How to Find Out When Your Roof Was Replaced
"How did they know? Is there some massive database of roof replacement data? If so, how can I find out when mine was last replaced?"
A commenter in r/HomeImprovement asked this about their own roof.
You can piece the date together from the city permit office1, the sale papers and the seller, and the installer or shingle maker. If those turn up nothing, a licensed, insured inspector2 can judge the roof's condition, though not give you a date.
Quick answer:
- Look up your address in your city's permit records, or call the building department.
- Ask the seller, the agent or the previous owner for receipts, warranty papers and the seller disclosure.
- Look for the installer's name and the shingle brand in those papers.
- Ask your insurer what proof of roof age it accepts, and ask in writing.
On this page
- Where do I look first to find when my roof was replaced?
- Does no permit mean the roof was never replaced?
- What to do when you don't have any records at all
- Why does my roof's age matter to my insurer?
- Signs of condition you can check from the ground
- Get your roof inspected when the records run out
- Quick questions
Today, one phone call to your building department is enough to start. A missing paper is not the end of the search.
Where do I look first to find when my roof was replaced?
Work down this list and stop when you find a date.
- Permit records. Some cities run an online permit search by address. Salt Lake City, for example, has online the building permit records submitted after 20071, and older records need a separate request. Other cities differ, so call yours.
- Closing and sale papers, and the seller. Pennsylvania's seller disclosure form asks whether the roof was replaced or repaired during the seller's ownership3, and other states' forms differ. A reply in an r/Roofing thread put the ask simply: "Ask the seller for paperwork, receipts and warranty information."
- Installer and shingle brand. If you know who installed the roof or who made the shingles, call them and ask whether they still have a record of the job. They can only answer from what they kept.
Does no permit mean the roof was never replaced?
No. A missing permit shows only that the city has none on file. In Mansfield, Texas, one- and two-family homes need no permit to replace shingles only4, though the same page does require one when decking is repaired or replaced.
Records also differ by city and year. A commenter in r/FirstTimeHomeBuyer wrote that "when I called the village to find out when the permit was pulled for the roof, they said no permit was pulled for the roof". No permit on file is not proof that a roof is original.
So keep going down the list. Each paper you find is a piece of the same picture.
What to do when you don't have any records at all
Stack what you can get. A seller or agent may remember the work. Ask the installer, the shingle maker and the previous owner for a contract or a receipt, or anything else they kept. An inspector fills a different gap. An inspector can tell you what shape the roof is in today. That is not a date, so say so if an insurer or buyer is asking for one.
If an insurer wants the roof's condition on paper, what does it check? What an insurance roof inspection looks at.
Why does my roof's age matter to my insurer?
Age and condition are among the biggest factors in how an insurer pays for a roof replacement, and when you apply for home insurance, most insurers require a roof over 20 years old to pass an inspection5.
Age can also change how a claim is paid, because as roofs age, some companies switch to actual cash value6. That means the insurer subtracts wear and tear from the payment.
Tennessee gives a worked example. A hypothetical $10,000 roof, five years old and needing full replacement, with a $1,000 deductible (the part you pay first), loses $2,500 to wear at $500 a year, so the insurer pays $6,500 after the deductible7. Your numbers will differ, because the yearly wear figure depends on the insurer7.
Nothing here tells you what your policy pays. Before you pay for anything, ask what proof of age your insurer accepts. You can send this:
Please tell me what documents you accept as proof of my roof's age, such as a permit, a receipt or an inspection report. Please also tell me who can provide it and the date you need it by.
If your insurer answers only by phone, send the same message by email and keep the reply.
Want to know which policy clauses matter once a roof is older? Whether insurance covers an aging roof.
Signs of condition you can check from the ground
Age is only part of the story. Over 10 years of aging, the wind resistance of asphalt shingles can rise at first but, for most products, begins to decline between years five and 108. How fast it declines varies by product8.
So look at the condition too. From the ground, look for curled, loose or missing shingles or roof tiles, and pay particular attention to the edges of the roof9:
- Curled shingles
- Loose shingles
- Missing shingles or tiles
These show condition, not exact age. A roof with all three can still be younger than one with none, so use them to decide who to call, not to guess a date.
Seeing signs of wear and unsure which way to go? How to tell whether a roof needs repair or replacement.
Get your roof inspected when the records run out
Consider only contractors who are licensed and insured, confirm the license with your state or county, and ask for proof of insurance2. Ask them for a photo of every problem they find. Before you agree to a replacement, ask them to tell you in writing what they found, whether a repair would be enough and how many years they expect the roof to last.
Quick questions
Does home insurance cover roof replacement due to age? Some insurers switch older roofs to actual cash value6, so the answer sits in your own policy's roof terms. Find the roof section of your policy and keep its wording at hand.
What is the "25% rule" in roofing? That is a Florida rule for roofs built, repaired or replaced to the 2007 Florida Building Code or later10. When 25 percent or more of such a roof is repaired, replaced or recovered, only that portion must meet the code10. Elsewhere it is a local code threshold, and San Diego's differs11. Ask your building department, and ask any roofer which rule applies to your job.
What makes a roof uninsurable? In Texas, insurers can't deny or not renew a home policy simply because the house or its roof is older12. They can still base decisions on the roof's physical condition12.
Do I have to figure out when the roof was last replaced before I call a roofer? No. If you see damage, take photos and find your policy and deductible, then contact your insurance company or a roofer you choose, not one who shows up uninvited13. A roofer can judge the condition of the roof without knowing its age.
Sources
1. Salt Lake City Corporation, Building Services: How to Research Building Permits Online
2. Federal Trade Commission: How To Avoid a Home Improvement Scam
3. Pennsylvania Code & Bulletin: 49 Pa. Code 35.335a, Seller property disclosure statement
4. City of Mansfield, Texas: FAQs, Do I need a permit to re-roof?
5. Insurance Information Institute: How Your Roof Influences Your Home and Business Insurance
6. Texas Department of Insurance: Insurance and your roof
9. Sumter County, Florida: Protecting Your Roof
10. Florida Legislature: Florida Statutes, section 553.844
13. North Carolina Department of Insurance: Avoiding predatory roofing scams
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