Insurance treats a roof the way it treats the rest of the house: it responds to damage from a covered event, not to getting old. If a hailstorm or a tree damages a 20-year-old roof, there can still be a claim. But some policies settle older roofs at actual cash value, which subtracts depreciation, or by a schedule that pays a smaller share of replacement cost as the roof ages. Some also exclude hail dents that only change how a roof looks. State rules vary; Florida, for example, bars refusing to issue or renew a homeowners policy solely because of the age of a roof under 15 years old. Your policy’s endorsements tell you which rules apply to you.
Wear and tear vs. storm damage
The line insurers draw is between damage that builds up over time and damage that happens all at once. The Texas Department of Insurance lists worn roofs among the things companies won’t pay for, and says plainly that an insurer won’t pay for a new roof just because the old one is old or worn out. The NAIC’s consumer guide makes the same point: a homeowners policy isn’t a maintenance contract, and repairing a roof when it begins to leak is the owner’s job.
Sudden damage is a different question. The NAIC guide says a homeowners policy insures against damage from perils such as fire, wind and hail, and TDI notes that many policies pay for damage from falling objects like trees. Age alone doesn’t turn storm damage into wear and tear. What age usually changes is how the roof part of the claim is paid. TDI also warns that if a roof is in poor condition, a company might not cover the roof at all.
How older roofs get paid
Replacement cost pays to repair or rebuild with materials of similar kind and quality at today’s prices. Actual cash value takes the property’s age and wear into account, so it pays less. TDI says that as roofs age, some companies switch roof coverage to actual cash value, and many policies reduce coverage based on the roof’s age and materials. Its worked example shows why it matters: on a 20-year-old roof, the depreciated value can end up equal to the deductible, leaving nothing to pay. More on replacement cost vs. actual cash value.
Other insurers use a roof payment schedule. Auto Club Family Insurance Company’s Roof Surfaces endorsement (CO 00 17 04 13), for example, applies to roof surfaces damaged by windstorm or hail and pays the smallest of the repair cost, a percentage of replacement cost from its schedule, or the policy limit. On that form, the percentage falls with age and depends on material: composition shingles drop to 70 percent of replacement cost at 10 years and 40 percent at 20, while slate and metal decline more slowly. The same form leaves building-code upgrade costs out of the roof payment.
Cosmetic damage exclusions
Hail can mark a roof without making it leak, and some policies don’t pay for that. In 1998 the Texas insurance commissioner adopted an optional endorsement, HO-145, excluding cosmetic hail damage to roof coverings. It can be attached only to policies on homes rated with impact-resistant roof coverings. It defines cosmetic damage as damage that changes the roof covering’s appearance but doesn’t let water through or keep the roof covering from doing its job.
Some insurers apply the same idea to metal roofs specifically. Western National Insurance, in a 2023 bulletin, described a cosmetic damage exclusion that many of its policies carry: wind or hail damage that only mars, scratches, dents, pits or discolors a metal roof without letting water or other elements in isn’t covered. In hail country, read this part of your policy before the next storm. See how often hail is reported in your state.
State rules that limit insurers
Rules vary by state. Two examples:
- Florida, roof age. Under section 627.7011(5), an insurer can’t refuse to issue or renew a homeowners policy solely because of the age of a roof that is less than 15 years old. For a roof 15 or older, the insurer must let the homeowner get an inspection by an authorized inspector, at the homeowner’s expense, before requiring replacement, and can’t refuse solely on age if the inspection shows at least 5 years of useful life left. Age runs from the last time 100 percent of the roof was built or replaced.
- Matching. California’s claims regulation (10 CCR 2695.9(a)(2)) says that when a policy settles on replacement cost and replacement items don’t match in quality, color or size, the insurer replaces all items in the damaged area for a reasonably uniform appearance. Florida’s section 626.9744, unless the policy provides otherwise, calls for reasonable repairs or replacement in adjoining areas when replaced items don’t match, on homeowners policies that settle on repair or replacement cost. TDI warns Texas homeowners that their company might not pay to replace the whole roof even if new shingles don’t match perfectly.
Inspections and non-renewals
TDI says insurance companies inspect your roof when you apply, and may charge more or refuse coverage based on what they find. A company may also require you to repair damage before it renews, and TDI notes that Texas companies usually allow at least six months for repairs. If you replace the roof, tell your company so it can update the roof’s age, and ask whether roof coverage can be added back to your policy.
What to check on your policy
- The declarations page. It summarizes your coverages, limits and deductibles. Then read the endorsements for anything that mentions roofs.
- Roof age and material. TDI suggests confirming both are right on your policy, since many policies reduce roof coverage by age and material.
- How the roof is settled. Replacement cost, actual cash value or a payment schedule.
- Your wind and hail deductible. It is often higher than the deductible for other damage. How wind and hail deductibles work.
- Cosmetic and matching wording. Especially with a metal roof or in hail country.
- Renewal notices. TDI advises checking for changes to roof coverage each time you renew. When I review a policy for an older home, the roof endorsements are the first thing I read.
Common questions
Will insurance replace my roof because it’s 20 years old?
No. Wear and tear is excluded, and insurers don’t replace a roof just because it’s old. A policy may pay for sudden damage from a covered cause like wind or hail, but often at a depreciated value on an older roof.
What’s a roof payment schedule?
An endorsement that limits what a policy pays for wind or hail damage to a roof to a percentage of replacement cost based on the roof’s age and material, or the repair cost if that’s less. The percentage falls as the roof gets older.
Are hail dents on a metal roof covered?
It depends on your policy. Some policies exclude cosmetic damage, meaning dents or marks that change how the roof looks but don’t let water in.
Can my insurer drop me because of my roof’s age?
It varies by state. In Florida, an insurer can’t refuse to issue or renew a homeowners policy solely because of roof age when the roof is under 15 years old, and older roofs get an inspection option.
Will they pay to replace the whole roof if new shingles don’t match?
It depends on your policy and your state. California and Florida have matching rules for policies that settle on replacement cost, while TDI warns Texas homeowners their company might not pay for the whole roof.
Sources
- Texas Department of Insurance: Insurance and your roof: What to know when buying a policy or filing a claim (updated 4/1/2026)
- Texas Department of Insurance column: What to know about insurance and your roof (March 2026)
- Texas Department of Insurance: Five things your home policy won’t cover (updated 4/10/2025)
- Texas Department of Insurance: Home insurance guide (updated 6/1/2026)
- Texas Department of Insurance: Home policies: Replacement cost or actual cash value? (updated 1/24/2024)
- Texas Department of Insurance blog: Does insurance cover fallen tree branches?
- Texas Department of Insurance Commissioner’s Bulletin B-0030-98 (April 23, 1998): Endorsement HO-145, exclusion of cosmetic damage to roof coverings caused by hail
- NAIC: A Consumer’s Guide to Home Insurance (2022)
- Auto Club Family Insurance Company: Roof Surfaces endorsement CO 00 17 04 13, Premier Homeowners Policy (sample form)
- Western National Insurance: Key Coverage Considerations and an Update on Claim Timelines (claims bulletin to agents, August 25, 2023)
- Florida Statutes (2026) section 627.7011: homeowners policies; roof age in subsection (5)
- Florida Statutes (2026) section 626.9744: claim settlement practices relating to property insurance
- Cal. Code Regs. tit. 10, section 2695.9 (Cornell LII)
General information about how homeowners policies handle roof claims as of October 2026, not legal advice; your policy, its endorsements and your state’s law control. Coverage depends on underwriting and the terms, conditions and exclusions of the policy actually issued.