The Impact of Roofs on Home Insurance Rates

Take a quick second to think about why your roof is so important. While other parts of the home are often neglected for varying periods, the first, most subtle sign of a weakening roof is enough to cause panic. A roof is to weather what a lock is to thieves. Once it’s breached, things can go downhill, fast. A simple leak can quickly snowball into catastrophic damage inside a home.

Now imagine that you’re an insurance agent inspecting a home to assess its risk. Where’s the first place you’d probably look? That’s right, the roof. To insurance companies, a bad roof often leads to a big claim, and naturally, they’ll do what they can to protect themselves.

While insurance companies face a lot of criticism these days, their policies can be great indicators of how to make smart investments and protect existing ones. They’re rates are backed by data. They know which cars are most likely to be stolen, which people are more likely to get sick, and most importantly in our case, which houses are best protected by the roof above them.

If you have a new roof installed on your home when you move in, there’s a good chance you’ll be able to score lower insurance rates. Insurance companies in also pay attention to what type of roof you have installed. Even geographical location can come into play, as some roofs are better in the face of certain forces of nature than others. For example, you wouldn’t want a roof made of flammable materials in an area at risk of forest fires.

It’s always smart to check with your insurance company when the time comes to replace or repair your roof. If you’re not sure about what type of shape your roof is in now, and you’re in the DC or Maryland area, check out our roof maintenance package to see if it might be right for you. Regardless of whether you’re moving into a new home or you’re ready to put your property on the market, it is wise to have your roof inspected. After all, your home’s resale value will dramatically increase if either A) your roof is found to be in wonderful condition or B) you decide it’s time for a new one, and you have a state-of- the-art-roof installed. Either way, that is one less thing a prospective buyer has to worry about, making it a great long-term investment.

When it comes to home repairs, it’s often smartest to follow the money, and no one keeps track of it better than the insurance industry.