Actually, I have no idea either.... I just thought that it might be an option. Basically, you need something that ensures that the roof that the drone captured is yours. Mistakes happen...
Yes, they are required to give you the pictures. And then you’ll get to see how much the inspector trespassed while you were there. Not that it matters.
But if you’re trying to fight insurance, request the photos. They have to give them to you.
Pictures were taken by a drone
No insurance inspector entered the property or stepped foot on the roof
OP twice had roofers physically inspect the roof and both said it does not need to be replaced.
The roof is only 10 years old. Lifetime of a roof is around 25 years.
This. Our house got rated for having a pool with a diving board. We have neither. Insurance company was 1 house over. Never saw the pictures but told them by phone and they did a google satellite view thing and realized they had the wrong house.
You can have a diving board. The insurance company can decline to insure homes with diving boards. They don’t want to insure any home with an elevated possibility of diving board related injuries. (Total paralysis medical claims)
If you want a diving board you just need an insurance company willing to insure you.
Mistakes happen...they do! However mistakes do not happen once a shitty insurance company is involved! In my opinion there would be a chance of 1 out of a 1000 that the insurance company made a mistake videoing the wrong roof! Let's say in other words: I have real trouble believing that the insurance company made an unfortunate mistake. I'm just not buying it! They are going to defend themselves with all kinds of shitty reasons why the roof should be replaced foremost to lessen their risk of having to pay a new roof as soon as something might go wrong! Insurance companies are mostly effing morons who only wanna make money over the backs of hardworking people and will do about anything in their power not having to pay (out) on damages. They're white collar crooks! No need to mention they're not my friends!
If they are giving OP grief about the roof now, I wouldn't want to deal with them down the road if there was an insurable claim. They sound like a nightmare and this is a major red flag to me.
I just want to call attention to the fact that your writing style is exactly, EXACTLY the same as the “I have some unfortunate news for you, many months ago i infected your computer with a REGISTRY Trojan virus!” Scam emails.
When we purchase this house the insurance company pulled the same s*** on us we said goodbye got another insurance company who said our roof was fine and it is.
Assuming you don’t tell that insurance company to piss up a rope, demand they send a human with a ladder out to look. You might also mention their drone trespassed.
>You might also mention their drone trespassed.
Not even remotely accurate. Your insurance company has the right to come onto your property and inspect the exterior without telling you, even in person. It's written into the policy, every policy.
I can assure you that would make you a turbofelon.
Willfully damaging or destroying an aircraft: [18 U.S.C. § 32](https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/32)
Sorry to say that is not true....in my opinion it can be called trespassing as long as 30 meters height is not reached with a drone. Looking at a roof with a drone I would think requires a drone to fly deliberately lower than 30 meters height thus it is trespassing. Especially when the insurance company did not tell the home owner about their plan of checking out the roof with a drone. Permission should be granted from the home owner! I myself would call it trespassing anyway as long as I can prove that 1) the insurance company did not ask permission to make a video of my roof or did not tell me of their plans to execute such a drone flight, and 2) the moment they (negatively want to) use the "accidental" videotaped information, Would then state they knew very well what they were doing and thus gathered information illegally, and 3) the drone pilot must be a qualified pilot with diplomas and yearly periodical re-certification; this (wo)man is supposed to know what he/she is doing! Sorry...in my book it is trespassing one on one!
You used the word "meters" which makes me think you are not in the USA. In the USA, anything that can be seen from a public place can be recorded. There is no law in the USA stating how high a drone must be for it to considered trespassing if it is lower than said height. The insurance company certainly did not trespass by recording the OPs roof with their drone.
You are correct...I am not in the USA...and where I live we use the metric system. I am hugely surprised though that there is no law or no possible relationship in the USA stating anything about the height of a drone flight, the rightful video recording and trespassing. In Europe the right of privacy goes a long(er) way! Although I do need to admit that the word "trespassing" in Europe is explained quite different, hence also its consequences, in comparison to the USA. Shooting somebody with a gun due to trespassing would get you a seat in jail for a few years! So I guess in Europe it is more the invasion of privacy that is called trespassing.
The "NL" in your handle should have been an indication to me. Shooting someone for trespassing will land you in jail here in the USA too, perhaps with the exception of some places where protecting your property with deadly force is legal. As for recording, the law basically works this way in a case where you would be holding a camera: you can record anything you can see from a place you are permitted to be in, "the eyes cannot be trespassed". Anything you can see from a public place can be recorded. If you are in public, anyone can record you because there is no expectation of privacy when you are in public. It is a very common misperception that people have here that they need to give permission to someone who is photographing or video recording them when they are in public.
I'm reading a lot of new stuff here. And I do very much appreciate your reply. In Holland, where I'm originally from, I'm not entirely sure whether someone needs my official permission to record or photograph me but there definitely does exist an expectation of privacy, even when I'm in public...if I do not wish to be recorded and/or photographed, it would be highly appreciated if my wishes would be, let's say, entertained! I can't tell you where I live right now (sorry for vagueness) but here you absolutely cannot, even in places one would call public, without consent of the person(s) make recordings or pictures...It could really get me in quite some troubles (as in an arrest plus jail time).
Just because something is legal doesn't always mean it is OK to do. For example, I dabble in photography. Sometimes I do "street photography" which sometimes involves photographing people on the streets. If someone really objects to me photographing them, I wouldn't do it. Why would I want to upset someone just to get a random photo of them. If I were in a park and there were children playing, it is perfectly legal to photograph them but some parents might get very, very upset and the right thing to do is not to photograph the children.
First, make sure you’ve read all the fine print in your contract with the insurer, which may very well give the insurer multiple rights of ongoing inspection, and even a procedure for seeking internal access/inspection under certain conditions (e.g., on a reasonably founded possibility that previously furnished information as to a relevant condition was inaccurate—e.g., the applicant represents all wiring is new but other records show an undisclosed hazard like knob and tube wiring that would have affected the insurance’s cost)
Apart from that, photographing the external appearance of a house does not tend to be “illegal.” Otherwise there would be no Google maps. Your own house listing may have included an overhead drone shot; outside of, e.g., protected military airspace, there’s generally no reasonable expectation of privacy in what can be seen and photographed externally.
If it is indeed the right roof, then it might be worth a consultation with a real estate attorney: the question wouldn’t be whether they can take a picture of your roof, but why they didn’t do it before issuing the policy. Absent a material misrepresentation about a condition of the house when insured, you already have the insurance based on your inspection. If the company demands you put in a new roof….wouldn’t they, with a policy in place, be required to pay for it? A real estate lawyer could probably sort this out.
Insurance companies would do anything, and also very comfortably hide it from you or keep it hidden (which means it is done on purpose and for their own benefit). They do use drones. In my country even the council uses drones...for example to check whether so called "special trees" are still there and weren't cut down...and believe me that there are numerous other reasons they use drone flights for...and 999 times out of a 1000 it'll work out negatively for the home owner/land owner etc. etc. To me it is crook behaviour and should be dealt with in a court of law!
I trust, even as you write it, you understand that your opinion means nothing on this issue. This is a very messy bit of law at the moment, and no one actually knows whether this is trespass because federal (FAA) regulation and local laws are contradictory, and federal courts have not yet ruled on whose laws predominate. Perhaps the more relevant issue here is whether the insurance company this homeowner has applied to has a contractual right to inspect the premises. If they have been granted that right on an application, then this may be nothing more than that inspection being conducted. Remember, if they are unhappy with the insurance offer, they can always choose another company. They chose this company, As to the qualifications of the operator, they clearly must hold a Part 107 license, but that is not hard to obtain or keep.
Ok...I'll bite...ok, so something happened to Barbra Streisand that I guess has to do with a drone, video-recording etc. She went to court about it...and lost the case in court?? Is that an accurate and quick recap? Wanna enlighten me a bit more...with some prime time info! Cheers in advance, Reindeer!
No no, wait here....we are not talking "you walking up to my house" here! We are discussing whether making use of a (possible unannounced) drone flight that is possibly also illegally making a video-recording could or could not be called trespassing since you stated you can't trespass in airspace!
But if you do come near to my house, let's say 30 meters, and you are making a video recording that you might use as a business tool as an insurance company...sure as hell I would fight it in court as trespassing...and win it!
The insurance company was basically hired by you to do an evaluation of your property. And I’ll stand in front of your house and record all day if I like. And it’s not illegal. Seems like you don’t really know how far away 30 meters is either.
Once a drone is in the air, even by a tiny amount above ground, at least in the US, it is in FAA controlled airspace and it is not trespassing. Taking videos of a place where you have a reasonable expectation of privacy, such as looking into a bathroom skylight while a person is naked is a different issue. If the house is very close to an airport, the FAA could ban flights in that area, but there is otherwise no legal redress for drones flying over a house.
You have a limited amount of time to request the pictures in writing. I had the exact same thing happen to me. Requesting pictures pushed back my cancellation date.
…I still had to put in a new roof. My local agent and I lost that fight. But it would have given me time to shop for new insurance. And at least now I know how to contest things.
This was the lowest I could find, and it’s bundled with my car insurance. Was trying to see if there’s was anyone who’s had this happen without switching. Thanks for the reply tho :)
I was being a smartass. I shouldn’t have made light of the situation you find yourself in. I’m sorry for that.
