How old can a roof be to insure in Texas?

Short answer. A Texas rule from 1997 bars insurance companies from refusing residential property insurance only because the property is old. The Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) says that includes the roof and renewals, and restated it on September 29, 2026. Condition still counts: an older roof can cost more and be paid at actual cash value or on an age schedule.

On its wording, the rule appears to reach a landlord (dwelling) policy from a Texas-licensed insurer too; whether it reaches surplus-lines insurers is not settled (details below).

On a rental, the roof is often where the largest claims, and the biggest differences between two policies, are found. This guide covers what TDI's September 2026 announcement does and doesn't change, roof inspections, the paperwork to keep after a new roof, and what TDI says about impact-resistant roofing. How a roof claim is settled is covered in more depth in Roof ACV vs replacement cost in Texas.

Why a roof's age and condition matter to an insurer

A roof's age and condition can show up in four places on a policy:

• Whether you're offered a policy at all. TDI says: "Your insurance company will inspect your roof when you apply for insurance. They may charge you more or refuse to insure you based on what they see" (TDI, Insurance and your roof, updated April 1, 2026).
• The price. On renewals, TDI tells owners to make sure the "roof age" on the policy is correct, because "companies use these to decide what to charge you" (TDI, renewal tips, updated December 18, 2025).
• How a roof claim is paid. "As roofs age, some companies will switch to actual cash value. And if your roof is in poor condition, your company might not cover your roof at all" (TDI).
• The deductible that applies. Many roof claims in Texas come from wind or hail, which often has its own deductible, frequently a percentage (more below).

A rental adds one more factor. TDI notes that companies "might limit the types of policies they sell for houses that are vacant, unoccupied, leased, secondary, seasonal, or rented for short-term home-sharing" (TDI, Auto and home policy underwriting, updated April 1, 2026). So an older roof on a rented house can meet stricter rules than the same roof on a home the owner lives in.

Can a Texas insurer turn down a house because the roof is old?

Not for age alone. On September 29, 2026, TDI announced it is "clarifying its rule that insurance companies can't decline or not renew a home insurance policy based on the age of a house or its roof." The release adds that "insurance companies may base decisions on the physical conditions of the home or its components, such as roofing, wiring, heating, air conditioning, plumbing, or siding," but "can't deny or not renew a policy simply because the house or any of these materials are older" (TDI news release).

What that means in practice:

• The rule itself is not new. 28 TAC §21.1006 dates from 1997 (last amended effective November 7, 2021), and it now says that an insurer "may not decline to write residential property insurance based on the age of the property sought to be insured" (current text). The text speaks of declining to write; TDI reads it as covering renewals too. The September 29 action is a proposal to reword the rule so that the age of a component, such as the roof, is named directly. TDI says the amendments "do not change the rule's meaning or application." Comments are open until November 9, 2026, with a public hearing on November 3, 2026 (TDI proposal). TDI's letter to the Governor explains why: "companies might try to use the age of individual components as an indicator for the condition of a home" (TDI response, September 14, 2026).
• Condition still counts. The proposed text keeps an insurer's right to decline "based on the physical condition of the property or any of the property's individual components or materials." A roof with missing shingles, soft decking (the boards under the shingles) or active leaks can still be turned down.
• It is about saying no, not about price or claims. TDI says elsewhere that "companies can't turn you down just because of your home's age or value, but they can charge you more" (TDI). Nothing in the announcement stops a policy from paying an older roof at actual cash value or by an age schedule.

Does it apply to rental properties? The rule covers "residential property insurance," which it defines as insurance "provided in a homeowners policy or residential fire and allied lines policy." The Texas Insurance Code defines residential property insurance the same way (Ins. Code §2301.051(3)), and TDI's statistical plan groups dwelling policies as "Policies providing Fire, Extended Coverage, and Other Allied Lines on dwellings" (Texas Statistical Plan for Residential Risks, effective April 1, 2026). So on its wording the rule appears to reach a landlord (dwelling) policy from an insurer licensed in Texas. The release itself speaks only of "home insurance." Whether the rule reaches surplus-lines insurers (companies not licensed in Texas that write many landlord policies here) is not settled. Ask the insurance company whether the rule applies to your policy.

If you're turned down or not renewed. Since January 1, 2026, a Texas-licensed insurance company that declines your application, cancels your policy or doesn't renew it must give you a written statement of why, without your asking. The statement must name the precise incident, circumstance or risk factors and the source of the information (Ins. Code §551.109, §551.002; TDI). If the reason names the roof's age and nothing about its condition, raise it with the company. You may also complain to TDI if you think a company "nonrenewed or canceled your policy unfairly" (TDI). See Insurance not renewed or cancelled in Texas?

How roof age changes what a roof claim pays

Even when an older roof is insured, the policy may pay less for it. TDI's own worked example (TDI, updated January 24, 2024) shows actual cash value on a 20-year-old roof paying nothing once depreciation and the deductible are taken off; the table is in Roof ACV vs replacement cost in Texas.

