Reviewed and approved by Samuel Corso, licensed Texas insurance agent.

Published July 18, 2026 · Updated October 1, 2026

Can you get home insurance in Texas with an old or damaged roof?

If your roof is getting older, shows wear, or has already been through a storm, you may be wondering whether you can still get home insurance and what a policy would pay toward repairs.

The short version. In Texas, a company will inspect your roof when you apply for home insurance and may charge you more or refuse to insure you based on what it sees, the Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) says in Insurance and your roof. Under its advice to check your roof coverage when you renew, the same page says that as roofs age, some companies will switch to actual cash value.

Here's what we'll cover: how roof age and condition affect getting or keeping a policy, the two ways a roof claim can be paid, what an insurer's roof inspection means for you, and the practical steps to take if your roof has some miles on it.

How roof age and condition affect your coverage

In Texas, the condition of your roof can affect whether a company offers you home insurance and what it charges. TDI's Insurance and your roof says: "Your insurance company will inspect your roof when you apply for insurance. They may charge you more or refuse to insure you based on what they see."

Under its advice to check your roof coverage when you renew your policy, the same page turns to what can happen as a roof gets older: "As roofs age, some companies will switch to actual cash value. And if your roof is in poor condition, your company might not cover your roof at all." It adds that your company should tell you when they change your coverage.

The age of the home as a whole comes up in TDI's Home insurance guide. In its list of things companies consider when deciding on your premium, it says: "Companies can’t turn you down just because of your home’s age or value, but they can charge you more." That line is about a home's age and value. It does not address the condition of a roof, which is the subject of the roof page quoted above.

In general, companies do not all underwrite the same way. According to the guide, each company's underwriting rules are different, which means one company might be willing to sell you a policy even if another company isn't, and different companies charge different rates. The guide says this about underwriting as a whole, not about roofs in particular.

Home insurance is also not a way to pay for a roof that has simply aged. On this, the roof page says: "Remember, your insurance company won’t pay for a new roof just because it’s old or worn out." Wear and tear also appears in the guide, in its list of things most policies don't cover.

The detail that decides your payout: RCV vs. ACV

A Texas home policy can pay a roof claim on one of two bases, replacement cost value (RCV) or actual cash value (ACV), and the two can produce different payments for the same damage. Home policies provide either replacement cost coverage or actual cash value coverage, according to TDI's Home insurance guide.

• Replacement cost value (RCV). The guide describes replacement cost coverage as paying to repair or replace your house and personal property at current prices.
• Actual cash value (ACV). The same guide describes actual cash value coverage as paying replacement cost minus depreciation, and defines the term: "Depreciation is a decrease in value because of wear and age." For roofs, the roof page puts it this way: "Some policies pay less if the roof is older or showing wear. This is called actual cash value coverage."

TDI's tip sheet Home policies: Replacement cost or actual cash value? works through an example. Its example house is insured for $200,000 with a 2% ($4,000) deductible, and the entire roof, which costs $10,000 to replace, was damaged by a storm that insurance covers. The page notes that the value of your house and the amount of your deductible may be different.

These are TDI's own example figures and should be read as an illustration only. Reading down the table, the replacement cost row is the same whatever the roof's age, while the actual cash value rows pay less as the example roof gets older. The tip sheet also says policies with actual cash value coverage cost less, but they also pay less when you have a claim.

The deductible comes off either way. The roof page suggests asking your agent whether the deductible for wind and hail damage is different from the deductible for other types of damage, and says that if it is, you might pay more out of pocket if your roof is damaged in a storm. Our guide to the wind and hail deductible covers how that deductible works.

What the roof inspection means for you

A roof inspection is part of applying for home insurance in Texas. The company will inspect your roof when you apply and may charge you more or refuse to insure you based on what it sees, according to TDI's Insurance and your roof. A few things follow from that:

• Condition can affect price and eligibility as well as payout. The roof page connects both the price and a refusal to what the company sees at inspection. In general, the guide says each company's underwriting rules are different, so one company might be willing to sell you a policy even if another company isn't.
• Condition can matter at renewal too. A house in bad condition is among the reasons the guide gives for which a company may nonrenew a policy. It adds that instead of nonrenewal, the company might require you to repair damage before it renews your policy, and that companies usually give you at least six months to make repairs. That passage is about the house as a whole, not the roof specifically. Our guide to non-renewal covers the process.
• A stronger roof may work in your favor. The roof page suggests considering roofing materials less likely to be damaged by wind, hail, or fire, and says your insurance company might give you a discount for using them. An impact-resistant roof also appears in the guide, in its list of things you might be able to get a discount for, with a note that each company decides what discounts to offer and the amount.