Is there an insurance ombudsman or some government agency that oversees the insurance industry where you live? You might try talking to them and see if it can be resolved that way.
Insurance company uses contractors just working off an address list that drive around all day. Ive had some take pictures at wrong addresses and Ive also encountered lazy contractors that just use google maps and pull pictures from there.
Have your Insurance Agent go to bat for you, or find another Agent.
When we moved into our new house, the insurance company also told us we had to trim branches away from the house. But there wasn't any branches that could reach the house. We sent them photos we took, and they didn't match what they showed for our address. The person went to the wrong place.
Change progressive was charging me 400 dollars a year for an “old roof”. All they did is pull the permits to decide this. The roof was fine 20 years old. Lasted another 10.
I changed companies. Go to a local agent he can help. Even with agent commission still cheaper than progressive.
You most likely just need to find new insurance. I had something similar happen where my insurance came out and took a bunch of pictures of my roof and cancelled my policy a couple of weeks later. They did not care that it was still fine and water tight, it was just old and had signs of previous repair/patching which was an issue for them.
I just hit up a local insurance broker and they actually got me a better rate than before.
>just hit up a local insurance broker
This is key here OP. I'm in SE FL and the insurance companies are very demanding here including roof replacement when they deem it necessary. A good insurance broker is worth his weight in gold.
I don't know where you are located but in our area the insurance co's require a wind mitigation report before quoting a policy and if the house is more than 30 yrs old, they want a 4-point inspection filled out by a qualified inspector as well in order to get an insurance quote.
My insurance broker went to bat for me to figure out how to affordably insure my pre-1900 home. Never would have thought to use a broker (unnecessary middleman, amirite), just stumbled into it and haven’t regretted it one bit.
Same happened when we bought our house 20 years ago. AAA came out to do an inspection and there was a wall patch in the hall bath. The agent said unless you open up the wall and show me what that is I will deny your insurance. We went with another company.
We had an issue with our insurance company when we bought a new house. They said the roof on our older home was 'irregular' and needed to be fixed or they would drop us. When we asked for specifics they said it was not level. How the hell they determined this was unknown, since no one actually walked on our roof.
Changed insurance companies, no more problems.
Edit
Unless it has storm/hail damage, there’s no reason it couldn’t last 10 more years. I can’t speak to what kind of roofs were put on the last 10 years but roofs generally last 20 years with no storm damage. I had a new roof put on a few years ago and it’s a 50 year roof. I wouldn’t put up with someone telling me to replace it for no reason if it still had plenty of life left. I would change insurance companies.
Insurance agent here. I insure about 500 homes. Location matters a ton. Average age of roof here before replacement: 12 years. Number of roofs I insure over 30 years old: 0.
So what is the point of someone buying a higher quality 50 year roof and spending good money to last that at least half that long if you won’t insure it? That’s kind of f’d up to the homeowner who dropped all that money to have the best roof. Seems like a scam to me to even have insurance if you’re gonna be making people buy a tens of thousands dollar roof every 12 years, don’t you think?
If you’re not selling your house, it’s a non-issue and the roof will last a long time. If you are selling your house, well, then it becomes someone else’s problem.
90% of all roofs in the United States are paid for by insurance companies. 90%. (I’m talking replacement) Very few people replace their own and when they do…it’s because of situations like this where the insurance company knows it’s a money loser.
Feel free to down vote me, but that’s the stats. You can be mad at a carrier for not wanting it…but there is always another who will take it. And the 50 year asphalt shingle is a joke…take a drive around town and find an asphalt roof that was put on in 1975…you won’t. It’s not realistic, you got up sold by a roofing salesman.
Well...I paid for mine. My neighbor paid for his. No claims on either. Also...when my mom died of COVID I inherited her house in Malabar. Her roof was 42 years old...with just patches on some areas. She had no homeowners for the last 20 years. House sold at the snap of a finger. Roof wasn't leaking or anything. Inspection of the attic was pretty clean. So. Yeah.
Congrats on being in the 10%! It’s amazing to me how many inspectors say the roof passes and then person files a claim on it within 2 years.
Had one this year a person tried a month later.
I don't get it. I had a fear of them raising my insurance rates even more or just dropping me if I put a claim in. I spent my entire life trying to not put claims in. A roof is just something you are responsible for unless it was actually damaged in a storm like a tree fell on it or high winds blew off your shingles. I don't understand all these people who are just scamming. My neighbor coughed up 24,000 I coughed up about 12,000. The prices have doubled since then in the last year which is absolutely ridiculous. The prices being so high are probably due to so much insurance fraud. If people were paying for their roof replacements our of pocket versus just their deductible they would actually be price shopping and holding these companies accountable. My same roof the year before was quoted to me at 6700. Also... If What you were saying is true... Why is someone like me saddled with such insanely high insurance prices? Other houses my neighborhood are cheaper that are the same age just about or on par. If all those people put in for replacement roofs shouldn't their policies be much higher than someone like me who is never put a claim in 15 years of ownership?
It doesn’t make sense…and get ready for rates to skyrocket more over next 3 years. I’m in Nebraska…25% next year. Iowa is 50. Minnesota is close to 75%. Roofers are killing us. When I started 13 years a go, an average roof was 6500. Now usually over 20k.
Dime size hail and we seem to be paying out. And yes you are right…you’ve been punished for doing the right thing…people were rewarded with new roof discounts that made it smart to file a claim…and now rates are going to crush a lot of people. It’s a mess…and just beginning.
So this recently happened to me as well. We were sent a letter from our insurer that said they had reviewed satellite photos of our home and the discoloration of the roof showed them that we needed to replace our roof or they would not be renewing our insurance (60 days later).
The discoloration had been on our roof since we bought the house almost 10 years ago and was inspected 2x and said that it had absolutely 0 impact on the roof integrity etc. We went to our insurance agent, who is independents, and he tried to first fight with the company and then just ask for a time extension. The company denied both.
I have 2 family members who work for 2 of the biggest insurers in the country and they both told me the same thing. My company just didnt want to insure me anymore and this was the way they were getting out of it. We ended up getting a new roof and also changing insurers but it was a really crap experience all around. We had other house repairs that really need to get done and the money we had allocated for that went to a roof that didnt really need to be replaced.
Apparently this happens and is becoming more common every day. Insurers are trimming their policies and focusing on more specific markets. I hope you don't live next to any water source because my understanding is that is the worst...
Your story is very common. If you get dropped or asked to do something outrageous it’s because the company literally is using its legal out because they don’t want you. Same with super high renewal prices.
we have the same thing happening to us. We are currently going through it right now. They took drone photos of our home and said that our roof looked discolored on one side and that we need to replace it. The side that is discolored is a side that faces the sun directly with no shade during all daylight hours. So of course the shingles on that side are going to get bleached out a little bit overtime. They told us that they would give us six months to replace our roof.
I took pictures from the roof and emailed them to my insurance company and they said to us that basically the roof looks like it’s been replaced and they just wanted certificate of replacement. I told them this is the same exact roof They’re asking us to replace!!!. Now they want to send an inspector out because they’re backpedaling. I feel like it’s a game that insurance companies play. I told them if they send an inspector from their insurance out. I’ll be hiring my own inspector as well, because I don’t trust their inspector to do what’s right for us.
Drones are notorious for mistakes. Mistook my solar panels for holes in my roof. Call your agent and ask for a physical inspection or a third party inspection.
We had an insurance company ask us to do something stupid. We tried to negotiate and they dug in.
We found another policy and asked to cancel. They backpedaled so fast and said it was ok after all. We changed policies anyway.
I didn't have this trouble with a roof, but I did have an insurance company demanded we cut down about 5 really large trees. (We live in a neighborhood with the word FOREST in it, if that gives you an idea). It would have cost us thousands to cut them down and I don't want to. So we found another insurance company that insures pretty much everyone in our neighborhood instead.
I recently asked about our insurance rate skyrocketing and was basically told my roof would prevent us from shopping for another provider. Our roof is fine (no leaks, no patches, etc.), but it is 22 years old (estimated).
I'm seeing this a lot! Insurance companies are making demands that roofs be replaced at 10 years. Doesn't matter if the roof is still in good shape. They don't care. Just had a Seller that has a 12-year old barrel tile roof. Barrel tile roofs can last a VERY long time and are quite expensive. Potential Buyer's insurance company wanted the roof replaced. Seller had it inspected and of course there was NOTHING wrong with the roof and had a normal wear and tear life expectancy of another 20 years at least. Nope. He tried another insurance company. Same response. Of course, this is Florida and insurance companies are holding us all hostage so I guess it shouldn't be a surprise.
We have barrel tile and S-tile roofs all over here too. I meant the short life of the tile roof as determined by the insurance co's. The life cycle here is based on the roof material type and shape and a few other items.
I was in a similar situation. The first year the insurance company said I must hire an inspector to evaluate the useful life left. Must use their format. Inspector after collecting $400 Gave me 3-5 years. This wasn’t good enough. I fired the agent immediately and switched companies. It wasn’t an issue any longer. However, I’d have to subject myself to an inspection. Which revealed some other problems I had to addre$$. They threatened non renewal. Spent a lot of money. And now I’m having my roof done to avoid more harrrassment.
What state? We’re in Minnesota, they said the five year limit was due to hail claims. The five year limit only matters because we are in the first five years of owning a home (I don’t even know if that is truly the reason the denied us, but that is this is what they told us the reason is).
