Clients insurance is up for renewal in March 2013. AAA has sent them a renewal requiring a roof cert 5 months early. I performed the roof cert giving the roof 3 yrs.
It seems that AAA (citizens) has prorated the roof cert to include the 5 months. So by the time the policy renews there is only 2.7 yrs instead of the 3 year life.
I would think (there I go again) the new roof cert wouldn’t take effect until the next renewal period which is in March.
Most carriers require three years. When you do the cert and give three years, they have less than three years the next day. Three years will usually only get them one. If you do a roof cert again, do not expect them to allow a third extension.
All you can do is give your best guess at the time of the inspection if you do it 4 times it should not matter. There is NO way to tell for sure unless it has visible damage then I do NOT give it that time. I may state less than 3 years or past expected life. If it is showing damage then they are in a bad way. I normally advise them to take a look and take care of minor issues first and then cosmetic issues for the photos. Cosmetic does not matter to me but it helps them with the underwriters.
I would think, that if you thought a roof was only going to last 3 years, you would probably fail it on a home inspection.
I had also heard that the insurance companies were looking for 4 years for it to be accepted.
I just did a house built in 1955 with the original roof. The agent asked me to put 3-5 years on the roof cert. Six leaks, rotted wood and older than I am…not going to happen!
Inspected roof Dec 28, 3-5 yrs remaining - Agent binds policy Jan 3- Roof rejected for roof - underwriter states it only has 2 yrs remaining - Agent points out inspection 1 week old that states 3 - Underwriter says that was last year!!
Performed a 4 Point for a client, listed the roof with 4-5 years remaining.
ONE YEAR LATER, I performed a roof cert on the same house for the same client, roof 3-4 years remaining.
The underwriter would not bind the policy because the life expectancies did match. They were performed a year apart! :shock:
Even better still!
Client gets a cancellation notice form the underwriter. The notice says that during the recent inspection submitted to underwriting a ladder was observed against their house. If they don’t removed the ladder, their policy will be cancelled.
The only picture of a ladder in the inspection pictures was taken from the roof top. The top end of my ladder could be seen from the far side of the roof. How did the underwriter think I got on the roof to take that picture? A couple of feathers? :roll:
That’s a good one Jay, probably a Citizen’s policy. Sometimes I feel that they do this on purpose just to nudge the policyholder to another insurance company. The underwriter auditors have to be still in their teenage years. You would not beleive the kickbacks on re-inspections…complete incompetence.
