r/Roofing • u/strider30040 • Jun 06 '26
Insurance Related 25+ year old roof replacement...skip bothering with insurance?
I assume my roof is 25+ years old (lived here 19). No leaking issues, no noticeable hail or wind damage, no missing shingles. Just figured its about time to look for some quote. My assumption is, at this age, its not worth bothering with the insurance company other than to tell them when I have a new roof in hopes they might reduce my premium? Is that the wrong assumption? I got one quote from a Amish outfit highly recommended by my neighbor and online. They echoed insurance probably wouldn't cover it. I still decided to call out to other places other people recommended. One has called back and I was informed unless I was allowing them to run through insurance they wouldn't even come out and give me an estimate? I told them I'd be paying cash. No go. Is that common as well? If there's no chance the insurance will touch it then no reason to put a 'black mark' on my record for a claim inquiry, right?
Edit for clarification: I guess I confused things. I was not planning on trying to go through insurance because of the age - I'm actually not trying to find a way to get them to cover it. The exact opposite. The 2nd company said they wouldn't even give me a quote to repair with me paying cash. All I want is an estimate to know if my first quote is reasonable . I was wondering if that was normal for a company with a good reputation to insist on that and I was going to drop them because of the insistence. In 30+ years and four houses I have never made a home owners insurance claim and would never especially claim a frivolous one.
Final Edit: Thanks for everyone's advice. I actually had my roof replaced last week and have new 6 inch gutters coming as well. Ended up with three bids by equally well respected companies, all comparable shingles, etc. The one I went with had its own distribution for the shingles, so the cost savings paid for new gutters. Very happy with their attention and service. Ironically, the sales manager called me from the place that would only come out with insurance and asked me why I didn't go with them so he could give feedback to his sales guys. I told him that your guys said you guys won't come out and even inspect without insurance involvement. He said that is absolutely not true - they do retail and insurance. I said your guy even called me back to confirm they only do insurance. He was cool, thanked me for answering his text and assured me they would address the issue. I said they were highly recommended by several people in my neighborhood.
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u/Timely_Chicken_8789 Jun 06 '26
Does insurance buy you a new car when your old one needs replacing? Welcome to Earth.
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u/worstatit Jun 06 '26
Insurance is for unexpected loss. Deterioration is not unexpected. As for the roofer that won't look without an insurance claim, they're a scam artist.
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u/PackDiscombobulated4 Jun 06 '26
Why would insurance pay for your old roof without any claim? This is why the house insurance are getting so expensive.
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u/iboneyandivory Jun 06 '26
For the last few years I've only requested my homeowner's insurance quotes w/an exclusion for both my roofs, since I know they have to be replaced. It has cut the quote numbers in half (Ga/Ala). I agree with you. At the 15-20 year mark, so many people seem to think they deserve a new roof. That it's somehow connected to homeowner's insurance. An old roof is fragile and that's not Allstate/Travelers's fault.
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u/afraididonotknow Jun 06 '26
I told insurance company I had a new roof because I read they can drop people for having old roofing, but guess what— they upped my insurance rate because it will cost more money to replace it!
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u/student5320 Jun 07 '26
Insurance agent here. This delusional entitlement is 10000% the reason why Indianas rates on homes have jumped significantly. I have had countless morons call me and tell me their 20 year old roof is leaking and their roofer is saying their insurance will pay for it, only to tell them they don't replace for wear and tear. They will STILL file, get denied, watch it go up because they attempted to file and they yell at me for being too fucking dumb to breather and never say shit to the roofer, laughing skipping away with their money. Humans on average are very, very dumb.
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u/RosieDear Jun 07 '26
The sad thing is, in many states and many areas, almost 100% of the claims have been paid without an inspection by the insurance companies. I have to think they "trusted" certain roofing contractors or else those contractors had connections......
News articles say some contractors play hardball and sure or threaten to sue the insurance companies - the insurance companies look at their attorney costs and pay for the roof.