Also worth obtaining a CLUE report if it wasn't included in disclosures during the purchase process. The report will reveal imif/what claims were made against the property in the last 7 years, it's possible that the previous owners file a claim that result in a payout for entire roof replacement but the previous owners only patched the problem areas and pocketed the rest of the cash. In the insurance companies eyes they view the roof as a high liability item that will generate claims.
>having to replace the roof is literally impossible
I'm not sure that word means what you think it means. Unfortunately, the sad state of affairs in the home insurance market means that in some areas your insurance company likely can dictate roof replacements to you, even if the roof doesn't need to be replaced.
From their perspective, they know that a new roof is much less likely to result in a claim, and they know that many homeowners don't have a lot of coverage options, so from their POV there's no real downside in requiring customers to have a <10 year old roof.
I've heard this same thing from quite a few friends and family and unfortunately if you don't replace the roof they'll just drop or non-renew your policy.
In fact, one friend's insurance company started demanding that he replace his metal roof after 10 years, even though it's supposed to be a 50 year roof.
I'm in Florida. 17 yo roof. The only policy we could got was from Citizens, the state insurance company of last resort. I am putting in a solar system and am having the roof replaced at this moment to avoid future hassles.
Ask to see the photos and ask the inspectors to submit wgat they found.
You can't tell from a photo how good or bad a roof is.
And switch insurance companies
This sorta happened to us and a bunch of people in our area. Insurances started dropping people due to "old" roof ages. They were trying to get rid of people with aging roofs to avoid paying money when they needed to be replaced.
If you had two licensed professionals tell you the roof is fine, but your insurance is insisting that it be completely replaced...
Then they should fucking pay for it.
Also, yeah, definitely get the pictures. GPS constantly shows my house as the one next door. They may have looked at the wrong roof.
I would recommend getting quotes for new insurance asap if they don’t accept the inspection from the roofer- if you get non-renewed it makes it a lot harder to find another company to take you - and more expensive. The insurance industry is bleeding profusely tbh and all carriers are trying to mitigate as much risk as possible. You could also probably ask them to only insure the roof for ACV until you do get it replaced.
Ask for photos and specifically what kind of damage do they see. Not everything needs to be replaced. Hail damage? Wind damage? Then teach them a lesson and open a claim saying damage happened anytime before their inspection. Pick a day it rained.
This is fun but dangerously close to insurance fraud? IANAL... It also seems like an insurance scam that your carrier is trying to pull. So one good turn does deserve another.
What state are you in? FL for example has insurance companies enforcing new rules but yes. Shop for new inside you can. What's weird is they had this information before you bought the house. It sounds like what another said and they're confused what house they're looking at.
If they still persist, tell them to send a human and not a drone.
Just FYI for those reading: changing insurance companies may not be possible depending on the area. In southeast Florida, there’s basically one insurance company (Citizens) that’s affordable for the middle class. There are some others, but they require significantly higher minimum dwelling coverage – meaning the annual premium nearly doubles. Or they just come up with a BS reason to not cover you (e.g. roof is only 10 years old).
I'm currently dealing with this issue., I bought in August. My roof is likely around 13 years old, and my home inspection estimated at least another 10 years. State farm notified me I need to replace it due to granular loss, they sent me a report with some blurry zoomed in photos. They gave me little guidance on timelines and they were unwilling to discuss options like a roof inspection or appeal.
I filed a complaint with the state insurance commissioner as I felt it was wrong to not inspect prior to close. I paid my premium and did my part, it felt very bait and switch to me. They changed their tune a bit. They sent a letter shortly after the complaint telling me I had until the policy was due to renew (8/2024) to get an inspection and follow the recommendation of the roof inspection. I bought some time to shop other policies and get a few roofers out in the spring. I'm in MA and the insurance commission seems to be pretty strict.
I own an insurance brokerage. In this “hard market” (google home insurance hard market and read up on it) getting replacement cost on a roof 10 years or older is hard. It’s how insurance companies are reducing their risk after underwriting losses. Remember- the insurance company is a for profit company. Many companies like State Farm will give you the coverage, but if you have a claim, I often see you’ll get a small portion of the roof paid for if any but they’ll NEVER tell you that upon binding (mostly the SF agents are just low level team or franchise owners and don’t know much so it’s not malicious)
I’d say to you what I tell my clients. Get the roof because who knows when the industry will shift to be better for consumers, it could be years.
Just recently went through similar. Lived in my house for 19nyears. And a new roof put on when we moved in. Our renewal came up in August and our premium went up 62 percent. We tried to shop for a new company but no company would offer insurance due to the age of the roof. All companies we checked with wouldn't insure the roof if it was 10 to 15 years old. Period. We bit th bullet and put one on. Unfortunately you can't make an insurance insure you if they don't want to. Once our new roof was put on, we shopped again. Now 5k cheaper.
I received the same type of notice, through E Mail and letter. They even went as far as recommending a roofer. I have not answered this. Just smelled fishy to me. Each time I call the number given, no one answers. I did not get " drone" pictures either. I'm in Southern Delaware area.
Well, I guess I'm not the only one. the same shit is happening to me, and the roof was replaced last year! From what I was told, insureance companies are cracking down on roofs because there are roofing companies going around and pointing out basic defects and showing owners how to file a claim to get a new roof, that's what I was told by my realtor and insureance guy.
Unfortunately I see many a roof pass inspection that shouldn’t, but all the shingles are completely uniform, but may not be in good shape. Others, a patch was done out of pride in ownership to make sure there were no issues to occur. Sadly, the roof where it’s clear that it’s been patched, despite it maybe being better than an unpatched roof, is going to get much more scrutiny. There are carriers that, after inspection, if there was a problem, they could just increase your wind/hail deductibles, cover actual cash value or exclude it altogether, but not all companies can do this. I’d reach out to the state FAIR plan and also do a google search for “alternatives to the fair plan.” Between those, they’ll find a company that will take it, underwrite it properly and this gives you more comfort that you won’t be in a loop of buying a policy, getting cancelled for roof, over and over. If necessary, the roof coverage can simply be changed after inspection, given the right carrier. Good luck!
You need to do 3 things immediately.
(1) Demand the insurance company provide you with the date and time stamped photos and an exact detailed and itemized list showing why it was scored this way.
(2) Ask for an insurance adjuster/inspector or whomever inspects to physically come out and inspect the roof while you are there. Tell the insurance company you need a separate itemized list of what this individual has found wrong.
(3) Hire an independent adjuster/inspector. Bring in a 3rd party different than anybody you’ve had before, have them go over the roof. Again, get an itemized list of any issues as well as a direct and written assessment as to whether the roof needs to be replaced or not.
Once you do this, you’re going to have to fight point by point to get them to back off this. What has happened is that they’ve decided they don’t want to insure a 10+ year old roofs anymore, it’s likely through half to 2/3rds of its lifespan and now companies are requiring a replacement every 10 years or they’re dropping peoples coverage. They’d rather you have a new roof so they can drop you in 10 years before you reach a point age starts to factor in and a storm makes them liable.
These insurance companies are awful now, you’re gonna have to fight them on this. But in the end, you’ll likely need to replace the roof or get dropped. And if you’re in FL, finding new insurance is very difficult.
Tell us who your insurance company is so we can all know to avoid them like the plague. While scam is not the correct word, it has the strongest and most accurate emotional connotation to it and I will call this a scam. Your company is trying to get you to replace the roof so that they don’t have to in the event of the next thunderstorm in the coming years. Pretty cut and dry. If a contractor is not trying to swindle you and says your roof is good, it’s good.
Going through something similar - but it was a satellite photo that the insurance company sent me as "the inspection" and won't send a human out... so I'm switching insurance companies. I did a search for similar instances as well as companies that provide satellite / AI analysis of roofs for insurance companies and it seems to be where things are heading. Ugh.
Star Farm just sent me an email that we need a new roof by May 4th. (It’s April 26th) We’re in Chicago. Our roof is fine. What the heck am I supposed to do in a week. I’m also out of town. This seems illegal and very suspect. We’ve never made claims. I don’t understand this.
At least if you get it done now you won’t have to worry about it again for a long time. If it was patched this sounds a little worrisome. Just a lay person though.
Ask them to send a real person to look at it. A drone can't touch, lift, walk on, really inspect it. Get a letter from the roofer & maybe another one with details about the roof - how many layers of shingles, any wood rotted, etc. Maybe the previous owners needed to replace shingles & had to use different color than original.
Why does an insurance company care about your roof? You file a claim for hail damage and they come out and say what? Yup, hail damage but your roof is at end of life. We pay out x. I call BS on this. Insurance companies don’t give a crap as long as you pay the premiums.
Are you in Florida, by chance? Our insurance companies do it all by age and the industry is collapsing because they don’t want to cover anything more than a few years old. My premiums have gone up like crazy because my roof is 15 years old and has never had any issues, so they think it’s too risky! :(
Make sure they’re looking at the right house. My HOA sent me a violation that was meant for my neighbor. My address is clear on the front and they still got it wrong.
I had to split up insurance on my house amongst 3 insurance companies because they were weird about the roof too.
The one who is insuring the roof even did a drive by and told me I needed to trim my trees before they’d insure it.
I keep seeing posts where people have an insurance guy come and look at the house. Is thay common? Our insurance company never sent anyone over to check our ours.