Replacement cost pays today's repair cost, minus your deductible, at any roof age. Actual cash value takes depreciation off first, so on an older roof little or nothing may be left. Some policies pay the roof by a schedule based on its age instead. Ask which basis your policy uses for the roof, and whether it changed at the last renewal.

TDI adds that "your insurance company won't pay for a new roof just because it's old or worn out" (TDI). A roof claim needs a covered cause, such as hail, wind or a falling tree.

The deductible. TDI advises: "Ask your agent if the deductible for wind and hail damage is different than the deductible for other types of damages. If it is, you might pay more out-of-pocket if your roof is damaged in a storm." In Texas that deductible is often a percentage of the dwelling limit (the amount the house itself is insured for), not of the damage. See Texas wind and hail deductibles, explained.

Roof inspections

Expect the insurance company to look at the roof when you apply, and sometimes in the first months after the policy starts. What it can do with what it finds depends on the kind of policy:

• A landlord (dwelling) policy from a Texas-licensed insurer on a house or duplex may be cancelled without one of the reasons the law otherwise requires while it has been in effect less than 90 days (Ins. Code §551.104(g)). TDI's standard dwelling form (TDP-3) gives 30 days' notice of such a cancellation, or 10 days for non-payment (TDP-3, Conditions).
• A homeowners policy has a shorter window, 60 days, and narrower reasons, such as a required inspection report the company doesn't accept (Ins. Code §551.104(g)).
• A surplus-lines policy follows its own cancellation conditions; read them.

So a roof problem found in an inspection during the first three months can end a new landlord policy.

Your own inspection helps too. TDI suggests you "hire a roof inspector every few years to find issues early," clear overhanging limbs, check for missing or damaged shingles after a storm and keep gutters clean (TDI). Keep the report with dated photos. On a rental, ask your property manager to note the roof after each major storm, since a tenant may not notice or report damage.

Replaced the roof? Keep the paperwork

Replaced your roof? Tell your agency. Its age can affect your price, and how a roof claim is paid. What to keep:

• The signed contract and the final invoice, showing the date the work was finished.
• The product, the manufacturer and the material (for example, asphalt shingle or metal).
• If the material is impact-rated, a photo of the label or wrapper showing its rating, and any installation form the contractor completes (below).
• The city permit and final inspection, where your city requires one.
• Before-and-after photos of every roof slope.
• The manufacturer's and the roofer's warranties.

Then check your declarations page (the first page of your policy, which lists the house's details) at the next renewal. TDI's renewal checklist includes making sure the roof age on the policy is correct. See How to read a Texas rental declarations page.

Impact-resistant (Class 4) roofing and discounts

Impact-resistant roofing is tested for how well it stands up to impacts such as hail. Materials that pass are rated Class 1, 2, 3 or 4, and Class 4 is the highest rating. TDI explains (TDI, impact-resistant roofing credits, as of February 24, 2023):

• "A Class 4 roof covering would receive the highest premium credit."
• "The amount of discount for each class of roofing material is established by the insurance company on a company-by-company basis. Each insurance company determines the test criteria they will accept, how the roofing materials are labeled for verification, and the paperwork that must be submitted to them by the contractor and policyholder."
• For a credit from the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association (TWIA), the state's coastal wind insurer, the material must have passed UL Standard 2218 and the contractor completes TDI Form PC068. Other companies "may elect to use this form, or they may require the use of their own form."
• "The Texas Department of Insurance does not endorse or recommend any roofing material."

On September 16, 2026, TDI also encouraged insurers "to develop meaningful, actuarially supported premium discounts" for loss-mitigation steps, including "using impact-resistant roofing materials" (Bulletin B-0008-26). A bulletin encourages; it does not set a discount. TDI's consumer guide puts it plainly: "Each company decides what discounts to offer and the amount of the discount" (TDI).

Before choosing a roof for insurance reasons, ask the insurance company what it credits for each class, what proof it wants, and whether the new roof changes how a roof claim would be paid. We don't publish discount amounts, because they vary by insurer and change over time.

A short checklist

• Is the roof year on your declarations page correct?
• How does the policy pay for the roof: replacement cost, actual cash value or a schedule? Did that change at this renewal?
• What is the wind and hail deductible, in dollars?
• Do you have the paperwork for the last roof replacement?
• If the roof is impact-rated, has the insurer received the proof it asks for?
• If a company declined or didn't renew, do you have its written reason?

AIV Insurance is an independent insurance agency in Texas. We can check how a quote pays for the roof and explain it before you choose. If you replace a roof, tell us, and we'll tell you what to ask your insurance company. We are not an insurance company; your insurer decides eligibility, price and what a claim pays. To talk through your rental's roof and policy, reach us through the contact page or at hello@aivinsurance.com.