My partner dealt with this house’s final closing and signing and stuff last year. I personally don’t know how old our roof really is and this has started to bug me because I am trying to switch home insurance for 2021 right now.
I could only give the insurance companies vague answers such as “I am not sure but I heard the previous owner replaced it not that long ago” and “I didn’t deal with the paperwork I don’t know everything, but I am pretty sure it’s still new.”
There’s no way that I am able to contact the previous owner because he died.
My partner is not helping because he apparently can’t remember anything. Ahahaha… ugh.
Does your insurance company really need this information?
Mine seemed fine with estimates on most things, and they will usually send someone out to do a quick inspection to make sure everything looks good. If there’s a major difference between what you reported and what they see, they’ll let you know.
If they do need exact info, you can try looking up permits, but not every roof replacement requires one. Your other option is to pay a roofer to come out and give you an estimate on the age.
@Briar
I had a similar situation. The insurance kept asking, so I finally had a roofer come and do a quick check. He estimated it based on the shingles and said it was about 10 years old. Insurance was happy with that estimate.
Wynn said:
Call roofing companies in your area. They can often look up the address or previous owner in their records and tell you when they worked on it.
A roof shouldn’t be replaced based solely on age but on the condition of the shingles. A reputable roofing company can check the shingles with a gauge to measure their thickness and how much grit is left. They’ll also look for issues like nail pops, buckling, and lifts. A well-installed architectural shingle roof can last 25-30 years, even in tough conditions, except for things like hail. A 3-tab shingle might last 16-20 years. The quality of the install plays a big role in its lifespan, so factors like proper barrier installation, nailing, and substrate make a big difference.
I didn’t have to provide the roof’s age to my insurance. They sent someone to inspect the house and take pictures. I think my roof is original from 2005 when the house was built. About six months later, we had a windstorm, and shingles started flying off. If they needed me to replace it, they should’ve told me upfront.
Why do you think it needs to be replaced soon? Also, in the closing documents, they should have disclosed the roof’s age. Just something for anyone else buying a house to keep in mind.
It sounds like you already have a good guess—‘replaced not that long ago’ and ‘still new’ both sound like it’s in good shape. I’d estimate it’s 1-3 years old based on that. You could ask your agent if it’s really worth digging into the exact age.