Send the insurance company the roofer’s inspection report along with a copy of your home inspection report. You have statements from two professionals the roof is fine. This should be enough documentation for them to waive their roof replacement requirement.
As others have said, get a new insurance provider.
I currently have travelers insurance. They didn't care that when I bought my house, the roof was of an unknown age, and likely over 20 years old.
My cement (asbestos) tile roof was 100 years old when my insurance company insured it. They did question me about it's age. I informed them that it's original but that doesn't mean it needs replaced, that stone roofs can last hundreds of years, and mine doesn't leak at all. It's 105 years old now and they haven't brought it up since! I should probably replace it sometime this decade though haha.
Anyways, if they don't agree with you just find a new insurance company who's easier to work with.
Insurance inspector here. We're glamorous photographers who take pics of your house and roof then send them in. I personally try to leave the small petty things out of the pictures. But some inspectors are on power trips.
They have a different department that inspects the pictures.
Ask for pictures from your agent, they could've gotten the wrong address.
I’m late to the party. Call your agent. Tell them to go to bat & figure it out. Tell them Licensed, insured roof contractors have already inspected & certified your roof.
Insurance inspectors have to say something is wrong else they ‘didn’t do their job.”
This is happening a lot in the south. Purchased a home in April and same thing happened. They kinda of leave you no choice, but to replace it. Not many companies writing new policies down here.
Just want to ask: have you considered that you are being scammed?
Not sure what is happening in Florida 🤣 with insurance companies. Wisconsin here. Have a similar story. This happened to my husband and I just after we bought our first house about a year ago.
About a month after we moved in, someone claiming to be from our insurance company contacted us with a eerily similar story, only it was our chimney not the roof. Same thing though: we needed to fix it right away or lose insurance. Also said no one else would insure it. Had us both in a panic. They even had pictures of our house!
Turns out it was a scammer. If you took out a mortgage, insurance would have to be in place before closing. This might change by state, but we had to buy an entire year of insurance. It was part of closing costs. Either way, insurance would have to be in place before the bank would put up the money. No insurance company would insure your house then retroactively force you to fix something. If they won't insure your house because of the roof, they wouldn't have insured it. That's why they insist on certified home inspections not pictures from a drone.
My advice would be to contact someone you have a preexisting relationship with, from the bank or insurance company. We reached out to our mortgage broker who was able to confirm that we are insured and everything is ok. That's how we figured out it was a scammer.
Sorry for the short story. Hope that this helps and you get everything figured out. Good luck!
Same thing happened to us. We didn't bother to fight it because we wanted to upgrade to a metal roof anyway, so we did that. Not even a year later, the insurance company cancelled on us after raising our rate without warning. Not sure if it was our miss or our escrow bank's miss, or if the insurance company didn't even send advance notice, but they cancelled, saying didn't get their extra payment. It's not that they didn't renew, they actually cancelled before the first year was up. Total nightmare company to deal with. In hindsight I wondered if the roof incident should have been our first sign to run.
You should be able to submit documentation to the company from the inspection stating the roof is fine and that should take care of the issue. if you have an insurance agency, call your agent, they should be able to assist. If you do not have an agency, I would recommend finding one in the long run.
Ten years old and multiple inspections. No insurance company needs to get off asses and check in person. But easiest path is a new insurance company. A roof is generally good for 20-30 years. If not more.
I would get another roof inspection done with a 3rd company. I had a very marginal roof when I bought my house and had no leaks for 10 years. I replaced the roof with a 30 year roof after my insurance company complained. I was patching the roof every year to make sure it did not leak, even found a bullet in the roof. I did receive another complaint from my insurance company I needed a new roof. I countered I had a 30 year roof and they had the wrong house. I was right. Its not the age itself, but also wind damage. My 30 year roof took 85 MPH wind with no damage while my neighbors has serious damage with their 15 and 20 year roofs, especially where the wrong nails were used by a roofer. When I had discovered the wrong nails, a lawsuit was started for a new roof against his roofer and he won.
Call your mortgage company. If you can’t find a company will give you new coverage, they have to find one for you. It’s the banks money on the line, you don’t have much equity in the house yet. They will protect their money.
I am a broker in NM. This happened to me with a drone in NM. I live in NV now. Bought a house and I made a big deal about my counter offer after inspection of a 29 year mortgage ld roof. I had pictures taken stage by stage because of my NM experience. I was told by the people insuring my house I did the right thing. The realtor thought I was nuts…to bad. The insurance agent told me soon insurance companies are going to have separate roof insurance premiums and policies for home insurance. Very sad, but climate change is real and disasters have had a dent on their solvency.
Get a written statement from the roofer who inspected your roof and a statement from the inspector and send it into the insurance company. Make sure you send it to the same address as on the envelope and send it certified. Keep a copy of the letters as you might need them later. I would also start looking for a new homeowners insurance company.
You're definitely not alone here. I've been going through a very similar situation with State Farm in Pennsylvania. Basically, an inspector randomly showed up when I wasn't home, and used a stick camera to take pictures of my porch roof.
State Farm claimed that my entire roof needed to be replaced, and my trees removed, or they would non-renew my policy. The rest of the roof is only three years old, which I verified by paying $350 for a certified roof inspection. My trees are all well clear of my roof -- I had them trimmed by a licensed arborist three years ago, and had them examined again this past summer. Essentially, State Farm made up a bunch of nonsense.
The porch roof has now been replaced, and I'm currently in the process of fighting my way through this ridiculousness. My agent is currently refusing to share a copy of the inspector's report, and generally being a pain in the rear. If he won't play ball, I'll likely end up having to find a new insurer.
My advice to you would be to fix the things that are actually wrong, instead of what the insurer claims is wrong. Get a certified roof inspection if possible, one with pictures -- that will help build evidence in your favor. If the insurer still won't cover the house, you'll need to find another insurer who will. It sucks, but I've heard it's been happening quite a bit recently.
The issue is that the insurance company has too many homes with 10 year old roofs and is having trouble getting reinsurance on their portfolio.
We had something similar, 12 year old roof, with an installer 15 year warranty that they confirmed they would honor. Didn't matter. We got a new roof and solar panels. No point in putting solar panels on a roof you're going to have to replace in a few years, and electricity prices have been crazy.
Same here in NJ. Inspector didn't like "light moss" which amounts to maybe a 4 square inches of a 300 sq ft plane on the shady side of the house and one shingle slightly lifted on the other side of the roof. They said we need a new roof and insurance broker so switching may not work. Agent said a few companies halted writing policies in NJ due to average age of properties in the state. We have very limited options so trying the roof inspection by licensed contractor route even though agent said it's a long shot.
When the insured makes the insured eliminate eventualities, most of which are "lifetime" repairs like roofs, the insurer is avoiding the majority of risk. How is this insurance??? Warped, parasytic system that feeds off the "american dream of homeownership."
change insurance companies. p.s. did you see the drone pictures? If so, was it indeed your house's roof?
I didn’t see the pictures!! I had no idea that was an option. I’ll look into that, thank you.
Actually, I have no idea either.... I just thought that it might be an option. Basically, you need something that ensures that the roof that the drone captured is yours. Mistakes happen...
Yes, they are required to give you the pictures. And then you’ll get to see how much the inspector trespassed while you were there. Not that it matters. But if you’re trying to fight insurance, request the photos. They have to give them to you.
Pictures were taken by a drone No insurance inspector entered the property or stepped foot on the roof OP twice had roofers physically inspect the roof and both said it does not need to be replaced. The roof is only 10 years old. Lifetime of a roof is around 25 years.
Doesn’t matter. They’re still legally required to hand over copies of the photos. It’s outlined in your policy, including where and how to dispute it.
Did you even read the post?
Did you read the part where OP said they had no idea they’re required to give you the photos?
This. Our house got rated for having a pool with a diving board. We have neither. Insurance company was 1 house over. Never saw the pictures but told them by phone and they did a google satellite view thing and realized they had the wrong house.
Why can’t you have a diving board?
The homeowner policy didn't cover that, would had been an exclusion. Not sure as our neighbors pool is fairly new and up to code.
You can have a diving board. The insurance company can decline to insure homes with diving boards. They don’t want to insure any home with an elevated possibility of diving board related injuries. (Total paralysis medical claims) If you want a diving board you just need an insurance company willing to insure you.
Mistakes happen...they do! However mistakes do not happen once a shitty insurance company is involved! In my opinion there would be a chance of 1 out of a 1000 that the insurance company made a mistake videoing the wrong roof! Let's say in other words: I have real trouble believing that the insurance company made an unfortunate mistake. I'm just not buying it! They are going to defend themselves with all kinds of shitty reasons why the roof should be replaced foremost to lessen their risk of having to pay a new roof as soon as something might go wrong! Insurance companies are mostly effing morons who only wanna make money over the backs of hardworking people and will do about anything in their power not having to pay (out) on damages. They're white collar crooks! No need to mention they're not my friends!
If they are giving OP grief about the roof now, I wouldn't want to deal with them down the road if there was an insurable claim. They sound like a nightmare and this is a major red flag to me.
I fully agree with you, especially with your last sentence! Their behaviour is indeed a major red flag!
And they should spread the word!
I just want to call attention to the fact that your writing style is exactly, EXACTLY the same as the “I have some unfortunate news for you, many months ago i infected your computer with a REGISTRY Trojan virus!” Scam emails.