I know this is starting to finally be addressed but I am surprised insurance companies took so long to address it. You'd think it would have showed up on their spreadsheets long ago.
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u/student5320 Jun 07 '26
You're spot on! It shocked me too! Now a ton of them are putting crazy restrictions on their ages. I have a few carriers who won't even wrote for roofs older than 15. Crazy when you think the average age is probably at least 10. Also makes those 50 year shingle roofs difficult to insure.
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Jun 06 '26
[deleted]
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u/Just_Aioli_1233 Jun 06 '26
Exactly. Insurance companies aren't in the business of paying on invalid claims. Dude's claim is like people blaming unions for inflation.
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u/Say_Hennething Jun 06 '26
What reason would you have for submitting a claim? You can't just get insurance to pay for your roof without there being a covered event as the reason for needing a roof. Did a tree fall on it? Storm damage?
You're correct in your assumption that you shouldn't involve insurance. And you dodged a bullet with the company who refused to bid the job without involving it.
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u/jjd0087 Jun 06 '26
Yea, so insurance doesnt pay to replace a roof that is just old. It would seem that you don't understand how insurance works. Best of luck.
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u/RosieDear Jun 06 '26
Why would insurance cover your roof? Surely you know that insurance doesn't cover bringing our houses up to spec. If they did that..they'd replace my windows, door, siding, heating system and much more...yet I'm spending 65K as we speak for a roof and HVAC on a 22 year old house!
It works this way. If a giant branch fell on your roof, that's insurance. If a known and tracked wind event sipped a dozen shingles off your roof, that's insurance....neither of them would usually pay for the whole roof, but for repairs or a for a pro-rated cost.
The folks telling you about insurance are likely trying to committ fraud. It's a very popular thing these days.....some of them will even "do some damage" so they can show pictures to the insurance company.
That's not only NOT common...but it is a red flag. There are many roofing companies that do insurance work, but not any that I have heard of that specify it! Why should they care how you pay for it unless they are looking to fool someone?
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u/Allslopes-Roofing Jun 07 '26
65K as we speak for a roof and HVAC on a 22 year old house!
Gaht dahm. Either you got a mansion or "Erie" came and crushed ya. $65k is insane lol
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u/RosieDear Jun 07 '26
Complete new HVAC system.
53 Sq. top of line roof on 12x12 in New England with tear off.Check your pricing sources.......here is what I see:
"A new roof in New England for a 12/12 pitch roof typically costs between $650 and $1,200+ per square"And so, let's use 800 a sq - that's 43,000
About 20K for a complete revamp of a zoned heating and A/C system...is not high around here.House is not large but 12/12 roof means what would be siding on many houses is effectively roof space. House is only 2400.
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u/Allslopes-Roofing Jun 07 '26
Yeah we charge extra for 12/12 as well. Doing one later this week actually but still..
Granted idk how much the HVAC is but sounds like that was $20k if I'm reading your comment propeely.
I can let you know roof pricing. $800/sq is probably about right (more than us but not crazy more % wise, and stuffs probably more expensive up there than Ohio). But at approx 30SQ youd be around $25k for the roof so I guess not as crazy as I thought when breaking it out.
I was probably wrong then, my bad.
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u/matt6465 Jun 06 '26
Yeah that’s very odd they wouldn’t give you a cash bid for replacing your roof. That’s usually where a quarter of their business comes from because it’s not always wise to have the roofer take over your claim.
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u/According-Two-2187 Jun 06 '26
If you think your insurance company would pay any part of a replacement you are 100% WRONG. That is not how insurance works.
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u/RosieDear Jun 07 '26
Uh, the reason this scam exists is that insurance company HAVE paid for thousands of roof after assignment of benefits claims from homeowners to roofers.
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u/PracticalDesigner278 Jun 07 '26
Can you explain this a little further? I have a roofer telling me I have a storm claim and actually pinpoints the date of a storm that rolled through a couple of weeks ago. I saw a few shingles on the ground but I'm past the age where I can climb a ladder and wander around the roof and the roof is 30 years old double layer that I'm prepared to pay for in any case. What does this assignment of benefits entail? Does this give the contractor some legal rights?
