Article
The Hidden Dealbreaker: How Roof Age is Quietly Killing Home Sales
April 17, 2025
When most homebuyers fall in love with a property, they focus on the fun stuff: location, curb appeal, square footage. But there's a growing trend that's blindsiding buyers and derailing closings: roof age.
The New Roof Rule Buyers Can't Ignore
Across the country, insurance companies are tightening their underwriting criteria, particularly around the age of a roof. In many cases, homes with roofs older than 15 or 20 years are now flagged as high-risk, leading insurers to either charge significantly higher premiums or decline coverage outright.
Since mortgage lenders require proof of insurance to close on a home, a roof that's nearing the end of its lifespan can stop a transaction cold, often at the eleventh hour.
Todd Rissell of E2Value noted:
“If you don't know the condition of the roof, your insurance company's going to figure it out
pretty quickly. Some insurers are flying drones over houses to look at the shingles - that's how aggressive insurance companies are getting to help judge the condition of the roof.”
Why Insurers Are Focused on Roofs
Older roofs present a higher risk of leaks, storm damage, and costly claims, especially in areas prone to hail, ice dams, or hurricanes. With climate patterns shifting and replacement costs soaring, insurers are becoming increasingly cautious.
As we covered last week, replacement costs have nearly doubled in some areas since 2020, a trend that shows no signs of slowing. Todd Rissell noted we can expect "another six, seven, eight percent bump this year," meaning that "if your policy was $250,000 of coverage in 2020...it should be $500,000 now."
Our March 15th podcast examining 1616 South Oakland Avenue in Boise, Idaho provides a perfect example of the roof dilemma facing today's buyers. This 928-square-foot property near Boise State University appears to be an ideal investment for a college student.
This illustrates the core dilemma for buyers:
The roof looks perfectly fine visually
Data suggests it's approaching (or past) its expected lifespan.
How PropertyLens Helps Buyers Stay Ahead
The PropertyLens report provides several crucial elements that help buyers navigate roof-related risks:
1. Detailed Roof Analysis
PropertyLens provides specific data points on the roof:
Estimated age: For the Boise home, estimated at 29 years old
Expected lifespan in that region: For shingles in Boise, approximately 30 years
Remaining life: For this property, approximately 1 year remaining
Current condition assessment: Rated as "great" despite the age
Estimated replacement cost: $5,900 for this property
This combination of data points gives buyers a comprehensive understanding beyond what's visible to the naked eye.
2. Critical Questions for Sellers
The PropertyLens report doesn't just provide data—it translates findings into actionable questions. For the Boise property, it specifically prompted:
"Has this roof ever been replaced? If it has, why wasn't a permit pulled?"
As John Sigmund explained, "Our job is to tell you everything we can find, but also to turn that into questions to make sure that you uncover this before you make the offer."
These guided questions help buyers dig beneath surface appearances and seller disclosures to uncover the roof's true history.
3. Insurance Lens Section
PropertyLens includes an "Insurance Lens" section that flags potential insurance issues. For the Boise property, it specifically noted that the roof's age would be a factor in insurance underwriting.
The report even provides a direct link to get insurance quotes, making it easy for buyers to verify insurability before proceeding with an offer.
The Bottom Line
A roof may seem like just another line item on your inspection report—but in today's market, it could be the dealbreaker you never saw coming. As the PropertyLens team summed up in their analysis of the Boise property: "Insurance companies aren't joking around anymore. If you've got an old roof, they're not going to insure it."
The New Roof Rule Buyers Can't Ignore
Across the country, insurance companies are tightening their underwriting criteria, particularly around the age of a roof. In many cases, homes with roofs older than 15 or 20 years are now flagged as high-risk, leading insurers to either charge significantly higher premiums or decline coverage outright.
Since mortgage lenders require proof of insurance to close on a home, a roof that's nearing the end of its lifespan can stop a transaction cold, often at the eleventh hour.
Todd Rissell of E2Value noted:
“If you don't know the condition of the roof, your insurance company's going to figure it out
pretty quickly. Some insurers are flying drones over houses to look at the shingles - that's how aggressive insurance companies are getting to help judge the condition of the roof.”
Why Insurers Are Focused on Roofs
Older roofs present a higher risk of leaks, storm damage, and costly claims, especially in areas prone to hail, ice dams, or hurricanes. With climate patterns shifting and replacement costs soaring, insurers are becoming increasingly cautious.
As we covered last week, replacement costs have nearly doubled in some areas since 2020, a trend that shows no signs of slowing. Todd Rissell noted we can expect "another six, seven, eight percent bump this year," meaning that "if your policy was $250,000 of coverage in 2020...it should be $500,000 now."
Our March 15th podcast examining 1616 South Oakland Avenue in Boise, Idaho provides a perfect example of the roof dilemma facing today's buyers. This 928-square-foot property near Boise State University appears to be an ideal investment for a college student.
The PropertyLens analysis revealed a particularly interesting roof situation. According to available data, the roof appeared to be 29 years old, potentially original to the house. However, the roof's condition was rated as "great" with minimal visible issues, creating a puzzling contradiction.
As John Sigmund pointed out: "It appears to be 29 years old...we have no other proof that says that it's not, but I don't believe so because the condition is just too good for that location."
This illustrates the core dilemma for buyers:
The roof looks perfectly fine visually
Data suggests it's approaching (or past) its expected lifespan.
Insurance companies increasingly base decisions on age data rather than visual condition.
For potential buyers of this Boise property, this creates a critical decision point. As Bob Frady emphasized: "Increasingly, insurance companies are refusing to insure houses with old roofs because they just cause so many problems…Can I get insurance on this house the way it's currently constructed?” This question needs to be answered before even considering an offer.How PropertyLens Helps Buyers Stay Ahead
The PropertyLens report provides several crucial elements that help buyers navigate roof-related risks:
1. Detailed Roof Analysis
PropertyLens provides specific data points on the roof:
Estimated age: For the Boise home, estimated at 29 years old
Expected lifespan in that region: For shingles in Boise, approximately 30 years
Remaining life: For this property, approximately 1 year remaining
Current condition assessment: Rated as "great" despite the age
Estimated replacement cost: $5,900 for this property
This combination of data points gives buyers a comprehensive understanding beyond what's visible to the naked eye.
2. Critical Questions for Sellers
The PropertyLens report doesn't just provide data—it translates findings into actionable questions. For the Boise property, it specifically prompted:
"Has this roof ever been replaced? If it has, why wasn't a permit pulled?"
As John Sigmund explained, "Our job is to tell you everything we can find, but also to turn that into questions to make sure that you uncover this before you make the offer."
These guided questions help buyers dig beneath surface appearances and seller disclosures to uncover the roof's true history.
3. Insurance Lens Section
PropertyLens includes an "Insurance Lens" section that flags potential insurance issues. For the Boise property, it specifically noted that the roof's age would be a factor in insurance underwriting.
The report even provides a direct link to get insurance quotes, making it easy for buyers to verify insurability before proceeding with an offer.
The Bottom Line
A roof may seem like just another line item on your inspection report—but in today's market, it could be the dealbreaker you never saw coming. As the PropertyLens team summed up in their analysis of the Boise property: "Insurance companies aren't joking around anymore. If you've got an old roof, they're not going to insure it."
By using tools like PropertyLens to identify potential roof issues early, buyers can avoid falling in love with a property only to discover it's uninsurable—or requires thousands in unexpected repairs—after they've already committed emotionally and financially.