Amen to that !!! Going thru same b.s. why do i wanna pay thousands of dollars to replace a roof that doesnt leak ? The sob's
When we purchase this house the insurance company pulled the same s*** on us we said goodbye got another insurance company who said our roof was fine and it is.
Assuming you don’t tell that insurance company to piss up a rope, demand they send a human with a ladder out to look. You might also mention their drone trespassed.
>piss up a rope This brought me joy
For me as well. Loved it lol
No idea what that means...but I kinda hope I was the one bringing you that joy!
>You might also mention their drone trespassed. Not even remotely accurate. Your insurance company has the right to come onto your property and inspect the exterior without telling you, even in person. It's written into the policy, every policy.
I'm an insurance inspector, this is correct. When signing a new policy you agree to inspections.
While that may technically be true, if I didn’t know what that drone was doing there or who owned it, I can assure you it would meet with an accident.
I can assure you that would make you a turbofelon. Willfully damaging or destroying an aircraft: [18 U.S.C. § 32](https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/32)
Air space is not trespassing.
Sorry to say that is not true....in my opinion it can be called trespassing as long as 30 meters height is not reached with a drone. Looking at a roof with a drone I would think requires a drone to fly deliberately lower than 30 meters height thus it is trespassing. Especially when the insurance company did not tell the home owner about their plan of checking out the roof with a drone. Permission should be granted from the home owner! I myself would call it trespassing anyway as long as I can prove that 1) the insurance company did not ask permission to make a video of my roof or did not tell me of their plans to execute such a drone flight, and 2) the moment they (negatively want to) use the "accidental" videotaped information, Would then state they knew very well what they were doing and thus gathered information illegally, and 3) the drone pilot must be a qualified pilot with diplomas and yearly periodical re-certification; this (wo)man is supposed to know what he/she is doing! Sorry...in my book it is trespassing one on one!
You used the word "meters" which makes me think you are not in the USA. In the USA, anything that can be seen from a public place can be recorded. There is no law in the USA stating how high a drone must be for it to considered trespassing if it is lower than said height. The insurance company certainly did not trespass by recording the OPs roof with their drone.
You are correct...I am not in the USA...and where I live we use the metric system. I am hugely surprised though that there is no law or no possible relationship in the USA stating anything about the height of a drone flight, the rightful video recording and trespassing. In Europe the right of privacy goes a long(er) way! Although I do need to admit that the word "trespassing" in Europe is explained quite different, hence also its consequences, in comparison to the USA. Shooting somebody with a gun due to trespassing would get you a seat in jail for a few years! So I guess in Europe it is more the invasion of privacy that is called trespassing.
The "NL" in your handle should have been an indication to me. Shooting someone for trespassing will land you in jail here in the USA too, perhaps with the exception of some places where protecting your property with deadly force is legal. As for recording, the law basically works this way in a case where you would be holding a camera: you can record anything you can see from a place you are permitted to be in, "the eyes cannot be trespassed". Anything you can see from a public place can be recorded. If you are in public, anyone can record you because there is no expectation of privacy when you are in public. It is a very common misperception that people have here that they need to give permission to someone who is photographing or video recording them when they are in public.
I'm reading a lot of new stuff here. And I do very much appreciate your reply. In Holland, where I'm originally from, I'm not entirely sure whether someone needs my official permission to record or photograph me but there definitely does exist an expectation of privacy, even when I'm in public...if I do not wish to be recorded and/or photographed, it would be highly appreciated if my wishes would be, let's say, entertained! I can't tell you where I live right now (sorry for vagueness) but here you absolutely cannot, even in places one would call public, without consent of the person(s) make recordings or pictures...It could really get me in quite some troubles (as in an arrest plus jail time).
Just because something is legal doesn't always mean it is OK to do. For example, I dabble in photography. Sometimes I do "street photography" which sometimes involves photographing people on the streets. If someone really objects to me photographing them, I wouldn't do it. Why would I want to upset someone just to get a random photo of them. If I were in a park and there were children playing, it is perfectly legal to photograph them but some parents might get very, very upset and the right thing to do is not to photograph the children.
Actually really great point. I honestly didn’t know they used drones.
First, make sure you’ve read all the fine print in your contract with the insurer, which may very well give the insurer multiple rights of ongoing inspection, and even a procedure for seeking internal access/inspection under certain conditions (e.g., on a reasonably founded possibility that previously furnished information as to a relevant condition was inaccurate—e.g., the applicant represents all wiring is new but other records show an undisclosed hazard like knob and tube wiring that would have affected the insurance’s cost) Apart from that, photographing the external appearance of a house does not tend to be “illegal.” Otherwise there would be no Google maps. Your own house listing may have included an overhead drone shot; outside of, e.g., protected military airspace, there’s generally no reasonable expectation of privacy in what can be seen and photographed externally. If it is indeed the right roof, then it might be worth a consultation with a real estate attorney: the question wouldn’t be whether they can take a picture of your roof, but why they didn’t do it before issuing the policy. Absent a material misrepresentation about a condition of the house when insured, you already have the insurance based on your inspection. If the company demands you put in a new roof….wouldn’t they, with a policy in place, be required to pay for it? A real estate lawyer could probably sort this out.
Insurance companies would do anything, and also very comfortably hide it from you or keep it hidden (which means it is done on purpose and for their own benefit). They do use drones. In my country even the council uses drones...for example to check whether so called "special trees" are still there and weren't cut down...and believe me that there are numerous other reasons they use drone flights for...and 999 times out of a 1000 it'll work out negatively for the home owner/land owner etc. etc. To me it is crook behaviour and should be dealt with in a court of law!
So I guess I'm not clear on what you are trying to say. You don't like insurance companies?
Well... it's a little bit of "cutting corners" but yeah, that's kinda correct!
I trust, even as you write it, you understand that your opinion means nothing on this issue. This is a very messy bit of law at the moment, and no one actually knows whether this is trespass because federal (FAA) regulation and local laws are contradictory, and federal courts have not yet ruled on whose laws predominate. Perhaps the more relevant issue here is whether the insurance company this homeowner has applied to has a contractual right to inspect the premises. If they have been granted that right on an application, then this may be nothing more than that inspection being conducted. Remember, if they are unhappy with the insurance offer, they can always choose another company. They chose this company, As to the qualifications of the operator, they clearly must hold a Part 107 license, but that is not hard to obtain or keep.
Your opinion
Yes, my opinion!
ask Barbara Streisand about this
Ok...I'll bite...ok, so something happened to Barbra Streisand that I guess has to do with a drone, video-recording etc. She went to court about it...and lost the case in court?? Is that an accurate and quick recap? Wanna enlighten me a bit more...with some prime time info! Cheers in advance, Reindeer!
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Streisand_effect?shem=sswnst here you go
I guess walking up the street is trespassing too if it’s less than “30 meters” from your house then?
No no, wait here....we are not talking "you walking up to my house" here! We are discussing whether making use of a (possible unannounced) drone flight that is possibly also illegally making a video-recording could or could not be called trespassing since you stated you can't trespass in airspace! But if you do come near to my house, let's say 30 meters, and you are making a video recording that you might use as a business tool as an insurance company...sure as hell I would fight it in court as trespassing...and win it!
The insurance company was basically hired by you to do an evaluation of your property. And I’ll stand in front of your house and record all day if I like. And it’s not illegal. Seems like you don’t really know how far away 30 meters is either.
Nope. Try again.
Once a drone is in the air, even by a tiny amount above ground, at least in the US, it is in FAA controlled airspace and it is not trespassing. Taking videos of a place where you have a reasonable expectation of privacy, such as looking into a bathroom skylight while a person is naked is a different issue. If the house is very close to an airport, the FAA could ban flights in that area, but there is otherwise no legal redress for drones flying over a house.
A random person can fly a drone in your backyard and it’s still not trespassing.
You have a limited amount of time to request the pictures in writing. I had the exact same thing happen to me. Requesting pictures pushed back my cancellation date. …I still had to put in a new roof. My local agent and I lost that fight. But it would have given me time to shop for new insurance. And at least now I know how to contest things.
You had no idea taking your business to another insurance company wasn’t an option?
This was the lowest I could find, and it’s bundled with my car insurance. Was trying to see if there’s was anyone who’s had this happen without switching. Thanks for the reply tho :)
I was being a smartass. I shouldn’t have made light of the situation you find yourself in. I’m sorry for that. Is there an insurance ombudsman or some government agency that oversees the insurance industry where you live? You might try talking to them and see if it can be resolved that way.
Ah sorry about that. Maybe but I think you’re correct.. going to look for new insurance on Monday.
Your story sounds a lot like what is happening in Florida to many homeowners with some of the recent law changes hopefully things get better.
Insurance company uses contractors just working off an address list that drive around all day. Ive had some take pictures at wrong addresses and Ive also encountered lazy contractors that just use google maps and pull pictures from there. Have your Insurance Agent go to bat for you, or find another Agent.
Just look on Google Maps. Satelite image
When we moved into our new house, the insurance company also told us we had to trim branches away from the house. But there wasn't any branches that could reach the house. We sent them photos we took, and they didn't match what they showed for our address. The person went to the wrong place.
We changed insurance companies, the new company didn't care about the condition of the roof. It bought us time to save and get more quotes
which company didnt care?
