Roofing companies have been going through the neighborhoods that are about 15 years old. That's about the life of the average roof. Most homeowners don't know what type of roofing they have - asphalt shingle or architectural shingle. Most of the homes in my neighborhood have architectural shingles. The life span of architectural is at least 30 years.
An "inspector" goes on your roof and almost always tells you that you need a new roof (he may break something to prove it to you) and the cost is only the deductible on your homeowner's policy. He's right about that. He gives you his report to send to the insurance company and they approve the repair. So, for the cost of the deductible, $500 or $1,000, you get a new roof.
The downside is that so many homeowners have the same insurance company. The insurance company will suffer a "poor claim experience" and raise its rates for all of its policy holders. Earlier this year, I was forced to change my insurance company because my homeowner's policy rate increased 50% over the last two years. And you know it will never go down. Ain't no such thing as a free lunch.
By the way, I have architectural shingles and the new insurance company inspected the roof before approving my policy. They said that architectural shingles could last a life time.
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