Architectural Designs

Should my homeowners insurance pay for an entirely new roof?

I live in Michigan and have Pioneer State Mutual homeowners insurance. During a recent storm, a large tree in our backyard fell straight across our single story ranch style house, coming to rest with the tree top in our front yard. The tree damaged the roof in the front and back. The damage on the rear of the house is much more significant than in the front. We cannot find shingles to match the ones up there now, so the insurance company agreed to re-shingle the back half of the roof(not including attatched garage) and feel repairing the front half of the house with shingles removed from the rear is acceptable since you can't look at both sides of the house at the same time. The new(dimensional) and the old shingles(3 tab) look nothing alike. Every bone in my body tells me this is not right. Today we have asked them to put in writing why they will not redo the entire roof. We plan on filing a complaint with Michigans OFIS. Thanks for your replies. I am aware the dimensional shingles cost more than the 3-tab, however I'm told they actually install much faster than the 3-tab so we will end up saving on the labor end of things, enough to where it might actually cost less if not the same. The shingles that are on the roof now are between 10 and 15 years old. They were in great shape and I would say they had another 10 years left in them. At this point we are gonna shell out the extra dough to do the entire roof. It just seems pretty rotten they don't care what our house looks like as long as it functional. I'm not trying to benefit or profit from this, I just want to be where we were at before the tree fell... with a roof thats the same on both sides. This is the first time I've had to deal with anything like this and I'm very grateful for every reply. You've all helped out a bunch in this stressful time and I wish you all the best.

Public Comments

1. They should pay for the entire roof, although they only have to pay for the same type of shingles that are on your roof (3 tab) If you upgrade to a better shingle you have to pay the difference in the price of the shingles. No way is it acceptable to reuse old shingles .
2. Time to read the fine print. As much as you may not like it, they may be required to only repair the roof so that it doesn't leak, not make it look aesthetically pleasing as well. A complaint may not go anywhere, especially if the insurance can make the case why they chose the action they did (and they probably can). Legal action may cost more than the cost of a new roof done yourself. Your best course of action (IMHO) is to file the complaints and keep bothering the insurance company.
3. I recommend reading your policy and checking with your agent. Most HO-3 polices do not cover matching (for color or for style), period. Some companies offer a "matching endorsement" for purchase as an option on your policy, but it only comes into play if what you have, siding or shingles, are no longer available -- not if the color faded due to age. Any insurance company only owes the actually damaged portion of your roof -- whether it's 1 shingle or 12 squares -- and if they're covering the entire rear elevation, they're likely doing it as a courtesy and not out of any obligation. I'm sorry, but I think the best you'll be able to do is see if they'll compromise. I don't think the complaint is going to fly unless your policy specifically states they owe matching, especially if you're upgrading the materials. But once you've filed the complaint, the insurance company really won't have any motivation to work with you. Food for thought. You can always do it later if you truly feel (and can show!) that your company isn't complying with the terms of the policy. Good luck.
4. No, they only pay for the damaged section, to make it visibly match. Which it will from either angle of looking at it. If you want it to match, feel free to pay for the other half yourself. Feel free to file a complaint - but unless you have something very unusual written into your policy contract, they aren't obligated to "redecorate" your entire roof.
5. You will have a tough time getting this covered even if you involve the insurance commissioners office. 1. The insurance policy will have language in it such as "We will cover DIRECT PHYSICAL DAMAGE from a covered peril" The unmatched shingles suffered no direct physical damage and therefore aren't covered. 2. Insurance policy language and conditions are approved by the state. Each company has to present their policy language for approval so I don't see the insurance commissioners office overruling a policy that they approved. Good Luck
6. Honestly, I don't think your complaint will get you anywhere since your company only has to pay to get you back where you were before the loss, which is with a roof that does not leak & protects your house from the weather, nothing more, nothing less. Some companies/policies can depreciate for age & condition of the roof since it is a maintenance item & may not have to pay anything if the roof was at the end of its life, so you are ahead of the game there. What you CAN do, get an estimate from the roofer to replace the front shingles with the good shingles from the back and get ANOTHER estimate to do your roof entirely. Your insurance company will pay the one to move the shingles. If you want you can pay the difference & have the whole roof done new. That is what I would do. The difference may not be that bad because you will be paying a lot of labor to move the old shingles. They have to be careful taking off the shingles in the back to save as many as possible & then they have to take out the bad front shingles & weave in the others. The front of the roof will have to be replaced long before the back (depending on the current age & also the 3 tabs don't last as long as the dimensional ones). Say you are 10 yrs into a 20-25 year roof & the dimensional ones are usually 30 yrs some are 40 yrs. You will have to replace the front in 10-15 yrs & again, the new shingles probably won't match the back. You will have to add your deductible to the difference too since you will also be responsible for that.