The Impact of Roof Age on Commercial Property Insurance

A commercial property’s roof plays a significant role in preserving the building’s structural integrity and protecting it from various weather exposures. As a roof ages, it becomes weaker and increasingly vulnerable to failure. Additionally, older roofs may be more prone to coverage exclusions in insurance policies and could contribute to denied claims when losses occur. To avoid such issues with insurance, property owners must maintain their roofs and provide proper information to insurers.

Based on average roof age data, most commercial property insurers either limit or fully exclude coverage for buildings with roofs over 20 years old, as older roofs are more likely to have issues (e.g., cracks, sagging areas, leaks) and be more susceptible to large-scale damage or collapse. These exposures are key factors influencing premium rates or whether the building will receive coverage.

Providing incorrect roof age data (intentionally or unintentionally) about a roof’s age will likely lead to inaccurate risk assessments during the underwriting process and skew premium calculations. It can create misalignment between building owners and insurers, causing increased tension during the claims process. For example, when building owners encounter property losses involving older roofs, insurers will discover they were provided incorrect roof age data and likely deny the associated claims. If inaccurate data was knowingly provided, this may also amount to fraud and lead to being dropped by an insurer. Furthermore, insurers will adjust building owners’ risk levels and premium calculations based on updated roof age data, potentially resulting in higher rates or additional coverage limitations.