Insurance companies like to have some input with the capital improvements you make to your home and a new roof is an important one. They might encourage you to use special fire retardant materials with certain types of roofs as well as a request for additional attachment methods the roofer can use during the installation. Some companies offer savings for these measures.
In Florida, the main concern about your roof is all about its attachment method. Your insurance agent will discuss with you the wind mitigation requirements they use and how the roofer will need to satisfy the documentation they need. If you prefer, we can also document for your insurance company the methods that your roofer is using and that your insurance company approves.
He will inform you of what roof types they prefer to see you go with and what components you will need to include in your new roof system. These are things like a secondary water barrier and the preferred attachment methods for the systems they recommend.
The secondary water barrier is your underlayment and it is only the better materials that have self-adhering and self-sealing attachment characteristics that qualify. The codes may accept several other methods approved for use but it is your insurance company that will decide if they approve the one you choose or if they require another.
Insurance companies never approve items, types or methods that go against the codes but they can choose to disallow some and require stronger methods if they are to maintain your coverage. Florida codes approve all products that have Florida Product Approval ratings. Insurance companies may choose to adopt a tougher measure. As with skylights that have a Florida product approval for use in Florida, a number of insurance companies have decided to require that if you have a skylight, it must have a Dade County Approval. This is a more stringent rating and they can decline your coverage if you don’t replace your skylights with the Dade County approved skylights. Collier County has a set of rules also, Call Amherst Roofing of Collier County for more details on our Roofing Codes.
Following the preferences of your insurance company may not save you much in insurance costs, but if you don’t follow them and they drop your coverage, your insurance costs could increase with a different company if you can find one.