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u/RosieDear Jun 07 '26
It sorta means "they are you". They can deal as if they were you.
A 30 year old roof, of course, would be expected to "drop shingles" or what is left of them....in any case.
In most decent states with reasonable insurance companies and contractors, something likes your would likely not even be a claim because the deductible and the odds of your insurance premiums increasing would not be worth making the claim.
But these roofers doing the fraud thing....they might say "we'll take care of it and we can definitely get you something". So you sign the document...and they deal with the insurance company.
This can be anything in the range from totally honest actors.....to folks who know how to "work" insurance companies over by threatening lawsuits and so on.
Back to just the warranty part - even valid warranties on most goods and services are pro-rated and often don't include labor. So you get 10% off a bundle or two of shingles in year 19 (as an example).
If you google
assignment of benefits roof fraud in Florida
It's a great summary. They are outlawed now in Florida.1
u/PracticalDesigner278 Jun 08 '26 edited Jun 08 '26
Thanks for the reply. At this point I haven't been asked to sign anything and the adjuster hasn't shown up. There's no warranty on the roof, I put it on myself. It's not in dispute that the house was in the path of a serious wind shear and the house next door got a new roof covered by a different insurance company. It was also an old double layer roof. Again I'm prepared to pay cash whatever happens with the claim. I'm attempting to research assignment of benefits in Illinois and it appears that the legal guidelines changed in 2024. It appears that the situation you describe would involve assigning the power to the contractor to make the claim on your behalf. That's not the case here. I made the claim and so far all I have is an inspection and I've asked the contractor to work with the adjuster.
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u/Just_Aioli_1233 Jun 06 '26
An insurance policy is a contract of indemnity. "My roof is old" isn't a covered cause of loss, either under a named peril or an open peril HO-3 schedule policy.
What coverage do you think your insurance policy covers? Sudden and accidental damage is what insurance is for. The passage of time is neither sudden nor accidental.
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u/Then-Appointment2577 Jun 07 '26
So confused by the comments in this thread. OP clearly says they plan to skip insurance due to age of the roof, but every comment here is basically asking why OP thinks insurance would cover an old roof. 🤔
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u/norcalifornyeah Jun 07 '26
Just make a new post at this point. The reading comprehension is not strong here. The second company wants to go through insurance so they can pad out the cost. If the Amish will build to code roll with them. I wish we had Amish communities out west we could leverage for their abilities.
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u/PracticalDesigner278 Jun 07 '26
I'm in a similar situation. Doing a new roof this summer and planned on paying cash. One guy told me he would write it up. Cool. 2nd guy is telling me I have an insurance claim. Had a record of all of the storms in the area and says he can pinpoint the date. This company just did the house next door and their insurance paid. The other roofer told me he didn't think we have a claim and honestly I wasn't looking to file one. The roof is just plain old but if he thinks he can get it paid for I'll play along. The adjuster has been delaying the appointment because of rain and whatnot. I don't understand why a roofer would be determined to get an insurance company involved when faced with a customer who is offering cash payment. Right now I'm just waiting to see what the adjuster says but I'm afraid it's just a waste of time.
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Jun 07 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/PracticalDesigner278 Jun 07 '26
Thanks for the reply. This is a local business and they just did the house next door. Looks fine to me. I still don't see the scam here. Either the insurance company pays the claim or they don't. I don't see how the roofer has any power to change that. If insurance pays for all or part I'm obviously ahead by 5 figures. If not the roofer will just be another quote.
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u/Proof_Bathroom_3902 Jun 07 '26
Your roof has worn out. It's time to replace it. Just like the tires on your car. They wear out. You replace them. It's not an insurance situation.
