Will insurance cover a 25-year-old roof?
Short answer. If your policy is still in force and a covered storm damages it, yes, though expect close scrutiny and a payout shaped by age. At 25 years most asphalt shingle roofs are at or past the end of their service life, so actual cash value or schedule based policies may pay little, and adjusters will look hard at whether damage is storm or wear.
The realities at 25 years
- Wear is everywhere. Granule loss, cracking and curling make storm marks harder to spot and easier to dismiss.
- Depreciation is near its maximum. On an actual cash value roof, the check may be a fraction of replacement cost. On replacement cost coverage, you still recover depreciation after the work is done.
- Insurers look closely at renewal. Some carriers require inspections, change settlement terms, or decline to renew older roofs. Georgia's Insurance Commissioner has said insurers may not nonrenew because of a change in eligibility or underwriting rules unless the change is approved by the Commissioner.
Storm damage still counts
A hailstorm does not care how old the roof is. Fractured shingles, punctured vents and dented metal after a dated storm are covered losses under an active policy. Brittleness at this age works in your favor in one way: repairs are rarely possible without breaking surrounding shingles, which supports full replacement if a slope is damaged.
What to do
- Find out how your roof is settled: replacement cost, actual cash value or payment schedule. See roof age and insurance.
- Get an independent inspection that photographs storm evidence separately from wear.
- If there is no storm damage, plan a replacement rather than filing a claim likely to be denied.
- If an adjuster calls everything wear, ask for the reasoning in writing and consider a reinspection request.
A new roof also resets your insurability. For budgeting, see Robust Roofing's roof replacement cost in Georgia.