I would like your opinion on something.....
@AbbyGreenhill (45496)
United States
July 14, 2017 12:48pm CST
Two years ago our neighbor's stepson needed a new roof. The neighbor paid for it since the stepson has no money (or claims to have none). At the time the roofers looked at neighbors roof and asked how old it was. It was 15 years old and looked much older. The color was pretty much gone. Neighbor told roofers he didn't need a new one.
Fast forward to yesterday. Neighbor got a new roof, a metal roof. At that point his old roof was 17 years old. My husband chatted with him today about the roof and was told insurance paid since the old one leaked.
I know that people hate insurance companies for many reasons, but in this case I don't think the insurance should have paid for a new roof for him. The roof was shot, it leaked. That's neighbor's fault for not replacing it sooner. If the roof had blown off in a tornado, that's fine - let insurance pay.
But this guy knew he needed a new roof, didn't want to spend the money, so now he got a free one. I think insurance companies should pro-rate how much they pay for a new roof in a situation like neighbor's. He doesn't deserve a free roof because he was too cheap to get a new one.
A regular asphalt roof lasts 17-18 years (depending on factors such as location, trees, etc.) so his roof was close to death anyway. So if y'all want a free roof wait until yours is almost at it's end and then pray for rain and you'll get a free one!
We have architectural shingles which are good for 25-30 years....Unless we get hit by a tornado the house and roof will outlast us.
Do you think insurance should have paid for his roof or should have be responsible at least for most of it?
Photo from Pixabay
14 people like this
14 responses
@AbbyGreenhill (45496)
• United States
14 Jul 17
We replaced a roof at the last house because it was 14 years old and we were putting the house on the market and wanted that to be a selling point. I hated to think of a leaking roof with buyers looking at it.
1 person likes this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
14 Jul 17
@AbbyGreenhill I am delighted to say that today is one of my better days. They are rapidly becoming rare, which makes it even more welcome.
1 person likes this
@AbbyGreenhill (45496)
• United States
14 Jul 17
That's what I say. How are you feeling???
2 people like this
@AbbyGreenhill (45496)
• United States
14 Jul 17
@Asylum I sincerely hope you have many good days.
2 people like this
@much2say (53944)
• Los Angeles, California
14 Jul 17
I am surprised to read that his insurance actually covered this, especially since there was nothing really to cover. Basically his roof had gotten "old" - of course it started to leak - that's what happens to old roofs. I don't see how this was ok'd by the insurance company!
1 person likes this
@much2say (53944)
• Los Angeles, California
18 Jul 17
@AbbyGreenhill Yes, like wearing a sweater for several seasons and then trying to return it!
@AbbyGreenhill (45496)
• United States
14 Jul 17
I agree with you. It's like buying a sweater, wearing it and returning it for a full refund.
1 person likes this
@LadyDuck (458862)
• Switzerland
15 Jul 17
NO, surely the insurance here would not have paid, it is different if the roof is damaged by natural causes, like strong wind, lightning, or other factors. We had to replace a couple of tiles 4 years ago due to the very big hail, the insurance paid. When we will need a new roof, they will not pay. Our Swiss terracotta tiles roofs come with a 50 years warranty, the house is 28 years old, I think we will not need to change ours.
2 people like this
@LadyDuck (458862)
• Switzerland
15 Jul 17
@AbbyGreenhill This is what I fear, a two story home aging can be a problem. It is true that if this is the only problem, we can install a stair lift. Let's see how things go for the next 5 years and then we can make our final decision.
2 people like this
@LadyDuck (458862)
• Switzerland
15 Jul 17
@AbbyGreenhill We also have a basement, one to go up and one to go down would be great.
1 person likes this
@AbbyGreenhill (45496)
• United States
15 Jul 17
I love those tile roofs! Our roof is good for more years than we'll be here for sure. i mean at some point this place will get to be too much for my husband to take care of.
1 person likes this
@paigea (35718)
• Canada
19 Jul 17
@AbbyGreenhill I don't know what I can do besides feeling annoyed!
@andriaperry (116860)
• Anniston, Alabama
14 Jul 17
Since I used to run a roofing company, industrial roofing but the guarantee is still within the same principal. When applying a 20 year roof, it should last 20 years or its guaranteed.
