[Will.S]

When will most insurances force me to replace my HVAC & ROOF due to age ?
(Yeah, im new to The Villages)

[Guinness835]

Back in April we bought a home built in 2009 with the original roof. We were able to get insurance, but it was more expensive. We replaced the roof in June and our insurance dropped about $800. The HVAC was only 2 years old, so I can’t answer that part of the question.

[Will.S]

So you had your roof replaced "out of pocket" expense ? Im from tornado alley, storms & hail usually damaged roofs often were replaced by insurance. Rarely was a roof 20 yrs old. I let people around the Villages paying out of pocket for roofs. No idea how much that would be.. BUT it sounds expensive.

Originally Posted by Guinness835

Back in April we bought a home built in 2009 with the original roof. We were able to get insurance, but it was more expensive. We replaced the roof in June and our insurance dropped about $800. The HVAC was only 2 years old, so I can’t answer that part of the question.

[thelegges]

Not so much force you, but your premium will increase sometimes renewal isn’t offered.

If you are looking for free roof, that scam left TV years ago. Unless you have a weather related issue, your deductible, or if roof is old, May only cover %of cost.

You must have bought an older home, now you get to pay the price. Did your roof have a wind mitigation? That is a whole other insurance problem.

AC age can be on the application, and premiums may also increase with age. At house #4 the AC blew out before 10years (it was a problem from day one for previous owner we had no knowledge).

Our roof was 14yo our last year premium went from $1800 to $3300.

[Guinness835]

Originally Posted by Will.S

So you had your roof replaced "out of pocket" expense ? Im from tornado alley, storms & hail usually damaged roofs often were replaced by insurance. Rarely was a roof 20 yrs old. I let people around the Villages paying out of pocket for roofs. No idea how much that would be.. BUT it sounds expensive.

Yes, we paid out of pocket to replace the roof. While we could get it insured, we figured with the age and upcoming hurricane season it was best to replace now instead of trying to get another year out of it. Our house is about 2000sqf and the roof was $14k.

[mrf6969]

3 years ago, we got homeowners insurance from USAA on a 17-year-old roof. They never asked how old our roof was or required a replacement for insurance coverage. Going forward, we did pay to have our roof replaced by Skylight Roofing last year.

[Will.S]

Roof is 6 yrs, HVAC 7 yrs, Water Heater 15 yrs. I know I have to replace the water heater. JUST wanna be prepared for the rest. I hear lots of insurance horror stories in the Villages.

Originally Posted by thelegges

Not so much force you, but your premium will increase sometimes renewal isn’t offered.

If you are looking for free roof, that scam left TV years ago. Unless you have a weather related issue, your deductible, or if roof is old, May only cover %of cost.

You must have bought an older home, now you get to pay the price. Did your roof have a wind mitigation? That is a whole other insurance problem.

AC age can be on the application, and premiums may also increase with age. At house #4 the AC blew out before 10years (it was a problem from day one for previous owner we had no knowledge).

Our roof was 14yo our last year premium went from $1800 to $3300.

[elevatorman]

Our insurance company had a 3rd party do a 4-point inspection. We paid $110 and were approved for insurance. If we had not passed the inspection we would have been out the money and not been insured. A 4-point inspection is a limited home inspection focusing on the roof, electrical system, plumbing system, and HVAC system. Primarily required by insurance companies in areas like Florida for older homes, it assesses these four key components for safety, proper function, and potential hazards to determine the property's insurability.

[Malsua]

Originally Posted by Will.S

Roof is 6 yrs, HVAC 7 yrs, Water Heater 15 yrs. I know I have to replace the water heater. JUST wanna be prepared for the rest. I hear lots of insurance horror stories in the Villages.

Some insurance companies are requiring new water heaters for anything 10+, most don't. I wouldn't change it out unless they require you to. If you do, consider getting a heat pump water heater. I installed one back in May and it's helped cool off the garage and reduced my electric bill!

As to companies get some quotes from companies outside of TV and you'll find the rates are lower. Hatteras and First Horizon are two calls to make. You'll probably find they are much less expensive than State Farm, Tower Hill, etc.

You won't have to worry about the roof until it hits about 15. They generally don't drop folks completely, but just raise rates until you replace the roof.

Did you get a 4 point and/or a Wind Mitigation inspection? Both are insurance inspections. Check with your provider and see if they are giving you the wind mit discounts, if not, get a wind mit done. Wind Mits are only "good" for 5 years. Most homes in TV, short of manufactured will see a good premium reduction when the wind mitigation discounts are applied.

I am a licensed, insured, bonded and certified home inspector. I deal with insurance companies all the time and do those inspections for a lot of people. A wind mit is worth your time if you're not getting the discount applied. Any inspection company working in the area can provide it for you. Don't overpay for it either, a wind mit should be around $125 at most.

[75090BAR]

My Insurance company sent me a threatening letter stating that if I did not replace my 17 year old roof by January, they would cancel my home insurance. When roofers came, they told me that there was nothing wrong with my roof. However, I opted to have it replaced for a cost of $11,400. Who needs to live with threats and harrassment from an insurance company???

[MrFlorida]

The roof yes, the HVAC no.

[ron32162]

Never heard of anyone having to replace a HAVAC system because of the insurance company. and now with the new Florida laws a roof can only be judged on condition, NOT age.

[retiredguy123]

Originally Posted by ron32162

Never heard of anyone having to replace a HAVAC system because of the insurance company. and now with the new Florida laws a roof can only be judged on condition, NOT age.

I don't understand why an insurance company would want to require a customer to replace the HVAC system. If the system fails, it is usually due to normal wear and tear, which is not covered by insurance. And, a failure in the HVAC system will normally not cause any other damage to the house. However, if the roof fails, the house can experience significant damage to the entire house. So, requiring a sound roof makes sense.