Does Insurance Cover Roof Replacement? When It Pays for a Whole Roof

Homeowners insurance usually covers a roof replacement when a sudden, covered event such as hail, wind or a falling tree damaged the roof badly enough that it cannot be properly repaired. It usually does not pay to replace a roof that is simply old or worn out. Even when a full replacement is approved, you still pay your deductible, and in Arkansas an older roof may be paid on a roof schedule instead of at full replacement cost. Three questions decide your answer: what caused the damage, how much of the roof it affects, and how your policy pays.

This is general information to help you know what to ask. It is not insurance advice. Your own policy, and your insurance company, decide what is covered.

Question 1: What caused the damage?

Most homeowners policies cover sudden, accidental damage from the perils they name. For a roof in Central Arkansas that usually means:

• Hail that bruises, cracks or knocks granules off shingles, or dents vents, flashing and other soft metals.
• Wind that lifts, creases or tears shingles off.
• A falling tree or limb that punctures or crushes part of the roof.

What policies generally do not pay for is a roof wearing out. The sample HO-3 homeowners form that the Insurance Information Institute publishes (ISO form HO 00 03 10 00) lists "wear and tear, marring, deterioration" among the things it does not insure. Your policy may be worded differently, but the idea is the same in most of them: age, weathering and maintenance problems are the homeowner's job, not the insurer's.

That matters because asphalt shingles realistically last 15 to 20 years in Arkansas. A 22-year-old roof that is curling and losing granules everywhere needs replacing, but unless a storm also damaged it, that is usually not an insurance claim. We cover the same cause test for leaks in does homeowners insurance cover a roof leak in Arkansas.

Question 2: Is it a repair, a slope or the whole roof?

This is where most of the confusion comes from. Storm damage being covered does not automatically mean a new roof. A replacement cost policy generally pays to repair or replace the part of the building that was damaged. The sample HO-3 form words it as "the replacement cost of that part of the building damaged" with "material of like kind and quality." So the insurance company's adjuster looks at how much of the roof was actually hit and whether it can be fixed properly.

In our experience a storm claim ends one of three ways:

• Full replacement, when the damage is spread across the roof.
• Partial replacement or repair, when the damage is limited to one or more slopes or a few spots.
• Denial, when the adjuster finds no covered storm damage, or decides the damage is wear and tear.

Because the decision is made slope by slope, how the damage is documented matters. When we inspect after a storm, we photograph the damage on each slope and on the soft metals (vents, flashing, gutters), and a Patriot specialist meets the adjuster on the roof to show what we found. When an adjuster approves a repair but the existing shingles cannot be repaired without breaking, we record a brittle test with photos and video to ask for the full slope or the full roof. If we disagree with the adjuster's decision, a reinspection is an option; it has its own cost, paid by the homeowner. See reinspections and the brittle test for how both work.

Not sure which side of the line your roof is on? Our repair or replace guide walks through it without insurance in the picture.

Question 3: How does your policy pay?

If a replacement is approved, three parts of your policy decide how much of the bill it covers.

Replacement cost or actual cash value

A replacement cost value (RCV) policy pays what it costs to replace the damaged roof with a similar new one, minus your deductible. Many RCV policies pay in two parts: a first check for the actual cash value, then the depreciation they held back once the work is done. The sample HO-3 form says the insurer will pay "no more than the actual cash value of the damage until actual repair or replacement is complete." An actual cash value (ACV) policy pays replacement cost minus depreciation and stops there, so on an older roof the gap can be large.

A roof schedule on roofs 7 years or older

In Bulletin 17-2023 (November 2, 2023), the Arkansas Insurance Department allowed insurers to add a roof schedule endorsement on roofs 7 years or older, with proper notice, and to apply a separate wind and hail deductible. A roof schedule pays for the roof by a table based on its age, so an older roof can be paid at less than a new roof costs. It does not change whether storm damage is covered. We explain how to check for one in my roof is over 7 years old: will insurance still pay to replace it?

