I am hearing diff opinions on the minimum number of years of expected useful remaining life of asphalt shingles required in order for getting insurance.
Who knows what?
3 years is the cut off from what i have been told.
Depends on the insurance company. Some want 3 years and some want 5 years. But be careful how you write them. An nspecgtor in our area just got called from an insruance agent because he put 4-5 years on a roof. At 4 four years it was leaking and the agent thought the inspector should replace it and not the insurance company.
I was under the impression it was a minimum of 4.
Whatever number I state, I put estimated after the number.
Needs to be at least 3 yrs at the time of renewal or new policy date for most. Some want more life, especially on flat roofs.
Did one last year and gave it three years. The owner was just flagged again for a RC and they want to make sure now it has at least two years left.
I can understand a generalization So now we are future tellers?
We’ll not really, it comes down to common sense. If I see curling or deterioration of the shingles, and they look horrible, I call it out less than 3-5 yrs depending on my common sense. Just use your common sense;)
As professional inspectors, what the insurance company requires for remaining life expectancy of the roof coverings should be irrelevant to us. Just call it like you see it when giving estimated remaining life expectancy.
3-5 years minimum, and I have had several clients with Citizens, that if the roof is over 20 years old, it must be replaced…no matter what condition it is in. :twisted:
Does anyone recall if this was covered in John S’s presentation last yr April in COA Orlando?
Did one yesterday… all the agent wanted was an estimation the roof was less than 15 years old. Told her I thought it was 6-8, she was happy.
I dont unserstand this estimation stuff. 9 out of 10 times you can find the age of the roof by checking permits online, so you should know the exact age. On a rare ocassioni there are not permits, as least in South Florida. What happens when you guess and your are wrong, which can sometimes happen with a tile or architectural shingles. I could give a rats you know what about makeing an agent, or client, happy. I want to know the truth the best I can before I guess.
I put up the OP b/c there was nothing on the County permit site.
I’ve seen underwriters require that a roof be no more than 15 years old. Regardless of type, condition, or remaining life.
Aside from that, though, it’s usually 3 years.
Even a metal roof?
Sorry. …shingle roofs…for now 
hey there Eric. I’ve also had clients run into difficulty in obtaining insurance with 20 year roofs.
Bert
I am having trouble pulling a roofing permit from Duval County’s Website. Does Anyone out there know the secret for Duval’s building department website?
Tod Rheinholtz
TRI Home Inspections
tri-inspect.com
(904) 429-2200
I bet it is not as bad as North Lauderdale’s. You got to go there.
Any of you who pull permits gonna do that free?