If I Re-Roof My Home, Will That Reduce My House Insurance?

Caeva O'Callaghan | June 10th, 2022

Replacing the entire roof of your home is a vast undertaking – but will it affect your home insurance?

Replacing the entire roof of your home is a vast undertaking – but will it affect your home insurance?

If your roof is already of a standard construction, such as slates or tiles, then no. Replacing the roof of your home will have no impact on the cost of your home insurance.

In this case, re-roofing is considered standard maintenance necessary for all homeowners and does not constitute a change in risk level.

However, if you change your roof significantly, you may find that your insurance premiums change.

In this article, we’ll cover the following questions:

• What home maintenance is covered under my insurance?
• Are some roofs more expensive to insure?
• What are the risks of flat roofs?

Before you begin the quote process, it’s important to have details about your roof – such as its construction and materials – to hand. Your insurer will want to know this information.

What home maintenance is covered under my insurance?

All standard home maintenance activities are covered under your insurance, as long as they don’t change the risk level of your home.

For example, say you’re replacing your attic insulation. If it’s just a bit old and needs updating, this is fine, and you won’t need to tell your insurance. If your loft insulation is very old and of a dangerous, flammable material, and you’re replacing it with new inflammable insulation, this would constitute a reduction in risk and your premium would probably go down.

Similarly, if you have a flat roof or thatched roof, these are more expensive to insure as they pose a much higher risk to your home for different reasons. Replacing these roofs with standard construction materials may be an expensive initial outlay, but your insurance premium will go down – as well as your maintenance costs, most likely.

It is in every homeowner’s interest to keep up necessary maintenance on their home, as insurance policies never cover normal wear and tear. Failing to keep your home up to a certain standard is seen as negligence, and any claim attempts for damage which is the result of a lack of maintenance will normally be rejected.

Are some roofs more expensive to insure?

Yes. Flat roofs, mineral felt and thatched roofs are all more expensive than standard roofs because they pose a greater risk to the household.

Thatched roofs are at a high risk from fire. Once a fire has taken hold in a thatched roof, it will spread rapidly to the rest of the house and any nearby properties. The main causes of fire in thatch are stray sparks from the chimneys, discarded cigarettes and garden bonfires in your own garden or in a neighbour’s.

Mineral felt roofs are vulnerable to storm damage, especially if you don’t check them regularly. This kind of sheet material tears easily, and a small tear can turn into a big one during storms.

As an oil-based product, bitumen is also very flammable – and as such, at a higher risk of fire. Chimney fires are particularly common, and incredibly dangerous with a bitumen roof.

What are the risks of flat roofs?

Flat roofs are very expensive to insure, as they are some of the riskiest roofs to have. The main risk of having a flat roof is that water will collect on it. The extra weight of standing water, and the fact that it rarely dries out, can lead to leaks. A collapsed roof is a nightmare to deal with, and unless you keep your flat roof in tip-top shape your insurance will be unlikely to cover you.

If you have a flat roof, it’s likely the entirety of your roof is not flat. Perhaps the flat roof just covers the garage, or a portion of your house. Some flat roofs are typically on small extensions and constructed using mineral felt over wooden slats.

This matters because the more of your house has a flat roof, the bigger the risks. Not only is the area to repair or replace much greater, but any damage will have more of an impact on your home and belongings.

The key percentage here is 33%. Any less, and your insurer will be happy to provide you with insurance. Any more, and things may get a little more difficult.

If you’re replacing your non-standard roof with a more insurance-friendly type of construction, you should notify us as soon as possible as there will be many more insurance companies willing to quote you. Between the lower rates and more competition for your business, the price will drop quite significantly – so give us a call today to find the best deal! Call us call on 0818 224433 or 042 9359051 Monday-Fridat between 8.30am and 5pm.