When dealing with home owners insurance and you get a new roof and it does not last the said amount of years then yes, no matter if its filed one week before deadline, insurance is supposed to pay for it.
And I look at it this way, when I pay for insurance for 18 years and not used it, I have a new roof coming! A metal roof only costs a couple thousand and if its a small place under a thousand.
1 person likes this
@AbbyGreenhill (45496)
• United States
14 Jul 17
Many insurance companies raise your rates when you put in a claim. His house is 2,000 sq feet...it's a trailer. I think I next time we are at the insurance company I'm going to ask about roofs.
2 people like this
@AbbyGreenhill (45496)
• United States
14 Jul 17
@andriaperry My thinking is if you get 95 percent use from something then you don't get a 100 percent replacement! I will ask, I have a feeling he uses the same ins. co we do.
@andriaperry (116860)
• Anniston, Alabama
14 Jul 17
@AbbyGreenhill Ask just to see what they say. Yes some do raise the rates.
1 person likes this
@patgalca (18181)
• Orangeville, Ontario
14 Jul 17
I don't know what insurance is like there but if I tried to claim a new roof for my house, I would A) have to pay a deductible like $300-$500, and B) my insurance premiums are likely to go up. We had leaks everywhere in our house a couple of years back if you remember. We had to use insurance but it was the eavestrouph that needed replacing and the insurance covered that as well as all the repairs inside, but we did have to pay a deductible. Nothing is free.
@amadeo (111948)
• United States
14 Jul 17
this is a tough one.The old roof was well over twenty years.Serve its purpose.The new one half way there.The rest I will not be around
@Tampa_girl7 (49101)
• United States
15 Jul 17
I think it should only pay if it's damaged by a storm or other natural disaster. 
1 person likes this
@AbbyGreenhill (45496)
• United States
2 Aug 17
I agree, and he has had issues with the roof for a year or more...he new he needed a new one so he took advantage.
@CookieMonster46 (13447)
• United States
14 Jul 17
We have always in the past paid for our own.. never heard of the insurance paying.
@AbbyGreenhill (45496)
• United States
14 Jul 17
Did you ever have s leak or damage?
1 person likes this
@CookieMonster46 (13447)
• United States
14 Jul 17
@AbbyGreenhill This current house is not ours, so when we had the last leek the owner was responsible for fixing it and took her time .
The other house , yes we did end up having to put a new roof on ...
@AbbyGreenhill (45496)
• United States
14 Jul 17
@CookieMonster46 roof are not cheap.
1 person likes this
@AbbyGreenhill (45496)
• United States
2 Aug 17
I agree. I think people go a little too far for something free
1 person likes this
@Courtlynn (66918)
• United States
14 Jul 17
I actually agree with you. No way should the insurance have paid.
@AbbyGreenhill (45496)
• United States
2 Aug 17
Yes, - but - if you have a 17 year old roof (that he knew he has an issue with) why get a full roof free? I think it should be pro-rated...no wonder insurance rates go up up up.
1 person likes this
@AbbyGreenhill (45496)
• United States
3 Aug 17
@RubyHawk I think that if a roof is 'guaranteed' for 18 years, then the roofing company should pay something toward it not the whole amount by the ins. co.
Years back, our second home in TN had a leak in the living room shortly after we moved in. We called a roofer and the nice young many said, "I can't touch this roof, call your insurance co." So we did and they sent a roofer who got up on the roof and found two serious things:
. The 'valleys' had been done incorrectly which is why water was gushing into the house
. There was no felt on the roof at all
He told insurance that he would not repair the roof as he would have to keep coming back after any big rain and redo it. He said the roof needed to be replaced. That roof was only 5 years old and had been done incorrectly. We were totally shocked and only later did the neighbors tell us that the previous owners had a lot of issues with leaks in the house and that they kept painting the ceiling to hide it. Needless to say it wasn't an issues they informed potential buyers about.
1 person likes this
@RubyHawk (99423)
• Atlanta, Georgia
3 Aug 17
@AbbyGreenhill I see your point but if I pay for insurance I would want to inc. company to pay for my roof.
