I recently received a landlord insurance policy from Allstate, but after they inspected the property (not sure if it was in-person or just from photos we provided), they canceled it because they claimed the roof shows granular loss. The house was built in 2010, which means the roof is currently 14 years old. I've noticed no visible damage like warping, buckling, or missing shingles. The house is located just southwest of Houston, TX, and it hasn't experienced any major weather damage from hurricanes, floods, or tornadoes since it was built. Is it typical for a roof this age to show some granule loss? Do newer roofs also lose granules? I'm curious about how significant this granule loss could be for insurance purposes. Are insurers just trying to avoid certain areas?
4 Answers
I know the struggle! We had to completely replace the siding and repaint our roof just to get insured. If your landlord policy doesn't fit their criteria anymore, it might be best to check with other insurers because this can be a pretty common issue now.
If they consider a 14-year-old roof too risky, they’re likely just being cautious since they want to avoid coverage for worn-out roofs. It’s not uncommon for roofs to start showing signs of wear by that age, but it's frustrating if you expected it to be covered. Ideally, roofs should last 20+ years, but there's a lot of variability. As for the granules, they help protect the underlayer from UV rays and provide a waterproof barrier, so losing them can signal aging to insurers.
Yeah, the insurance situation is tough in places like Texas and Florida. You might want to explore other insurance companies or consider getting a policy with an actual cash value (ACV) approach, which might be more lenient. Also, raising the deductible could help you find a better deal. Just a thought!
'Granular loss' usually just means they think the roof is aging too much for their comfort. It looks risky from their perspective, so they won't insure it. You might need to think about re-shingling if you want to keep coverage.