My Roof Is Over 7 Years Old: Will Insurance Still Pay to Replace It in Arkansas?

If your roof is 7 years or older, your Arkansas homeowners policy may no longer pay full replacement cost for it. Since November 2, 2023, the Arkansas Insurance Department has allowed insurers to add a mandatory roof schedule endorsement on roofs 7 years or older, with proper notice to you, and to apply a separate wind and hail deductible. Here is what each one means, how to check your own policy in ten minutes, and what to do before the next storm.

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.

What changed in Arkansas in 2023

In Bulletin 17-2023, "Claims Settlements for Storm Damaged Roofs" (November 2, 2023), Insurance Commissioner Alan McClain said the Department will now allow two things it had not allowed before:

• A mandatory separate wind and hail deductible. Your policy can carry one deductible for wind and hail and a different one for everything else.
• A mandatory roof schedule endorsement for roofs 7 years or older, with proper notice to the insured. The bulletin says the notice form has to be submitted to the Department for approval.

Arkansas sees a lot of hail and wind. The National Weather Service office in Little Rock counted 60 tornadoes in the state in 2025, against a 1991 to 2020 average of about 37 a year (NWS Little Rock, Storms of 2025). That is why so many homeowners in Little Rock, Conway, Cabot and Benton are finding these terms on their renewals.

What a roof schedule means for an older roof

A standard replacement cost policy pays what it costs to replace a damaged roof with a similar new one, minus your deductible. A roof schedule changes that for the roof only. Instead of full replacement cost, the insurer pays according to a table based on the roof's age, so an older roof can be paid at less than what a new roof costs. The rest of your home can still be covered on the usual terms.

Every insurer writes its own schedule, and the bulletin does not set one. So nobody, including us, can tell you what your schedule pays without reading your endorsement. What you can know for sure:

• The bulletin allows it on roofs 7 years or older.
• You must get proper notice, usually with a renewal. Read anything your insurer mails about a roof or roof surface endorsement.
• Your roof's age matters. Asphalt shingles realistically last 15 to 20 years in Arkansas, so many roofs in Central Arkansas are past 7 years long before they wear out.

Separate wind and hail deductibles, and what they cost you

A separate wind and hail deductible is often written as a percentage of the home's insured value instead of a flat dollar amount. On a home insured for a few hundred thousand dollars, even a small percentage can be a deductible in the thousands. That is the amount you pay before the policy pays anything on a hail or wind claim.

Arkansas law helps here. Act 471 of 2023, now Arkansas Code 23-79-168, requires a residential policy issued or renewed in Arkansas that bases a deductible on a percentage of insured value to show the dollar amount of that deductible on the declarations page or the renewal notice. You should not have to do the math yourself.

How to check your policy in ten minutes

1. Find your declarations page (the summary page, usually first in your policy packet or in your insurer's app).
2. Look for two deductibles. If there is a wind and hail (or "windstorm or hail") deductible, write down the dollar amount next to it.
3. Look at the endorsements list for anything naming the roof, roof surface or a roof payment schedule.
4. Check RCV or ACV. Replacement cost value pays to replace with new, usually holding back depreciation until the work is done. Actual cash value pays replacement cost minus depreciation.
5. Call your agent if any of it is unclear and ask: Do I have a roof schedule? What would it pay on my roof at its current age? What is my wind and hail deductible in dollars?

These are the same questions on step 3 of our storm claim checklist. It is much easier to ask them now than the week after a hailstorm.

Does this mean I should not file a claim on an older roof?

Not at all. A roof schedule changes how much the policy pays; it does not change whether storm damage is covered. Real hail or wind damage on a 12-year-old roof is still storm damage. What changes is the math: compare the dollar amount the schedule would pay with your wind and hail deductible before you decide.

That starts with knowing whether there is storm damage at all. There is no charge for a storm damage inspection from Patriot Roofing and Restoration, and you get the 21-Point Roof Inspection Report with photos of what we found, slope by slope. If there is no storm damage, we tell you that too. See storm damage repair and roof inspections.

Will Patriot Roofing pay or waive my deductible?

No. Your deductible is your responsibility under your policy. Patriot Roofing follows Arkansas HB 1308 (2025) on deductibles and never waives, absorbs or pays a deductible. Arkansas Code 23-66-501 to 513 (fraudulent insurance acts) requires that what is sent to your insurer is true, so what the insurer is told you paid and what work was done must match what actually happened. A contractor who offers to "take care of" your deductible is asking you to take a legal risk.

What we can do: Patriot financing helps cover deductibles, with approved credit. See financing for the terms.

If your roof is getting older: what helps at renewal

• A newer roof is a younger roof on the schedule. If your roof is near the end of its 15 to 20 years anyway, replacing it resets its age for your insurer. Tell your agent when the new roof is done.
• Impact-rated shingles may qualify for a discount. Our Guardian package uses a Class 4 impact-rated shingle under UL 2218, the highest impact rating. It may qualify for a homeowners insurance discount; that varies by insurer, so ask yours. More in how impact-resistant shingles can lower insurance rates in Arkansas.
• Get your roof looked at once a year and after major storms, so you know its condition before a claim instead of after.

Prices for every package are on our pricing page, and you can get an estimate for your home with the roof cost calculator. Questions about a roof in Little Rock, North Little Rock, Maumelle, Conway, Cabot or Benton? Call 501.441.2900.

Quick answers

My roof is over 7 years old. Will insurance still pay full replacement cost?

It depends on your policy. Since Bulletin 17-2023 (November 2, 2023), the Arkansas Insurance Department allows insurers to add a mandatory roof schedule endorsement on roofs 7 years or older, with proper notice to you. A roof schedule can pay less than full replacement cost for an older roof. If your policy has no roof schedule, the usual replacement cost or actual cash value terms apply. Ask your agent which you have.

What is a roof schedule endorsement?

It is a change to your homeowners policy that sets how much the insurer pays for the roof based on its age, instead of paying full replacement cost. Each insurer writes its own schedule, so the only way to know your numbers is to read the endorsement or ask your agent.

What is a separate wind and hail deductible?

It is a deductible that applies only to wind and hail losses and can be different from, and often higher than, the deductible for other claims. The Arkansas Insurance Department allows insurers to apply one. It is often a percentage of your home's insured value rather than a flat dollar amount.

How do I find out what my wind and hail deductible is in dollars?

Look at your declarations page or your renewal notice. Arkansas Code 23-79-168 (Act 471 of 2023) requires a residential policy with a percentage deductible to show the dollar amount of that deductible on the declarations page or renewal notice.

Will Patriot Roofing pay or waive my deductible?

No. Your deductible is your responsibility under your policy. Patriot Roofing follows Arkansas HB 1308 (2025) on deductibles and never waives, absorbs or pays a deductible. Patriot financing helps cover deductibles, with approved credit.

Sources: Arkansas Insurance Department, Bulletin 17-2023 (November 2, 2023); Arkansas General Assembly, SB 368, Act 471 of 2023, chaptered text (Arkansas Code 23-79-168); National Weather Service Little Rock, Storms of 2025.

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.