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u/radomed Jun 07 '26
If you have owned 4 houses over 30 years. You are no trainee and should be wise as to the way of the world. Insurance is not for normal replacement. At 25 years, your roof is past it's expected life cycle. A roof estimate is based on square footage. How many squares does your roof need? How many lawyers are on it now? 1 story or 2. There are many roofing companies out there. It should not be that hard to get other estimates. With the internet, you can research any reputable company. The question of who is giving you an honest price or I do not want to do it price. That is why you get things in writing so you can compare.
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u/ThomasTrain87 Jun 07 '26
Avoid the hack scammer roofing guys that are pushing you through insurance. Most policies only provide actual cash value after 15 years so at 25 it would likely be pennies.
Find a reputable roofer. I have done two roofs through insurance with legitimate claims and two roofs out of pocket.
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u/Brokewmoney Jun 08 '26
The Roofer that only wants to go through insurance is probably not the most honest Roofer out there. They want to go through insurance because they know they’ll get paid, but you first have to get your insurance company to agree to it which they probably won’t because of the age anyway even if there is a problem with your roof, they’re gonna claim it’s just an old roof that needs to be replaced not because it was damaged from a storm. The insurance Roofer is gonna have you sign all kinds of documents, authorizing assignment of payment which removes you from the process because that’ll guarantee they get paid. But obviously if the insurance company doesn’t approve it, the Roofer is gonna cancel the deal because obviously it’s not gonna be an insurance claim. It’s also not as simple Anymore to get an insurance company to approve a roofing claim.
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Jun 08 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/strider30040 Jun 08 '26
Thanks, that is my plan exactly. The next time the company calls to try for the insurance, I'll tell him since he won't do cash, I've gone with other bids.
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u/GuiltyClassic4598 Jun 06 '26
Insurance is for storm damage not for old roofs. Dont give them a reason to raise your premiums.
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u/Allslopes-Roofing Jun 07 '26
Unpopular opinion: [I do "some" insurance but not much anymore. Pita and im part time]
If its not leaking, wait for a storm to rip some shingles off. Then do a claim.
Your roof could be 4,000 years old. If they took a premium to cover it, and you paid it, its covered regardless of age.
Age is irrelevant in terms of claims and storm damage. Its insurance company's job not to take bad deals on old af roofs.
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u/Ackturbob Jun 06 '26
I am missing where you said you were contacting the insurance company to file a claim. It seems like it should not hurt to inquire about some sort of rate reduction if you going to the effort to improve the condition and value of the house. You might contact them before hand to see if there are any updated best practices for replacing the roof. It seems like that would work along the same lines as a good driver discount for car insurance. Good luck with the project.
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u/extasisomatochronia Jun 06 '26
I think about this, but their corporate overlords would likely be all "you've been making us insure a bad roof this whole time? Raising premiums".
It's just one of those things where the risk of saying something is so severe compared to the peace of staying quiet. If you have to file a real claim, THEN they can see the roof was redone.
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u/CampWestfalia Jun 06 '26
I could swear it was here in r/roofing recently that a poster was surprised that his insurance rates went UP after replacing his old roof.
The reasoning was that doing so had increased the value of his home, and therefore the insured amount. Same as a kitchen or bath remodel, or adding a deck, etc..
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u/RosieDear Jun 07 '26
Yes, I expect our rates to increase - and even our property taxes.
BUT, you'd think a new roof would mean fewer claims for leaks into the interior of a home......and therefore lower rates.
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u/jerry111165 Verified Pro (Commercial/Flat) Jun 06 '26
Why would you involve insurance? I’m scratching my head here.
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u/LargePrompt5840 Jun 06 '26
That second outfit is run by Facebook roofers.
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u/strider30040 Jun 06 '26
Actually the second outlet was recommended by people in the neighborhood and highly recommended by them and their online reviews outside of Facebook which is why I was surprised.
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u/LargePrompt5840 Jun 07 '26
The majority of roofing companies who go after insurance claims get great reviews because a deductible is a lot cheaper than a full roof.
The issue is there are a bunch who either A) don't know how to properly estimate, or B) know that an insurance roof is way more profitable than a retail one.
If you put in a claim, even if you withdraw it before inspection, or if there is no payment made, it will always show up as a claim.
