Metal Roofs – 5 Things to Know

So you want a metal roof on your residential home.  Metal roofs are not the answer that you believe they are on a residential dwelling (i.e. home).

They are high maintenance, high cost and mean higher insurance.

Here are 5 things you need to know.

INSURANCE PREMIUM

Your new metal roof is worth considerably more than an asphalt roof.  That means that the replacement cost of your home has just increased and with it comes a new and higher insurance premium.  Your insurance bill has just increased because the loss exposure has changed.

INSURANCE DEDUCTIBLE

You may also go from a numeric deductible amount to a percentage.  Instead of say a $1,500 deductible, your deductible can be as high as 3% of the insured value of your home.  It is not uncommon to have a $10,000+ deductible once you install a metal roof.

COSMETIC DAMAGE

So your new metal roof looks spectacular.  Until . . . it . . . hails.  Now your beautiful roof is dimpled and dented.  You are going to be looking at this probably forever because the damage is now excluded as “cosmetic damage” in your insurance policy.

BELOW THE DEDUCTIBLE

If you do sustain damage where seams are compromised or panels have blown off then the insurance company is going to write only to replace the panels it must replace – not the entire roof.  It is not uncommon for the insurance company to write to put a panel back on if it is still around.  So, you aren’t even getting a new panel, but the old one panel put back on.  The total repairs are going to be far below your insurance deductible and the damage is your financial responsibility to repair.  And, now you have a non-payable claim against you and your insurance rate may increase.

HIGH MAINTENANCE

Those neoprene washes will deteriorate . . . they will become leaks zones . . . and there are hundreds if not thousands of them.  Every 3-5 years you will need to have your roof serviced because without regular, diligent and competent maintenance most metal roofs will eventually leak.  Metal expands and contracts with temperature variations and if your roof is not installed properly to account for expansion then you WILL have problems.

Termination strips eventually deteriorate and also become leak zones.  Improper cleats on eaves leave metal roofs susceptible to wind damage.  Misaligned, over-driven and under-driven fasteners needs to constantly be identified and corrected.

TAKE-AWAY

Metal roofs look fabulous and you won’t be replacing a roof every time a hail storm comes through.  However, you are never going to get a new metal roof from insurance unless a tornado takes it away.  Cosmetic damage on metal roofs is excluded.  Eventually a metal roof will need replacement if regular maintenance is not performed.  When the metal roof becomes a headache, you will be buying its replacement.  Knowing how your insurance coverage will change gives you more information to consider before you make the call to replace with metal.

THE FINAL WORD

Metal roofs are great for outbuildings.  They are not great for a dwelling (i.e. a home).

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This blog is NOT legal advice.  It is not insurance policy advice.  You should consult and attorney and/or a licensed insurance agent for your specific situation.