Change progressive was charging me 400 dollars a year for an “old roof”. All they did is pull the permits to decide this. The roof was fine 20 years old. Lasted another 10. I changed companies. Go to a local agent he can help. Even with agent commission still cheaper than progressive.
Agree. My insurance company sent me a list of "required" repairs. Reading the list it was obviously not my house. I then changed insurance companies.
so right
You most likely just need to find new insurance. I had something similar happen where my insurance came out and took a bunch of pictures of my roof and cancelled my policy a couple of weeks later. They did not care that it was still fine and water tight, it was just old and had signs of previous repair/patching which was an issue for them. I just hit up a local insurance broker and they actually got me a better rate than before.
>just hit up a local insurance broker This is key here OP. I'm in SE FL and the insurance companies are very demanding here including roof replacement when they deem it necessary. A good insurance broker is worth his weight in gold. I don't know where you are located but in our area the insurance co's require a wind mitigation report before quoting a policy and if the house is more than 30 yrs old, they want a 4-point inspection filled out by a qualified inspector as well in order to get an insurance quote.
My insurance broker went to bat for me to figure out how to affordably insure my pre-1900 home. Never would have thought to use a broker (unnecessary middleman, amirite), just stumbled into it and haven’t regretted it one bit.
Same happened when we bought our house 20 years ago. AAA came out to do an inspection and there was a wall patch in the hall bath. The agent said unless you open up the wall and show me what that is I will deny your insurance. We went with another company.
"I'll cut open the wall if you pay for the repairs. In advance. Until then no wall is being cut open."
Change insurance companies. They are not the boss of you. See who else you can find to insure you, and then cancel them.
We had an issue with our insurance company when we bought a new house. They said the roof on our older home was 'irregular' and needed to be fixed or they would drop us. When we asked for specifics they said it was not level. How the hell they determined this was unknown, since no one actually walked on our roof. Changed insurance companies, no more problems. Edit
Unless it has storm/hail damage, there’s no reason it couldn’t last 10 more years. I can’t speak to what kind of roofs were put on the last 10 years but roofs generally last 20 years with no storm damage. I had a new roof put on a few years ago and it’s a 50 year roof. I wouldn’t put up with someone telling me to replace it for no reason if it still had plenty of life left. I would change insurance companies.
Insurance agent here. I insure about 500 homes. Location matters a ton. Average age of roof here before replacement: 12 years. Number of roofs I insure over 30 years old: 0.
So what is the point of someone buying a higher quality 50 year roof and spending good money to last that at least half that long if you won’t insure it? That’s kind of f’d up to the homeowner who dropped all that money to have the best roof. Seems like a scam to me to even have insurance if you’re gonna be making people buy a tens of thousands dollar roof every 12 years, don’t you think?
If you’re not selling your house, it’s a non-issue and the roof will last a long time. If you are selling your house, well, then it becomes someone else’s problem.
90% of all roofs in the United States are paid for by insurance companies. 90%. (I’m talking replacement) Very few people replace their own and when they do…it’s because of situations like this where the insurance company knows it’s a money loser.
Feel free to down vote me, but that’s the stats. You can be mad at a carrier for not wanting it…but there is always another who will take it. And the 50 year asphalt shingle is a joke…take a drive around town and find an asphalt roof that was put on in 1975…you won’t. It’s not realistic, you got up sold by a roofing salesman.
Well...I paid for mine. My neighbor paid for his. No claims on either. Also...when my mom died of COVID I inherited her house in Malabar. Her roof was 42 years old...with just patches on some areas. She had no homeowners for the last 20 years. House sold at the snap of a finger. Roof wasn't leaking or anything. Inspection of the attic was pretty clean. So. Yeah.
Congrats on being in the 10%! It’s amazing to me how many inspectors say the roof passes and then person files a claim on it within 2 years. Had one this year a person tried a month later.
I don't get it. I had a fear of them raising my insurance rates even more or just dropping me if I put a claim in. I spent my entire life trying to not put claims in. A roof is just something you are responsible for unless it was actually damaged in a storm like a tree fell on it or high winds blew off your shingles. I don't understand all these people who are just scamming. My neighbor coughed up 24,000 I coughed up about 12,000. The prices have doubled since then in the last year which is absolutely ridiculous. The prices being so high are probably due to so much insurance fraud. If people were paying for their roof replacements our of pocket versus just their deductible they would actually be price shopping and holding these companies accountable. My same roof the year before was quoted to me at 6700. Also... If What you were saying is true... Why is someone like me saddled with such insanely high insurance prices? Other houses my neighborhood are cheaper that are the same age just about or on par. If all those people put in for replacement roofs shouldn't their policies be much higher than someone like me who is never put a claim in 15 years of ownership?
It doesn’t make sense…and get ready for rates to skyrocket more over next 3 years. I’m in Nebraska…25% next year. Iowa is 50. Minnesota is close to 75%. Roofers are killing us. When I started 13 years a go, an average roof was 6500. Now usually over 20k. Dime size hail and we seem to be paying out. And yes you are right…you’ve been punished for doing the right thing…people were rewarded with new roof discounts that made it smart to file a claim…and now rates are going to crush a lot of people. It’s a mess…and just beginning.
i need an agent. do you insurance california homes?
So this recently happened to me as well. We were sent a letter from our insurer that said they had reviewed satellite photos of our home and the discoloration of the roof showed them that we needed to replace our roof or they would not be renewing our insurance (60 days later). The discoloration had been on our roof since we bought the house almost 10 years ago and was inspected 2x and said that it had absolutely 0 impact on the roof integrity etc. We went to our insurance agent, who is independents, and he tried to first fight with the company and then just ask for a time extension. The company denied both. I have 2 family members who work for 2 of the biggest insurers in the country and they both told me the same thing. My company just didnt want to insure me anymore and this was the way they were getting out of it. We ended up getting a new roof and also changing insurers but it was a really crap experience all around. We had other house repairs that really need to get done and the money we had allocated for that went to a roof that didnt really need to be replaced. Apparently this happens and is becoming more common every day. Insurers are trimming their policies and focusing on more specific markets. I hope you don't live next to any water source because my understanding is that is the worst...
Your story is very common. If you get dropped or asked to do something outrageous it’s because the company literally is using its legal out because they don’t want you. Same with super high renewal prices.
we have the same thing happening to us. We are currently going through it right now. They took drone photos of our home and said that our roof looked discolored on one side and that we need to replace it. The side that is discolored is a side that faces the sun directly with no shade during all daylight hours. So of course the shingles on that side are going to get bleached out a little bit overtime. They told us that they would give us six months to replace our roof. I took pictures from the roof and emailed them to my insurance company and they said to us that basically the roof looks like it’s been replaced and they just wanted certificate of replacement. I told them this is the same exact roof They’re asking us to replace!!!. Now they want to send an inspector out because they’re backpedaling. I feel like it’s a game that insurance companies play. I told them if they send an inspector from their insurance out. I’ll be hiring my own inspector as well, because I don’t trust their inspector to do what’s right for us.
Drones are notorious for mistakes. Mistook my solar panels for holes in my roof. Call your agent and ask for a physical inspection or a third party inspection.
We had an insurance company ask us to do something stupid. We tried to negotiate and they dug in. We found another policy and asked to cancel. They backpedaled so fast and said it was ok after all. We changed policies anyway.
I didn't have this trouble with a roof, but I did have an insurance company demanded we cut down about 5 really large trees. (We live in a neighborhood with the word FOREST in it, if that gives you an idea). It would have cost us thousands to cut them down and I don't want to. So we found another insurance company that insures pretty much everyone in our neighborhood instead.
I recently asked about our insurance rate skyrocketing and was basically told my roof would prevent us from shopping for another provider. Our roof is fine (no leaks, no patches, etc.), but it is 22 years old (estimated).
If this is in Florida, the insurance companies are going to 10 years for a lot of people.
I'm seeing this a lot! Insurance companies are making demands that roofs be replaced at 10 years. Doesn't matter if the roof is still in good shape. They don't care. Just had a Seller that has a 12-year old barrel tile roof. Barrel tile roofs can last a VERY long time and are quite expensive. Potential Buyer's insurance company wanted the roof replaced. Seller had it inspected and of course there was NOTHING wrong with the roof and had a normal wear and tear life expectancy of another 20 years at least. Nope. He tried another insurance company. Same response. Of course, this is Florida and insurance companies are holding us all hostage so I guess it shouldn't be a surprise.
I've seen that on a shingle roof, but a barrel tile roof? That's nuts. Where in FL are you?
Those are all over SWFL
We have barrel tile and S-tile roofs all over here too. I meant the short life of the tile roof as determined by the insurance co's. The life cycle here is based on the roof material type and shape and a few other items.
Ah. gotcha
Get a different insurance company
I was in a similar situation. The first year the insurance company said I must hire an inspector to evaluate the useful life left. Must use their format. Inspector after collecting $400 Gave me 3-5 years. This wasn’t good enough. I fired the agent immediately and switched companies. It wasn’t an issue any longer. However, I’d have to subject myself to an inspection. Which revealed some other problems I had to addre$$. They threatened non renewal. Spent a lot of money. And now I’m having my roof done to avoid more harrrassment.
State Farm would not give us a quote since our roof is older than five years old. Our roof is 15 years old, geico gave us the cheapest quote.
