How Modern Roofing Materials Impact Your Home Insurance Premiums

Generally speaking, when looking to invest in a new roof, the top priorities for homeowners is the aesthetics, lifespan and installation cost. 

However, in reality, there’s another point that should be added to this list – How your choice may influence your home insurance premium.

Most people don’t know that your choice of roof can directly influence your home insurance premiums. Insurance providers will always assess roofs, as they are one of a property’s biggest risk factors. 

The better the roof, the less vulnerable your home is to weather damage, fire, water ingress and a long list of other potential issues. 

As a result, the materials you choose, how the roof is installed and how well it is maintained can all have a bearing on what you are ultimately quoted. 

In this article, our team of roofing specialists have broken this down in more detail, including full guidance to help you understand how different roofing materials can affect insurance premiums. 

Why do insurers care about roofing materials?

From an insurance perspective, a roof will be assessed based on four primary areas:

• Fire resistance
• Weather performance (particularly wind and storms)
• Resistance to water damage 
• Predicted lifespan

Based on these conditions, your insurance company will work to determine how likely the roof is to fail, and if a failure were to occur, how expensive a repair would be. Then, the more likely potential payouts are, the higher the premium is set. 

As a result, older roofs, roofs that have been poorly maintained, or roofs that are made from less resilient and durable materials generally result in higher premiums.

Which roofing materials may help reduce insurance premiums?

This is not to say that there is one single roofing material that is the best to choose for keeping insurance down. But, there are some materials that are generally preferred by insurers. 

So, by being more familiar with how insurers view these systems, you can use this criteria to help inform your decision. 

Roofing materials that commonly result in lower insurance premiums or premium considerations include:

• Slate roofing – Natural slate is highly fire resistant and extremely durable, with a long predicted lifespan (over 100 years, in many cases). 
• Concrete roof tiles – One of the most common roofing materials in the UK, known for being extremely stable and predictable, with dependable fire, wind and weather resistance. Plus, they are also straightforward to replace. 
• EPDM flat roofing – Although older flat roofs came with an increased risk of leaks (and shorter service life), EPDM systems offer fantastic durability, waterproofing, weather and UV resistance, and boast a long predicted lifespan. 

Which roofing materials can increase insurance premiums?

Equally, some roofing materials can result in increased insurance costs.

Common examples include:

• Felt flat roofs
• Thatch roofing
• Lightweight temporary systems
• Older roofs (especially if they are nearing the end of their lifespan)
• Poorly maintained roofs
• Roofs that have had repeated leaks or storm claims

Professional installation and maintenance records

In terms of managing your insurance premiums, two other key criteria are documented professional installation and regular maintenance records. 

These can significantly affect premiums. In fact, they can be used to reduce your premium just as much as the right choice of roof material. 

Insurers often provide premium considerations if the roof has been professionally installed, properly documented and has been installed in compliance with UK building standards. 

Then, if you maintain records of key documents, these can go a long way towards supporting your claim. 

These documents should include: 

• Installation invoices
• Any guarantees or warranties
• Proof of maintenance inspections
• Proof of repair work
• Your contractor’s details

Other questions to ask your insurer before replacing a roof

If you’re concerned or have any questions, you can also reach out to your insurer directly. 

If you would like more information about how your roofing upgrade may or may not impact your premiums, we suggest asking your insurer: 

• Will this roofing material affect my premium?
• Are there any preferred materials for my specific type of property?
• Do you require certified installation?
• Will flat roofing percentages affect my cover or premium?
• Are guarantees or inspection records required?

Then, after a new roof installation, you may also want to request a premium review from your insurer. If you’ve upgraded your roof or added a new roof, then you may be in a good position for your premium to be reviewed (and potentially, reduced!). 

All this being said, it’s still important to note that, sometimes, the “insurance-friendly” option isn’t the best overall choice for your specific situation.

The right roof for you and your property will depend on a range of different criteria. Your insurance premium shouldn’t be the sole factor that you consider. 

If you’re currently assessing different roofing options, and would like more guidance on how to choose the right fit, the B&S Roofing team are on hand to help.

Get in touch, and our friendly experts can help you to weigh up all your options.