Of everything on a homeowners application, roof age moves the outcome most. Not square footage, not the alarm, not even the claims history in a lot of cases. The roof.
Replacement cost versus actual cash value
A new roof damaged in a storm is usually settled at replacement cost: the carrier pays what it costs to put a new roof on, minus your deductible.
An older roof is often settled at actual cash value — replacement cost minus depreciation for the years it has already been used. On a twenty-year-old roof that can be more than half the check. You still owe the roofer the full amount.
Many Louisiana policies now carry a roof payment schedule endorsement that spells out the percentage paid at each age. It is a table, it is in your policy, and most people have never seen it. Ask us for it.
The age thresholds that matter
They vary by carrier, but the pattern is consistent:
- Under 10 years. Standard market, replacement cost, best pricing.
- 10–15 years. Still placeable, sometimes with a roof schedule attached.
- 15–20 years. ACV settlement on the roof is common. Some carriers decline.
- Over 20 years. Many standard carriers won’t write it at all. You’re looking at surplus lines or Louisiana Citizens, both more expensive.
If your roof is at 14 years and your renewal is coming, that is worth a conversation before the birthday, not after.
What actually helps
Keep the paperwork. The invoice, the permit, the dated photos. “Roof replaced 2021” gets you a better rate than “roof is pretty new” — but only if you can document it when the underwriter asks.
Fortified roofs earn real money. A roof built to the IBHS FORTIFIED standard, with the certificate to prove it, gets a discount that Louisiana law requires carriers to give, and it makes a house placeable that otherwise wouldn’t be. The state has run a grant program to help homeowners pay for them; whether it’s funded and open changes year to year, so ask us where it stands right now.
Repairs are not replacements. Patching four squares does not reset the roof’s age with an underwriter. Be accurate about this — a misstatement discovered at claim time is a much bigger problem than a higher premium.
If you’re buying a house
Get the roof’s age during the inspection period, not after closing. We can tell you in an afternoon whether the house is standard-market insurable at that roof age and roughly what it costs. That number occasionally changes what people are willing to pay for the house — better to know before you’re under contract.
Send us the address and the age of the roof and we’ll tell you what we can do with it.
This is general information about how coverage typically works in Louisiana, not advice about your specific policy. Policy language, carrier practice, and state law all change, and yours may differ from what's described here. Your policy and its endorsements are the contract. For an answer that applies to you, send us your declarations page or call (225) 347-4185.Red Stick Insurance Agency · Louisiana licence #1260833 · NPN 22128563.