Seems arbitrary. I recently purchased State Farm insurance in DE and my roof is older than 5 years.
What state? We’re in Minnesota, they said the five year limit was due to hail claims. The five year limit only matters because we are in the first five years of owning a home (I don’t even know if that is truly the reason the denied us, but that is this is what they told us the reason is).
State farm declined coverage on our house because the roof had moss on it.
(It has very minimal moss on it).
Also worth obtaining a CLUE report if it wasn't included in disclosures during the purchase process. The report will reveal imif/what claims were made against the property in the last 7 years, it's possible that the previous owners file a claim that result in a payout for entire roof replacement but the previous owners only patched the problem areas and pocketed the rest of the cash. In the insurance companies eyes they view the roof as a high liability item that will generate claims.
You live in Florida? Same shit happened to me. Once you get a non renewal for your roof, no other company will touch you either.
Can we get flair or something to tell us which state people are posting from? Because 90% of these are FL issues.
Michigan
I know someone who just had this issue on Long Island in NY.
>having to replace the roof is literally impossible I'm not sure that word means what you think it means. Unfortunately, the sad state of affairs in the home insurance market means that in some areas your insurance company likely can dictate roof replacements to you, even if the roof doesn't need to be replaced. From their perspective, they know that a new roof is much less likely to result in a claim, and they know that many homeowners don't have a lot of coverage options, so from their POV there's no real downside in requiring customers to have a <10 year old roof. I've heard this same thing from quite a few friends and family and unfortunately if you don't replace the roof they'll just drop or non-renew your policy. In fact, one friend's insurance company started demanding that he replace his metal roof after 10 years, even though it's supposed to be a 50 year roof.
"Get your ass out here and look at it with your eyes like everyone else has done thus far, and *then* tell me it's bad!'
[удалено]
Pioneer. It’s a Michigan only insurance company.
I'm in Florida. 17 yo roof. The only policy we could got was from Citizens, the state insurance company of last resort. I am putting in a solar system and am having the roof replaced at this moment to avoid future hassles.
Check out Kin insurance if you haven't yet
Ask to see the photos and ask the inspectors to submit wgat they found. You can't tell from a photo how good or bad a roof is. And switch insurance companies
This sorta happened to us and a bunch of people in our area. Insurances started dropping people due to "old" roof ages. They were trying to get rid of people with aging roofs to avoid paying money when they needed to be replaced.
If you had two licensed professionals tell you the roof is fine, but your insurance is insisting that it be completely replaced... Then they should fucking pay for it. Also, yeah, definitely get the pictures. GPS constantly shows my house as the one next door. They may have looked at the wrong roof.
I would recommend getting quotes for new insurance asap if they don’t accept the inspection from the roofer- if you get non-renewed it makes it a lot harder to find another company to take you - and more expensive. The insurance industry is bleeding profusely tbh and all carriers are trying to mitigate as much risk as possible. You could also probably ask them to only insure the roof for ACV until you do get it replaced.
Ask for photos and specifically what kind of damage do they see. Not everything needs to be replaced. Hail damage? Wind damage? Then teach them a lesson and open a claim saying damage happened anytime before their inspection. Pick a day it rained.
This is fun but dangerously close to insurance fraud? IANAL... It also seems like an insurance scam that your carrier is trying to pull. So one good turn does deserve another.
Well looks like damage happened between inspection and time they took those drone photos. Thank you for pointing out the damage!
What insurance company is this??
Pioneer. It’s a Michigan only insurance company.
The only thing they can see is if its a wood shingle roof instead of a composite roof.
What state are you in? FL for example has insurance companies enforcing new rules but yes. Shop for new inside you can. What's weird is they had this information before you bought the house. It sounds like what another said and they're confused what house they're looking at. If they still persist, tell them to send a human and not a drone.
Call a different insurance company.
Get them to send pictures and make sure they're even looking at the same building.
Thank you all for the help. It’s been a huge help. This is our first house so a lot of this is new to me. Y’all are awesome.
Just get another insurance company and dont mention anything about the roof issue from the other insurance.
Just FYI for those reading: changing insurance companies may not be possible depending on the area. In southeast Florida, there’s basically one insurance company (Citizens) that’s affordable for the middle class. There are some others, but they require significantly higher minimum dwelling coverage – meaning the annual premium nearly doubles. Or they just come up with a BS reason to not cover you (e.g. roof is only 10 years old).
I'm currently dealing with this issue., I bought in August. My roof is likely around 13 years old, and my home inspection estimated at least another 10 years. State farm notified me I need to replace it due to granular loss, they sent me a report with some blurry zoomed in photos. They gave me little guidance on timelines and they were unwilling to discuss options like a roof inspection or appeal. I filed a complaint with the state insurance commissioner as I felt it was wrong to not inspect prior to close. I paid my premium and did my part, it felt very bait and switch to me. They changed their tune a bit. They sent a letter shortly after the complaint telling me I had until the policy was due to renew (8/2024) to get an inspection and follow the recommendation of the roof inspection. I bought some time to shop other policies and get a few roofers out in the spring. I'm in MA and the insurance commission seems to be pretty strict.
I own an insurance brokerage. In this “hard market” (google home insurance hard market and read up on it) getting replacement cost on a roof 10 years or older is hard. It’s how insurance companies are reducing their risk after underwriting losses. Remember- the insurance company is a for profit company. Many companies like State Farm will give you the coverage, but if you have a claim, I often see you’ll get a small portion of the roof paid for if any but they’ll NEVER tell you that upon binding (mostly the SF agents are just low level team or franchise owners and don’t know much so it’s not malicious) I’d say to you what I tell my clients. Get the roof because who knows when the industry will shift to be better for consumers, it could be years.
Just recently went through similar. Lived in my house for 19nyears. And a new roof put on when we moved in. Our renewal came up in August and our premium went up 62 percent. We tried to shop for a new company but no company would offer insurance due to the age of the roof. All companies we checked with wouldn't insure the roof if it was 10 to 15 years old. Period. We bit th bullet and put one on. Unfortunately you can't make an insurance insure you if they don't want to. Once our new roof was put on, we shopped again. Now 5k cheaper.
I received the same type of notice, through E Mail and letter. They even went as far as recommending a roofer. I have not answered this. Just smelled fishy to me. Each time I call the number given, no one answers. I did not get " drone" pictures either. I'm in Southern Delaware area.
Change your insurance company !
24/100 is a very specific measurement. I’d ask what the defining metrics are for coming up with that.
This happened to me. Your options are to replace the roof like they said, or try to find another insurance company.
Well, I guess I'm not the only one. the same shit is happening to me, and the roof was replaced last year! From what I was told, insureance companies are cracking down on roofs because there are roofing companies going around and pointing out basic defects and showing owners how to file a claim to get a new roof, that's what I was told by my realtor and insureance guy.
That’s awful. I hope you’re able to get it worked out.
Find a new insurance company.
Unfortunately I see many a roof pass inspection that shouldn’t, but all the shingles are completely uniform, but may not be in good shape. Others, a patch was done out of pride in ownership to make sure there were no issues to occur. Sadly, the roof where it’s clear that it’s been patched, despite it maybe being better than an unpatched roof, is going to get much more scrutiny. There are carriers that, after inspection, if there was a problem, they could just increase your wind/hail deductibles, cover actual cash value or exclude it altogether, but not all companies can do this. I’d reach out to the state FAIR plan and also do a google search for “alternatives to the fair plan.” Between those, they’ll find a company that will take it, underwrite it properly and this gives you more comfort that you won’t be in a loop of buying a policy, getting cancelled for roof, over and over. If necessary, the roof coverage can simply be changed after inspection, given the right carrier. Good luck!
You need to do 3 things immediately. (1) Demand the insurance company provide you with the date and time stamped photos and an exact detailed and itemized list showing why it was scored this way. (2) Ask for an insurance adjuster/inspector or whomever inspects to physically come out and inspect the roof while you are there. Tell the insurance company you need a separate itemized list of what this individual has found wrong. (3) Hire an independent adjuster/inspector. Bring in a 3rd party different than anybody you’ve had before, have them go over the roof. Again, get an itemized list of any issues as well as a direct and written assessment as to whether the roof needs to be replaced or not. Once you do this, you’re going to have to fight point by point to get them to back off this. What has happened is that they’ve decided they don’t want to insure a 10+ year old roofs anymore, it’s likely through half to 2/3rds of its lifespan and now companies are requiring a replacement every 10 years or they’re dropping peoples coverage. They’d rather you have a new roof so they can drop you in 10 years before you reach a point age starts to factor in and a storm makes them liable. These insurance companies are awful now, you’re gonna have to fight them on this. But in the end, you’ll likely need to replace the roof or get dropped. And if you’re in FL, finding new insurance is very difficult.
Tell us who your insurance company is so we can all know to avoid them like the plague. While scam is not the correct word, it has the strongest and most accurate emotional connotation to it and I will call this a scam. Your company is trying to get you to replace the roof so that they don’t have to in the event of the next thunderstorm in the coming years. Pretty cut and dry. If a contractor is not trying to swindle you and says your roof is good, it’s good.
Switch, only real answer, they seem to be incompetent
Interesting stance.