Code upgrades (ordinance or law coverage)

Sometimes a building code requires work beyond putting back what was there. Many policies include ordinance or law coverage for those extra costs. In the sample HO-3 form it is an additional coverage of up to 10% of the dwelling limit for "the increased costs you incur due to the enforcement of any ordinance or law." Your policy may carry a different amount or none at all, so ask your agent. In the towns we serve, Hot Springs, Hot Springs Village, Maumelle, Cabot, Searcy, White Hall and Haskell require a roofing permit for a replacement, and we pull it as part of the job.

What you still pay when insurance covers a replacement

An approved claim rarely means the homeowner pays nothing. On a replacement cost policy, your share is usually:

• Your deductible. It is always your responsibility. Patriot Roofing and Restoration follows Arkansas HB 1308 (2025) on deductibles and never waives, absorbs or pays a deductible. Patriot financing helps cover deductibles, with approved credit.
• Decking the insurer does not pay for. Rotted or damaged boards are often found only after tear-off.
• Any upgrades you choose, such as moving up to a Class 4 impact-rated shingle or a metal roof. The insurance work and your upgrades go on one construction agreement, so you can see exactly what you are paying for.

Information sent to your insurer has to be true. We send the insurer a certificate of completion when the job is done, and what the insurer is told you paid and what work was done always matches what actually happened.

When filing does not make sense

A claim is worth filing when there is real storm damage and the amount is meaningfully more than your deductible. It usually is not worth filing when:

• The roof is simply at the end of its life with no storm damage. Plan a roof replacement on your own schedule instead, and see our pricing for the four packages.
• The damage is small, such as a few shingles from one windy day, and a repair costs less than your deductible.

The way to know which one you have is an inspection before you call your insurer.

How we help on a storm claim

1. Free storm inspection. There is no charge for a hail, wind or storm damage inspection, and you get our 21-Point Roof Inspection Report with photos. If there is no storm damage, we tell you that too.
2. You call your insurer with what we found, and we help you prepare. Ask for a licensed insurance adjuster, not a third-party inspector.
3. We meet the adjuster on your roof under our contingency agreement and show the damage slope by slope.
4. If it is approved, we audit the scope of loss, submit supplements for anything missing and build the roof. See after your claim is approved.

The full process is on our storm claim checklist and our storm damage repair page. We work with your insurance company; we do not negotiate settlements or act as a public adjuster, and the insurer decides coverage.

Frequently asked questions

Will insurance replace my roof just because it is old?

Usually not. Policies generally exclude wear and tear and deterioration. An old roof with real hail or wind damage can still be a covered claim, but age alone is not.

Will insurance pay for a whole new roof if only one side is damaged?

Not always. Policies generally pay to repair or replace the part that was damaged, so one damaged slope may get a slope replacement or a repair. If the remaining shingles are too brittle to repair, a brittle test can support a request for more.

Will Patriot Roofing pay or waive my deductible?

No. Your deductible is your responsibility under your policy. We follow Arkansas HB 1308 (2025) and never waive, absorb or pay a deductible. Financing with approved credit can help you pay it.

Can I upgrade my roof on an insurance claim?

Yes. Insurance pays for like kind and quality; you pay the difference for any upgrade you choose, and it is written into the same construction agreement.

How long do I have to file a roof claim?

It depends on your policy, and you should not wait. See how long you have to file a roof claim in Arkansas.

Will a new impact-rated roof lower my premium?

It may. A Class 4 impact-rated roof may qualify for a discount, which varies by insurer. Call your agent once the new roof is on. More in how impact-resistant shingles can lower insurance rates in Arkansas.

Find out what your roof qualifies for

Book a free storm or replacement inspection. We will check every slope, show you photos of what we found and tell you plainly whether it looks like an insurance claim or a roof that is simply due. Contact us or call 501.441.2900.

Sources: Insurance Information Institute, sample Homeowners 3 Special Form HO 00 03 10 00 (iii.org), checked November 9, 2026; Arkansas Insurance Department Bulletin 17-2023 (November 2, 2023). This article is general information, not insurance advice. Coverage, deductibles and deadlines vary by policy and insurance company. Confirm the details with your agent or insurer.