Homeowners across Oklahoma are finding that roof coverage is not what it was: higher deductibles, actual cash value settlement where replacement cost used to apply, non-renewals on older roofs, and in some cases carriers declining to quote at all. None of it is arbitrary, and all of it affects whether your house can be sold.
This article explains what is driving the change, what to look for on your own policy, what to do about it, and why insurance has become a transaction obstacle rather than just a household cost.
We buy houses including ones that are difficult to insure, so read the last section knowing that. We are not insurance advisers, brokers or adjusters. Carrier practices and policy forms vary enormously and change, so confirm anything here with your own agent.
Why this is happening
Not a conspiracy and not specific to you. Several pressures at once.
Hail losses. Oklahoma sits in one of the most active hail regions in the country, and roofs are what hail damages. Frequency and severity of these losses drive everything else, covered in our article on hail damage and insurance.
Repair costs. Materials and labour have risen, so the same storm produces larger claims than it did a decade ago.
Reinsurance. Carriers buy their own cover against catastrophic events, and when that becomes more expensive it flows through to what they charge and what they are willing to write.
Insurers are not making roofs harder to cover because roofs became worse. They are doing it because the loss experience on Oklahoma roofs stopped being profitable.
The four things carriers actually do
Percentage wind and hail deductibles
A separate deductible for wind and hail expressed as a percentage of the insured value rather than a flat sum. On a house insured for three hundred thousand, two percent is six thousand dollars.
Homeowners assume they have a thousand dollar deductible because that is what applies to everything else. Check the declarations page for a separate wind and hail figure.
Actual cash value on the roof specifically
A policy that is replacement cost for the dwelling generally, carrying an endorsement applying actual cash value, or a depreciation schedule, to the roof.
This is the change with the largest financial effect and the one most often added quietly at renewal. Our article on actual cash value versus replacement cost works through the arithmetic, and the short version is that on an older roof an ACV settlement can come to nothing after the deductible.
Roof age limits
Some carriers will not write a new policy on a roof beyond a certain age, or will only write it on actual cash value terms, or will require replacement as a condition of binding cover.
This is the one that turns roof age into a transaction problem rather than a maintenance one.
Non-renewal
A carrier declining to continue a policy at renewal. Reasons vary and include claims history, roof age and condition, and broader decisions about their exposure in a region.
A non-renewal is not the same as a cancellation and it still leaves you needing cover, frequently at a higher price and sometimes with fewer options.
What to check on your own policy
- The wind and hail deductible. Flat sum or percentage, and if percentage, work out the dollar figure now
- The loss settlement basis for the dwelling: replacement cost or actual cash value
- Any roof specific endorsement, which is where the surprise usually lives. Look for anything referencing roof surfacing, wind and hail, or a depreciation schedule
- Whether it changes with roof age, because some endorsements apply replacement cost under a certain age and switch beyond it
- Your claims history, since it affects renewal and what other carriers will offer
If any of it is unclear, ask your agent directly: is my roof covered on replacement cost or actual cash value, does that change with age, and what is my wind and hail deductible in dollars? Three questions, one call.
Why this is now a transaction problem
This is the part sellers do not see coming.
A buyer needs insurance to close. A lender requires it. If the buyer cannot obtain affordable cover on your property, they cannot complete regardless of what the inspection said or what price you agreed.
And it arrives late. The inspection passed, the appraisal came in, everybody relaxed, and then the buyer's insurance quote comes back either very high or declined because of the roof's age. Nobody was watching that stage, covered in our article on how long a roof lasts.
A seller with a twenty year old roof in good condition may have no maintenance problem at all and a serious saleability problem.
What you can actually do
Shop the market properly
Carrier appetite differs considerably. A property one carrier declines, another will write. An independent agent who places business with multiple carriers is worth more here than a single carrier agent, because they can tell you who is currently writing what.
Impact resistant roofing
Materials rated for impact resistance, with class 4 the highest common rating, are designed for hail regions and many Oklahoma carriers offer a premium discount. If you are replacing a roof anyway, ask what discount applies before choosing materials, because over the life of the roof it offsets part of the extra cost.
Documentation
A documented replacement date, the invoice, the permit and the warranty all help at quote and at sale. A roof described as "about ten years old" and one documented as replaced in March 2016 are treated differently.
Adjusting the deductible
A higher deductible reduces premium, and it is only sensible if you could actually pay it. The point of insurance is the loss you cannot absorb, so a deductible you could not fund defeats the purpose.
Replacing the roof
Where a roof is genuinely at the end of its life and insurability is the obstacle, replacement solves both the insurance problem and the sale problem at once. Where an insurance claim is paying most of it, doing the work also releases recoverable depreciation you would otherwise forfeit.
If nobody will write it
Options narrow and they do not disappear.
Surplus lines and specialty carriers write risks the standard market declines, generally at higher cost and with narrower cover. An independent agent will know who operates in this space.
There are also residual market mechanisms that exist in various states for property that cannot obtain cover in the standard market. Whether and how one applies in Oklahoma is a question for your agent rather than something to assume.
What matters for a seller is that a buyer told "you cannot insure this" by one carrier may simply have asked the wrong carrier.
Where we come in
Our interest, plainly. We buy houses that are difficult or expensive to insure, including ones where a carrier has non-renewed and ones with roofs beyond what the standard market will write.
There is no lender requiring us to obtain cover on terms somebody else sets, so insurability affects our number rather than whether a sale can happen.
