How Your Roof Affects Your Home Insurance Rates

Did you know your roof affects home insurance rates? When harsh weather hits, your roof is the first line of defense. It protects your home from wind, rain, snow, and other falling objects. Even small damage to your roof can eventually turn into a major disaster if not addressed quickly.

Therefore, home insurance companies take the roof as one of the most important factors when determining the coverage of your home. This article will explain why it is important to make sure your roof is in tip-top shape. And thus, increasing your chances of saving money on your monthly premiums.

What Determines your Insurance Rates with Your Roof?

There are a few factors that determine your insurance rates and coverage. For one, having the correct raw materials can go a long way saving you on monthly premiums. If you have Class 4 asphalt shingles (the highest rated) you’ll have more negotiating power with your rates.

Clay tiled roofs won’t work in Nebraska. Compared to asphalt, they weather down at a quicker rate. It’s good to know and understand what material you have in order to make a case for yourself.

Alternatively, if you own an old home, your roofs materials might be too old to withstand harsher weather such as sleet, hard rain, and snow. With a stingy and weaker roof, not only will you pay more on your premiums, you are risking your belongings, risking injuries, and your property itself.

Your location also affects your coverages. Some areas are much more prone to wind damage, or rain damage, in which your insurance company would pool together that factor of additional risks. You may pay much more for roof coverage in certain areas of the country for certain disaster reasons such as tornado alley and Florida’s hurricanes.

The third part is proper maintenance. Your roof is vital, and you must keep it safe and up to date. Even a tiny hole can eventually cause significant damage in the future. If you are not sure, have us look to see and evaluate the structure and integrity of your roof.

Home Insurance Covering Your Home

If something did ever happen to your roof, your home insurance should fix any damage from wind, hail, rain, natural disasters, falling objects, vandalism, and other covered peril aspects. However, you will likely have to file a claim with your insurance company. There has been data to suggest that filing even one home insurance claim will likely increase your rates in the future. Contact your insurance agent if you don’t fully understand your coverage.

We’ve written about it time and time again, but it’s important to regularly have a roofing contractor inspect your roof.

When Home Insurance Won’t Cover Damage to your Roof

For one, if you fail to update your roof that is over 20 years old, your home insurance company can deny and cancel your claim. Your company may say that you failed upkeep it updated and would likely claim the right to deny your claim and/or cancel your home insurance policy. Say your roof caved in due to the rain, your home insurance company would argue that your leak occurred because of the aged roof, and you would not be covered. It is harsh but has happened to people many times as insurance companies are not required to pay for ‘negligence’ on the homeowner’s part.

If your roof’s condition is poor or was originally built poorly, insurance companies hire home inspectors as well as lawyers to fight on their behalf.  They often win cases when they can prove that your roof’s condition was not built correctly or other homeowner faults. Again, this will hurt your chances of getting your insurance carrier to pay out your claim. These factors are how your roof affects home insurance rates.

How to Prevent Taking Out A Home Insurance Claim for Your Roof

• Clean the gutters often
• Remove any pests
• Clean mold and moss
• Don’t walk on your roof
• Remove any lingering objects
• Cut down any dangerous trees
• Give it a look ever so often to have a check on it.

If you have any questions about your roof, we would be glad to give you some advice. Read this article to know what to expect. Otherwise, Mutual Roofing is always happy to answer your questions. Give us a call at (402) 889-3381.