Most homeowners in Muskogee can tell you when they last put a new roof on their house. But not all of them can tell you how their home insurance policy covers it after it hits a certain age. At D & E Insurance Agency, we see homeowners getting caught off guard after their roof is damaged from a severe hailstorm.
What Hail Season Does to Shingles
Here in Eastern Oklahoma, springtime hailstorms and straight winds blow through on the regular. Hell pulls granules off your shingles even if it’s not enough damage to cause a leak. But this is the kind of wear and tear that adds up over time. And if your roof is older, it really takes a beating.
How Roof Claims Are Settled in OK
The Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled in 2002 that the age of a roof and the condition it’s in can count as relevant evidence. And the Oklahoma Insurance Department makes it clear that an aging roof will only qualify for its cash value. A newer one can still have full replacement coverage. Now, a lot of insurance carriers schedule roof inspections by age.
Old Houses, New Roofs
In the Founders Place area, you’ll see homes that were built before Oklahoma even became a state. They have features like steep pitches and dormers that you don’t see in a lot of modern homes.
The roofs on these houses get replaced on their own timeline. If a house in Muskogee was built in 1912 but has new shingles that were nailed down five years ago, your home insurance policy focuses on the shingles.
Make Sure You (and Your House) Are Completely Covered Before Storm Season
The age of your roof is one of the most overlooked sections in a home insurance policy. But it could be the one thing that decides how your claim goes. Get in touch with D & E Insurance Agency to go over your policy with you so you can be sure exactly what you’ve got.