If you already have storm damage

If a storm has already damaged your roof in Texas, the question becomes a claim under the policy you have now. You can file a claim if a storm, tree, or something else damaged your roof, according to TDI's Insurance and your roof.

How the payment arrives depends on the type of coverage. The roof page says: "If you have replacement cost coverage, the company will pay with two checks. The first check will be a partial payment. Your company will send the rest of your claim amount after you’ve started repairs." TDI's Home insurance guide describes it a little differently. It says most companies pay a replacement cost claim with two checks, the first for the estimated cost of repairs minus depreciation and your deductible, and the second, for the amount kept for depreciation, after the company gets the bill for the finished job. The guide also says you usually must complete repairs within a certain period of time, and suggests asking your agent or adjuster how long you have.

On repairs before the adjuster visits, the guide advises making only temporary repairs, such as putting a tarp over a damaged roof, and warns that the insurance company might deny your claim if you make permanent repairs before it sees the damage.

Under replacement cost coverage, part of the money may come only once the work is underway or finished, which is worth planning for when you line up a roofer. For the step-by-step, see our guide on how to file a hail or storm damage claim in Texas.

What to do with all this

If your Texas home has an older roof, the useful steps are to find out how the roof is covered, watch for changes at renewal, and keep the roof in good shape.

• Find out how your roof is covered, RCV or ACV. The first page of your policy is the declarations page, with a summary of your coverages, dollar limits, and deductibles, according to TDI's Home insurance guide. If that page doesn't make the roof's basis clear, ask your agent or company.
• Check your coverage at renewal. When you renew your policy, the roof page advises checking whether there are changes to your roof coverage.
• Keep the roof maintained and documented. The roof page has a maintenance checklist that includes checking your roof for missing or damaged shingles after a storm, keeping gutters clean, and hiring a roof inspector every few years to find issues early. Dated photos and inspection reports give you your own record of the roof's condition.
• If a new roof is on the horizon, ask about discounts. Before choosing materials, ask your company whether the ones you're considering would earn a discount.

If your roof is aging and you're not sure whether it's on RCV or ACV, that's a good moment to compare your options.

Key facts

• TDI's Insurance and your roof says your insurance company will inspect your roof when you apply for insurance and may charge you more or refuse to insure you based on what it sees.
• In its advice to check your roof coverage when you renew your policy, the same TDI roof page says that as roofs age, some companies will switch to actual cash value, that a company might not cover a roof in poor condition at all, and that your company should tell you when they change your coverage.
• TDI's Home insurance guide describes replacement cost coverage as paying to repair or replace at current prices and actual cash value coverage as paying replacement cost minus depreciation, which it defines as a decrease in value because of wear and age.
• In the example in TDI's Home policies: Replacement cost or actual cash value?, for a covered storm that damaged the whole roof, with a $10,000 roof and a $4,000 deductible, a replacement cost policy would pay $6,000 and an actual cash value policy would pay $3,000 on a 10-year-old roof. These are TDI's example figures, and the page notes your home's value and deductible may be different.
• TDI's roof page says an insurance company won't pay for a new roof just because it's old or worn out, and TDI's Home insurance guide lists wear and tear among the things most policies don't cover.
• If you have replacement cost coverage, TDI's roof page says the company will pay with two checks, a partial payment first and the rest after you've started repairs. TDI's Home insurance guide says most companies pay this way and that the second check comes after the company gets the bill for the finished job.
• Using roofing materials less likely to be damaged by wind, hail, or fire might earn a discount from your insurance company, according to TDI's roof page.

Sources: Texas Department of Insurance, Insurance and your roof, Home insurance guide and Home policies: Replacement cost or actual cash value?.

Take the next step

Before the next storm, know whether your roof is covered at replacement cost or actual cash value, what your wind and hail deductible is, and whether your roof coverage changed at your last renewal. Credify shows how different carriers handle wind and hail deductibles for your home, side by side. If you want more background first, our guide on how to choose home insurance in Texas is a good place to start.

Get a second opinion on your policy — free. Credify is a licensed insurance agency in Texas that helps you compare home insurance from roughly 20 licensed Texas carriers, so you can see whether your roof coverage fits your needs. It takes a few minutes, and there's no obligation. 📞 Talk to Credify 24/7.

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