, and then worry about whether you need to replace. I do agree with the others that the time to replace is BEFORE bad things start to happen. But there is no reason to replace a perfectly good roof that has nothing wrong with it and still has good life span left in the shingles. I certainly wouldn't replace my roof at 20 years just because it was 20 years old, if it wasn't even showing substantial wear yet.
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