A few years ago nobody's insurance company cared how old their roof was. Now it is the first question on the renewal form.
If you own a home in the Twin Cities with an asphalt roof past its fifteenth birthday, your policy is probably already treating it differently than it did when you bought the house. And if that roof is past twenty, there is a decent chance a letter is coming. This guide explains what changed, what the letters mean, what an "ACV roof schedule" does to your next hail claim, and what to do about it before you are forced to.
I'm Luke. I am a roofer, not an insurance agent, and I am going to be clear about where my knowledge stops. But I sit at a lot of kitchen tables in Blaine, Coon Rapids, Minneapolis, and St. Paul where this letter is on the counter, and the pattern is the same every time.
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Roof Replacement in the Twin CitiesWhy insurers started asking
Minnesota is one of the most expensive states in the country for hail and wind claims, and the north metro is a big part of the reason. After several bad years, carriers changed how they write roofs here. The three changes that hit homeowners hardest:
Roofs moved to actual cash value. Many policies now include an endorsement that pays roof claims at depreciated value once the roof reaches a certain age, while the rest of the house stays at replacement cost. On some policies that age is 15. On a few it is 10.
Wind-and-hail deductibles went to percentages. Instead of a flat $1,000, the deductible for a storm claim is now often 1 to 2 percent of the home's insured value. On a $400,000 house that is $4,000 to $8,000 before the carrier pays a dollar.
Age became an underwriting question. Carriers now ask roof age on new applications and at renewal, and many set a maximum. Past it, they will not write the house, or they require an inspection, or they send a non-renewal.
None of that is unique to Roofs R Us customers. It is the Minnesota market in 2026, and the sooner you know which of those apply to your policy, the more options you have.
What actually happens at each age
Every carrier is different, and your agent is the only person who can tell you your company's rules. But this is the general shape of it on an asphalt shingle roof.
Under 15 years. Written normally by nearly everyone. Replacement-cost coverage on the roof, no special inspection. This is the window where a hail claim gets you a new roof for your deductible.
15 to 20 years. The watch zone. Many carriers move the roof to actual cash value here, and some require a roof inspection at renewal. A hail claim still gets paid, but depreciation comes off the check first, and on a 17-year-old roof that can be half or more of the roof's value.
20 to 25 years. This is where the letters arrive. Some carriers will not write a new policy on a roof this age. Existing customers can get a non-renewal notice with a deadline to replace. A claim, if paid, is at heavy depreciation.
Past 25. Very hard to insure with a standard carrier. You may be pushed to a surplus-lines policy at a much higher premium with thinner coverage. If your roof is here and you have been meaning to deal with it, this is the year.
Metal and other long-life roofs get more runway, but many Minnesota policies now carry a cosmetic-damage exclusion on metal, so dented panels from hail are not a claim. That is a separate conversation, and our metal roofing pros and cons guide covers it.
The ACV roof schedule, explained with real numbers
This is the part most homeowners do not find out about until the adjuster leaves.
Say your policy has a roof schedule that depreciates asphalt shingles over 25 years. Your roof is 18 years old. The June hail storm bruises every slope, and the adjuster agrees it is a total loss. A new roof on your house costs $16,000.
On a replacement-cost policy you get $16,000 minus your deductible, paid in two checks, with the second one released after the work is done.
On the ACV schedule, the carrier first takes off 18 of 25 years of depreciation, roughly 72 percent. Your roof's actual cash value is about $4,500. Then your percentage deductible comes off that. On a $400,000 home with a 1 percent hail deductible, that is $4,000. Your check is about $500. There is no second check.
Same storm. Same damage. Same house. The difference is one line on a declarations page. Pull yours out tonight and look for the words "roof," "actual cash value," or "schedule." If it is there, you want to know before the next hail season, not after.
The non-renewal letter, and what to do the day it arrives
The letter usually says some version of: our inspection shows the roof is at or near the end of its useful life, and coverage will not be renewed after your policy date unless it is replaced. Sometimes it comes with a deadline of 30 to 90 days.
Here is the order I recommend:
- Call your agent the same day. Ask what exactly triggered it, whether it was a drive-by, an aerial image, or an age threshold. Ask whether a professional inspection with photos would change the decision. Sometimes it does, especially if the roof is younger than the carrier's records show.
