If you own a home, you may have your roof inspected. During the inspection, the licensed inspector will assess the integrity and general condition of the roof. In some cases, roof inspections may be required before the insurance company agrees to write a policy.
What a roof inspector finds will help you and your insurance company assess how long your roof lasts before it needs repairs or replacements. This often helps to inform aspects of policy and premiums that you can expect to pay.
What is a roof inspection?
Once you have secured your home insurance, it is not uncommon for an insurance company to send someone to your property for inspection within the first 30-60 days of the policy period. Part of this inspection involves looking at the roof.
By inspecting your roof, your home insurance company can determine if it is expensive to repair or replace it if it needs to file a roof claim, or if the roof may remain for years. If your roof is in poor condition, it may be difficult to insure your home until you pay a higher premium or repair or replace it.
The inspector can actually climb your roof, but often they have roof inspections due to home insurance, but the inspector can check the condition of the roof from the ground or on the ladder. During a professional roof inspection, inspectors may not require any physical access to the roof at all, as they may use drones to display the roof.
The roof inspector sees more than just shingles. The roof has other components in addition to the protective layer. The inspector also observed the following conditions during the examination:
- Roofing materials (herpes zoster, metal, etc.)
- Flashing (waterproof barrier)
- groove
- Vent pipe cover/boots
- Caulking
- A branch of a protruding tree
- Water invasion/mold signs
It is also possible that an inspector would like to evaluate plumbing, wiring and other features near the roof.
Do home insurance require a roof inspection?
Roof inspections can reveal vulnerabilities. Your roof is the first line of defense against the nature of your home. No matter the weather, the roof must be reliable. Failure can cause domino effects for other problems within the home, such as roof leaks and internal water damage. Your insurance is designed to help protect your finances from certain losses, but the insurance company expects you to reduce as much damage as possible. This includes keeping the roof in good condition.
Why your insurance requests an inspection
There are several important numbers for your home insurance. One of them is costly to rebuild the home if it is completely destroyed by a covered claim. If your home is insured with replacement cost value (RCV) as opposed to actual cash value (ACV), your home insurance company will send someone to determine if it will cost you to replace your roof if necessary. Insurance companies also tend to inspect homes in older, highly valuable or wind-prone areas.
You may need to inspect your roof:
- When buying a house
- If you are switching to a new home insurance company
- If you have concerns about potential damage after a storm
When estimating the coverage you need, it is important to note that standard homeowner insurance typically comes with roof coverage with actual cash value. This means that the depreciation will be removed from the claim settlement you have earned. If the roof is in poor condition, you will be less billed if the roof is in an untouched shape. In other words, the insurance company will not only pay the value of the roof at the time of the claim, but it is not the actual cost of replacing it with something new. If you require a roof replacement cost range, you may be able to add it by approval. Please note that replacement cost coverage is typically more expensive than ACV coverage.
I was in the same house for 17 years. After some pretty important storms, many of my neighbors inspected the roof by their home insurance company to approve roof claims. They had the insurance company inspect the roof twice, but both said there was no damage enough to ensure they file a new roof claim. Then, after another big storm, the roofer and insurance inspector came out to see it. The inspector inspected the thorough work and I was approved for the new roof.
– Bankrate Staff
Benefits of roof inspection
Apart from not having to ride the roof yourself for evaluation, there are many benefits to hiring a professional roofing contractor. A roof inspector can usually find:
- Damaged shingles
- Fragment of flushing
- Gutter/Down spout problem
- leak
- Type
- Wood rot
Once initial problems are discovered, they may not fix them and spare the stress of further damage. The best part is that you shouldn’t take anything to do the necessary roof inspection. If your insurance company orders an inspection as part of the underwriting or claims process, you usually don’t have to pay it out of your pocket.
Anyway, inspecting your roof every few years might be a good idea. You will probably have to pay for the roof inspection you start on your own, but it will help you get a homeowner insurance discount and save money in the long run.
Furthermore, staying above the roof needs is more likely to extend its lifespan. The roof won’t last forever, but dealing with hiccups will significantly reduce the chances of a roof breakdown.
Conclusion
A homeowner insurance roof inspection can feel intimidating. However, there is a silver lining. If you have a new roof in good condition, your home insurance could reward you with a discount or low price.