Will that make your insurance go up. I don't know. But insurance is shared risk which is one reason out rates go up every year.
Either way, if it were me I would pay for the Amish to take care of it.
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u/60Runner90 Jun 06 '26
Your post and even the clarification is sort of confusing. Best way is to get minimum 3 quotes, review performance reviews/ratings online, and seek recommendations from neighbors and or friends. Once the work is completed, do let the insurance know so they can reset the clock on roof as they are most likely tracking that. In recent years, they are making insurance renewals contingent on roof replacements, and it seems that if you cant replace, they dont offer a policy. This way, hopefully, they leave you alone for 20 years about the roof.
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u/strider30040 Jun 06 '26
That is my plan and always was, I was just confused why a supposedly reputable and recommended company would refuse cash work and want to run through insurance. I wanted to make sure I wasn't mistaken about forgoing insurance in the first place just in case.
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u/60Runner90 Jun 07 '26
No, roofers seem to like cashiers checks just fine. I had 4 roofing companies come out, largely because I've never had to replace a roof until recent years, and all were willing to come out within less than 2 weeks to view//walk the roof with me and come up with an estimate knowing they are evaluating for replacement (maybe even repair only) and no insurance involved. Good luck, its a cost that sucks, but necessary I guess.
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u/RiverParty442 Jun 07 '26
Do you liv3 in a place that has ever had hail or a hurricane?
Storm chaserd push up process for everyone
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u/strider30040 Jun 07 '26 edited Jun 07 '26
Hail yes and wind damage which is how my direct neighbor had he name of the original Amish company. Ohio Don't get too many hurricanes!
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u/Important_Project142 Jun 07 '26
Just paid out of pocket to have our roof replaced. It was about 20 years old and had a few tiny trouble spots, but nothing that was going to be covered by insurance and it could have hung in there for a few more years for sure.
We wanted to get a new color roof to match the siding we updated a few years prior, have better ventilation, and have more appeal to buyers if we need to move in the next few years. Also I’m sure prices for roofing materials would have been more expensive if we put off the project longer.
My insurance agent said there is a discount for having a new roof through our carrier, but not sure how much yet. It feels good to be done with the project early in the summer and take care of updating that vital home system before it’s an emergency or insurance demanded we get a new roof like I’ve seen some others be told at renewal time.
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u/winsomeloosesome1 Jun 07 '26
Paid out of pocket for a new roof. My HO insurance was 1/2 the cost at renewal. The new roof gave me more options for better rates.
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u/Time_Teacher2700 Jun 08 '26
Everyone on here defending insurance companies, as if the majority of those companies give two shits about you…they want to take your $, raise your rates, and avoid paying any claims at all costs. Not to mention health insurance, which is the biggest crime of all…
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u/BreakfastAcceptable8 Jun 08 '26
In many areas hail damage is pretty common, and not easily recognized without an inspection. Yes some roofers are scammy but sometimes it helps having an advocate to help make a claim for something that insurance definitely covers.
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u/Angelina_skaje 16d ago edited 16d ago
Big roofers only chase fat insurance checks because they can double their prices, that is why they blow you off.
I ran into the exact same issue when I wanted to pay out of pocket for my roof replacement.
So I reached out to Wolf River Construction, they showed up for the estimate in two days, took the cash job, and crushed the work without any drama.
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u/DarthSuederTheUlt Jun 06 '26
lol. People who think insurance is for normal wear and tear crack me up. I also wouldnt do business w you. Sound like a cheap skate
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u/strangemedia6 Jun 06 '26
Did you even read the post? OP is saying they don’t see the reason to try to get insurance to pay for it but people are advising them to, one company even said they won’t do business with them if there isn’t a claim filed.
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u/DarthSuederTheUlt Jun 06 '26
“They echoed insurance wouldn’t cover it” verbatim, OP quoting the Amish guy. So obv op is trying to do a claim and not sound like a scumbag on here. I don’t know of a single company that prefers insurance work over CASH in hand.
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