- Get a real inspection, in writing, with photos. Not a driveway opinion. A documented walk of every slope, the flashings, the soft metals, and the attic side. If the roof has honest years left, that report is your evidence. If it does not, you have the number you need to plan. Here is what our inspection covers.
- Check whether a storm got there first. If your roof took hail in a recent event, June 19 was the big one this year in the north metro, you may have a claim that pays for the roof the carrier is asking you to replace. Even on an ACV schedule, that is money toward the job. Our insurance claim guide walks through it.
- Do not let the policy lapse. Shopping for insurance with a lapsed policy and an old roof is the most expensive combination there is. If you have to replace, do it before the deadline, and send the invoice and shingle documentation to your agent the day the crew leaves.
- Replace with the insurer in mind. A new asphalt roof usually resets you to replacement-cost coverage and removes the age surcharge. A Class 4 impact-resistant shingle can add a hail credit on top, on many policies. Get both quotes.
What a new roof does to your policy
This is the part that makes the math work for a lot of families.
A new roof usually does three things for your homeowners insurance in Minnesota. It moves the roof back to replacement-cost coverage, so the next hail claim pays for a whole roof instead of a depreciated fraction. It removes whatever age surcharge or inspection requirement the carrier had attached. And it opens the door to carriers who would not write the house at all last month, which means you can shop the premium again.
Combined with a Class 4 credit where your carrier offers one, I have had homeowners tell me the premium drop covered a real piece of the monthly payment on the roof. I cannot promise you that, because I do not set your rate. But it is worth asking your agent for a quote on the house with a new roof before you decide the roof is too expensive.
And a note on paying for it: most people here do not write a check for a roof. Insurance, 0% financing, and fixed-rate plans cover most of the roofs we install. Our how to pay for a new roof guide runs the actual monthly numbers.
The bigger picture, honestly
Insurance did not decide your roof is old. Your roof got old. Carriers are just the ones now writing it down.
An asphalt roof in this climate lasts 20 to 30 years when it was installed well and ventilated right, and less when it was not. If yours is in the watch zone, the smart move is to know where it stands before the market decides for you. That means a documented inspection, a look at your declarations page, and a conversation with your agent about what the roof is doing to your rate.
Do those three things and you get to choose the year you replace. Skip them and a letter chooses it for you.
Frequently asked questions
How old can a roof be and still get homeowners insurance in Minnesota?
There is no single cutoff, because every carrier sets its own underwriting rules. In practice, asphalt roofs under 15 years old are written normally by almost everyone. Between 15 and 20 many carriers move the roof to actual cash value or ask for an inspection. Past 20 some carriers will not write a new policy at all, and existing customers can get a non-renewal notice. Your agent can tell you where your specific company draws the line.
What is an ACV roof schedule?
It is an endorsement that pays roof claims at actual cash value instead of replacement cost once the roof reaches a certain age. The carrier applies a depreciation table based on the roof's age and material, so a 20-year-old asphalt roof might be paid at a fraction of what a new one costs. The rest of the house can still be on replacement cost. The schedule is usually listed on your declarations page or in a roof endorsement, and many homeowners never notice it until a claim.
My insurer sent a letter saying I need a new roof. Do I have to replace it?
You have to do something before the deadline in the letter, and replacement is usually what they are asking for. Start by getting a written inspection with photos. If the roof has real remaining life, some carriers will accept the report and extend coverage. If it does not, replacing before the deadline keeps you from shopping for insurance with a lapsed policy, which is the expensive version of this.
Will a new roof lower my homeowners insurance premium in Minnesota?
Often, yes. A new roof usually moves you back to replacement-cost coverage, removes any age surcharge, and, if you install a Class 4 impact-resistant shingle, can qualify for an additional hail credit. How much it changes your bill depends on the carrier. Send your agent the invoice and the shingle documentation as soon as the job is done.
Does my roof age count from the last full replacement or from the house?
From the last full tear-off and replacement. A roof-over, where new shingles were laid over old ones, may or may not reset the clock depending on the carrier, and many insurers will not cover a second layer at all. If you do not know when the roof was replaced, a building permit search with your city or a dated inspection report is the best evidence you can give your agent.
Got the letter, or just want to know where your roof stands before the next renewal? Request a free inspection and we will give you a written report with photos you can hand to your agent, plus a line-item quote if the roof is at the end. We are roofers, not insurance advisors, so bring your policy questions to your agent and bring the roof questions to us.