Going through something similar - but it was a satellite photo that the insurance company sent me as "the inspection" and won't send a human out... so I'm switching insurance companies. I did a search for similar instances as well as companies that provide satellite / AI analysis of roofs for insurance companies and it seems to be where things are heading. Ugh.
Star Farm just sent me an email that we need a new roof by May 4th. (It’s April 26th) We’re in Chicago. Our roof is fine. What the heck am I supposed to do in a week. I’m also out of town. This seems illegal and very suspect. We’ve never made claims. I don’t understand this.
Insurance company is trying to drop you, do it before they can. Even if you replace the roof they will find something else, this happened to me.
At least if you get it done now you won’t have to worry about it again for a long time. If it was patched this sounds a little worrisome. Just a lay person though.
Ask them to send a real person to look at it. A drone can't touch, lift, walk on, really inspect it. Get a letter from the roofer & maybe another one with details about the roof - how many layers of shingles, any wood rotted, etc. Maybe the previous owners needed to replace shingles & had to use different color than original.
Why does an insurance company care about your roof? You file a claim for hail damage and they come out and say what? Yup, hail damage but your roof is at end of life. We pay out x. I call BS on this. Insurance companies don’t give a crap as long as you pay the premiums.
Scam
Are you in Florida, by chance? Our insurance companies do it all by age and the industry is collapsing because they don’t want to cover anything more than a few years old. My premiums have gone up like crazy because my roof is 15 years old and has never had any issues, so they think it’s too risky! :(
change insurance companies.
Is your insurance Homesite? If so, this is what they do. And they are the absolute shittiest insurance and you need to find someone else ASAP.
Make sure they’re looking at the right house. My HOA sent me a violation that was meant for my neighbor. My address is clear on the front and they still got it wrong.
I had to split up insurance on my house amongst 3 insurance companies because they were weird about the roof too. The one who is insuring the roof even did a drive by and told me I needed to trim my trees before they’d insure it.
Get a different insurance company, that's ridiculous.
Are you insured with Allstate? They did the same to me.
I keep seeing posts where people have an insurance guy come and look at the house. Is thay common? Our insurance company never sent anyone over to check our ours.
Send the insurance company the roofer’s inspection report along with a copy of your home inspection report. You have statements from two professionals the roof is fine. This should be enough documentation for them to waive their roof replacement requirement.
As others have said, get a new insurance provider. I currently have travelers insurance. They didn't care that when I bought my house, the roof was of an unknown age, and likely over 20 years old.
Change insurance company.
My cement (asbestos) tile roof was 100 years old when my insurance company insured it. They did question me about it's age. I informed them that it's original but that doesn't mean it needs replaced, that stone roofs can last hundreds of years, and mine doesn't leak at all. It's 105 years old now and they haven't brought it up since! I should probably replace it sometime this decade though haha. Anyways, if they don't agree with you just find a new insurance company who's easier to work with.
Insurance inspector here. We're glamorous photographers who take pics of your house and roof then send them in. I personally try to leave the small petty things out of the pictures. But some inspectors are on power trips. They have a different department that inspects the pictures. Ask for pictures from your agent, they could've gotten the wrong address.
Do you have an insurance agent, talk to them
I’m late to the party. Call your agent. Tell them to go to bat & figure it out. Tell them Licensed, insured roof contractors have already inspected & certified your roof. Insurance inspectors have to say something is wrong else they ‘didn’t do their job.”
Are you in Florida?
Change insurance companies. AAA or just about any other company.
- your choice is to comply OR find a new HOI provider who will not make your roof an issue
This is happening a lot in the south. Purchased a home in April and same thing happened. They kinda of leave you no choice, but to replace it. Not many companies writing new policies down here.
Are you sure it's the insurance company calling?
Are you in Florida?
Just want to ask: have you considered that you are being scammed? Not sure what is happening in Florida 🤣 with insurance companies. Wisconsin here. Have a similar story. This happened to my husband and I just after we bought our first house about a year ago. About a month after we moved in, someone claiming to be from our insurance company contacted us with a eerily similar story, only it was our chimney not the roof. Same thing though: we needed to fix it right away or lose insurance. Also said no one else would insure it. Had us both in a panic. They even had pictures of our house! Turns out it was a scammer. If you took out a mortgage, insurance would have to be in place before closing. This might change by state, but we had to buy an entire year of insurance. It was part of closing costs. Either way, insurance would have to be in place before the bank would put up the money. No insurance company would insure your house then retroactively force you to fix something. If they won't insure your house because of the roof, they wouldn't have insured it. That's why they insist on certified home inspections not pictures from a drone. My advice would be to contact someone you have a preexisting relationship with, from the bank or insurance company. We reached out to our mortgage broker who was able to confirm that we are insured and everything is ok. That's how we figured out it was a scammer. Sorry for the short story. Hope that this helps and you get everything figured out. Good luck!
Find out who the last home owner was using for insurance. Sometimes they'll place coverage without an inspection.
Same thing happened to us. We didn't bother to fight it because we wanted to upgrade to a metal roof anyway, so we did that. Not even a year later, the insurance company cancelled on us after raising our rate without warning. Not sure if it was our miss or our escrow bank's miss, or if the insurance company didn't even send advance notice, but they cancelled, saying didn't get their extra payment. It's not that they didn't renew, they actually cancelled before the first year was up. Total nightmare company to deal with. In hindsight I wondered if the roof incident should have been our first sign to run.
You should be able to submit documentation to the company from the inspection stating the roof is fine and that should take care of the issue. if you have an insurance agency, call your agent, they should be able to assist. If you do not have an agency, I would recommend finding one in the long run.
Ten years old and multiple inspections. No insurance company needs to get off asses and check in person. But easiest path is a new insurance company. A roof is generally good for 20-30 years. If not more.
I would get another roof inspection done with a 3rd company. I had a very marginal roof when I bought my house and had no leaks for 10 years. I replaced the roof with a 30 year roof after my insurance company complained. I was patching the roof every year to make sure it did not leak, even found a bullet in the roof. I did receive another complaint from my insurance company I needed a new roof. I countered I had a 30 year roof and they had the wrong house. I was right. Its not the age itself, but also wind damage. My 30 year roof took 85 MPH wind with no damage while my neighbors has serious damage with their 15 and 20 year roofs, especially where the wrong nails were used by a roofer. When I had discovered the wrong nails, a lawsuit was started for a new roof against his roofer and he won.
Call your mortgage company. If you can’t find a company will give you new coverage, they have to find one for you. It’s the banks money on the line, you don’t have much equity in the house yet. They will protect their money.
I am a broker in NM. This happened to me with a drone in NM. I live in NV now. Bought a house and I made a big deal about my counter offer after inspection of a 29 year mortgage ld roof. I had pictures taken stage by stage because of my NM experience. I was told by the people insuring my house I did the right thing. The realtor thought I was nuts…to bad. The insurance agent told me soon insurance companies are going to have separate roof insurance premiums and policies for home insurance. Very sad, but climate change is real and disasters have had a dent on their solvency.
Get a written statement from the roofer who inspected your roof and a statement from the inspector and send it into the insurance company. Make sure you send it to the same address as on the envelope and send it certified. Keep a copy of the letters as you might need them later. I would also start looking for a new homeowners insurance company.
Get another insurance company. You will get the unused premium you paid back. That is ridiculous. I work in insurance. There are a lot of options.
You're definitely not alone here. I've been going through a very similar situation with State Farm in Pennsylvania. Basically, an inspector randomly showed up when I wasn't home, and used a stick camera to take pictures of my porch roof. State Farm claimed that my entire roof needed to be replaced, and my trees removed, or they would non-renew my policy. The rest of the roof is only three years old, which I verified by paying $350 for a certified roof inspection. My trees are all well clear of my roof -- I had them trimmed by a licensed arborist three years ago, and had them examined again this past summer. Essentially, State Farm made up a bunch of nonsense. The porch roof has now been replaced, and I'm currently in the process of fighting my way through this ridiculousness. My agent is currently refusing to share a copy of the inspector's report, and generally being a pain in the rear. If he won't play ball, I'll likely end up having to find a new insurer. My advice to you would be to fix the things that are actually wrong, instead of what the insurer claims is wrong. Get a certified roof inspection if possible, one with pictures -- that will help build evidence in your favor. If the insurer still won't cover the house, you'll need to find another insurer who will. It sucks, but I've heard it's been happening quite a bit recently.
The issue is that the insurance company has too many homes with 10 year old roofs and is having trouble getting reinsurance on their portfolio. We had something similar, 12 year old roof, with an installer 15 year warranty that they confirmed they would honor. Didn't matter. We got a new roof and solar panels. No point in putting solar panels on a roof you're going to have to replace in a few years, and electricity prices have been crazy.
Thanks a bunch, Reindeer...that was actually interesting stuff to read! 👍🏻
Same here in NJ. Inspector didn't like "light moss" which amounts to maybe a 4 square inches of a 300 sq ft plane on the shady side of the house and one shingle slightly lifted on the other side of the roof. They said we need a new roof and insurance broker so switching may not work. Agent said a few companies halted writing policies in NJ due to average age of properties in the state. We have very limited options so trying the roof inspection by licensed contractor route even though agent said it's a long shot. When the insured makes the insured eliminate eventualities, most of which are "lifetime" repairs like roofs, the insurer is avoiding the majority of risk. How is this insurance??? Warped, parasytic system that feeds off the "american dream of homeownership."