The part against us: if the roof is the only issue and you can fund a replacement, or a claim is paying most of it, replacing it solves the insurance obstacle and the sale obstacle together, and you will usually net more listing the property than selling to us.
And before anything: ring an independent agent and find out what is actually available on your property. A great many sellers conclude a house is uninsurable on the basis of one quote from one carrier, and that is frequently not the position at all.
The short version
Six things worth knowing
- Hail losses, repair costs and reinsurance pricing drive all of this. It is not personal
- Check for a separate wind and hail deductible and work out the dollar figure
- A roof endorsement can apply ACV to the roof on an otherwise replacement cost policy
- Roof age is now a transaction problem, and it surfaces after the inspection has passed
- Carrier appetite differs. An independent agent is worth more than a single carrier one
- Impact resistant roofing frequently attracts a discount. Ask before choosing materials
Frequently asked questions
Why are insurers changing roof coverage in Oklahoma?
Hail losses, rising repair costs and more expensive reinsurance, all at once. Oklahoma sits in one of the most active hail regions in the country and roofs are what hail damages, so the loss experience drives everything else.
What is a percentage wind and hail deductible?
A separate deductible for wind and hail expressed as a percentage of insured value rather than a flat sum. On a house insured for $300,000, two percent is $6,000, which is very different to the thousand dollar deductible people assume they have.
What is a roof endorsement?
An endorsement applying actual cash value, or a depreciation schedule, to the roof specifically, even where the policy is replacement cost for the dwelling generally. It is the change with the largest financial effect and it is frequently added quietly at renewal.
What does that mean in practice?
On an older roof, an actual cash value settlement can come to nothing once depreciation and a percentage deductible are applied. The policy is working exactly as written and the homeowner had no idea it changed.
Can a carrier refuse to insure an old roof?
Some will not write a new policy on a roof beyond a certain age, or will only write on actual cash value terms, or will require replacement as a condition of binding cover. That is what turns roof age into a transaction problem.
What is a non-renewal?
A carrier declining to continue a policy at renewal, which is different to a cancellation. Reasons include claims history, roof age and condition, and broader decisions about their exposure in a region. You still need cover afterwards.
What should I check on my policy?
The wind and hail deductible and its dollar value, the loss settlement basis for the dwelling, any roof specific endorsement, whether coverage changes with roof age, and your claims history.
What should I ask my agent?
Three questions in one call: is my roof covered on replacement cost or actual cash value, does that change with age, and what is my wind and hail deductible in dollars. If any answer is unclear, ask for it in writing.
Why does this affect selling my house?
Because a buyer needs insurance to close and a lender requires it. If the buyer cannot obtain affordable cover on your property, they cannot complete regardless of the inspection result or the price agreed.
Why does it catch people out?
Because it arrives late. The inspection passed, the appraisal came in, everybody relaxed, and then the buyer's insurance quote comes back very high or declined. Nobody was watching that stage.
Can I have no maintenance problem and still have a sale problem?
Yes, and that is the frustrating part. A twenty year old roof in good condition may be perfectly serviceable and still be beyond what carriers will write, which is a saleability issue rather than a condition one.
Do all carriers treat this the same?
No, and that is the most useful fact here. Carrier appetite differs considerably, and a property one declines another will write. That variation is why the next answer matters.
Should I use an independent agent?
For this, yes. An independent agent who places business with multiple carriers can tell you who is currently writing what, which is worth considerably more than a single carrier agent when the standard market is tightening.
Do impact resistant shingles help?
Materials rated for impact resistance, with class 4 the highest common rating, are designed for hail regions and many Oklahoma carriers offer a premium discount. Ask what discount applies before choosing materials if you are replacing anyway.
Does documentation matter?
Yes. A documented replacement date with the invoice, permit and warranty helps at quote and at sale. A roof described as about ten years old and one documented as replaced in March 2016 are treated differently.
Should I raise my deductible to reduce premium?
Only if you could actually pay it. The point of insurance is the loss you cannot absorb, so a deductible you could not fund defeats the purpose while making the premium look better.
Is replacing the roof the answer?
Where it is genuinely at the end of its life and insurability is the obstacle, replacement solves the insurance and the sale problem together. Where a claim is paying most of it, doing the work also releases recoverable depreciation you would otherwise forfeit.
What if nobody will write my property?
Surplus lines and specialty carriers write risks the standard market declines, generally at higher cost and with narrower cover. There are also residual market mechanisms in various states, and your agent can explain what applies in Oklahoma.
Should I trust one declined quote?
No. A buyer told they cannot insure a property by one carrier may simply have asked the wrong carrier. A great many sellers conclude a house is uninsurable on the basis of a single quote.
Do you buy houses that are hard to insure?
Yes, including where a carrier has non-renewed and where the roof is beyond what the standard market will write. There is no lender requiring us to obtain cover on somebody else's terms.
When should I fix it and list instead?
Where the roof is the only issue and you can fund a replacement, or a claim is paying most of it. That solves both obstacles at once and you will usually net more listing the property than selling to us.
What is the first thing I should do?
Ring an independent agent and find out what is actually available on your property. That single call frequently changes the picture entirely, and it costs nothing.
We buy houses including ones that are difficult to insure, so read the last section knowing that. We are not insurance advisers, brokers or adjusters. Carrier practices and policy forms vary enormously and change, so confirm anything here with your own agent.