How Are Roofs Inspected for Insurance?
An inspector checks the roof's age, material, and condition, often by satellite photo or drone, sometimes in person.
Free to compare
What the inspector looks for
They're checking for how many years of life the roof has left, not just whether it leaks today. Curling shingles, missing granules, moss, and soft spots all signal wear. If a cancellation letter cited the roof, this is likely what the report flagged.
Satellite versus in-person
Many insurers now order aerial or satellite images instead of sending someone to climb up. These catch obvious damage and age but miss what's underneath, like soft decking. If you think the report got it wrong, an in-person inspection can sometimes correct that.
Age matters more than looks
A roof can look fine from the ground and still be past the age an insurer will cover. Many companies set cutoffs around 15 to 20 years depending on material. Your declarations page or the non-renewal letter should say if age was the reason.
Getting a new inspection report
If you've made repairs or replaced the roof since the insurer's last look, a fresh inspection report from a roofer or adjuster can support a new application. Insurers shopping your case will want documentation, not just your word, that the problem is fixed.
One roof, different verdicts
The insurer that dropped you looked at one report. Others may weigh the same roof differently, especially with new documentation in hand. Comparing quotes shows whether the cutoff that ended your policy is universal or just theirs.
What happens if you disagree with the inspection
Satellite images get roofs wrong more often than most homeowners expect. A shadow can read as a dark stain. A patch of moss on one corner can get flagged as widespread wear, when the rest of the roof is sound. If the letter you got describes damage or wear you don't think is there, you can ask the insurer what the inspection was based on. Most will tell you whether it came from aerial imagery or someone on a ladder, and that answer tells you how much room there is to push back.
Getting a roofer out for your own inspection before you reapply anywhere is worth doing even if it costs something out of pocket. A written report with photos, dated and specific about how many years the roof has left, carries more weight than a phone call saying the roof is fine. Ask the roofer to address the exact issue the letter raised, whether that's age, missing shingles, or soft spots. Keep a copy for yourself. You may end up sending it to more than one company before this is settled.
If the roofer finds real problems, get repair estimates and ask whether fixing specific things changes the outcome. Replacing soft decking or clearing moss off one section is not the same as a full roof replacement, and insurers don't all require the latter. Some will cover a roof with a patched area if the rest of the structure checks out, especially with documentation showing the fix was done properly and recently. Ask the roofer to note the date of the repair on the report, since that date matters to an insurer deciding whether to count the work.
None of this moves fast, and the letter you received has a date on it for when coverage ends. If the repair or dispute process is going to take longer than that, start applying elsewhere with what you have now. A fresh inspection report, even one showing the roof still needs work, is more useful to a new insurer than an old satellite photo you're contesting. Waiting on a dispute to resolve while your deadline passes leaves you with no coverage at all, which is worse than coverage priced for a roof that needs attention.
Does the type of roof material change the outcome
Insurers don't treat all roofing the same way even at the same age. Asphalt shingles wear on a fairly predictable schedule, and most insurers know roughly what 12 years or 18 years looks like on that material. Metal, tile, and slate age differently and often get longer before an insurer flags them. If your non-renewal letter named an age cutoff, check what that cutoff was for. A roof rated for 20 years under one material standard might be judged against a 15 year cutoff if the report misread what it's made of.
Flat roofs and low-slope roofs get their own scrutiny too. They hold water differently than a pitched roof, and wear shows up as ponding or membrane cracking rather than missing shingles. Satellite imagery is worse at reading these than it is at reading a standard shingle roof, since the damage is often subtle from above. If your house has a flat or low-slope section and that's what got flagged, an in-person inspection matters more here than it would for a simple pitched roof.
Material also affects what a replacement or repair actually buys you with a new insurer. Upgrading from asphalt to metal or to a Class 4 impact-resistant shingle can move the needle on both eligibility and what gets charged, since those materials hold up better against hail and wind. If you're replacing the roof anyway because of the non-renewal, ask the roofer what options exist beyond a like-for-like swap. The cost difference up front sometimes gets offset by what insurers are willing to offer once the new material is documented.
None of this means material is the whole story. Age, condition, and installation quality still carry most of the weight in an inspection. But if two roofs of the same age get different verdicts from different companies, material is one of the first places the difference comes from, and it's worth knowing before you reapply.
Before you reapply
Pull your declarations page or the letter and check exactly what the inspection cited, age, material, or specific damage. That detail tells you whether a repair, a new report, or just a different insurer solves it.
