Late last week, the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation (OIR) approved a filing intended to reduce roof claims from wear and tear, poor workmanship, and design issues unless a named storm caused the damage.
Over the past few Legislative Sessions, legislative members have attempted to address the “free roof pandemic” through many measures, including permitting insurers to include ACV for roofs in the base policy. The Legislature ultimately decided to avoid passing coverage changes; instead, it addressed the root of the problem by tackling the roofing pandemic through legal reforms and approving a roof-specific deductible.
Some questions coming to out of this:
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Does it mean the roof is not covered for anything but named storms? A tornado that is from a typical afternoon thunderstorm can rip the roof off and because it is not a hurricane or “named” storm that it is not a covered loss?
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or a crazy car crash that ended up with a vehicle on the roof of the house with $25,000 property damage on the at fault auto. (yes it happened)
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Damage from hail storms and other events that are not uncommon in Florida will likely not be covered
It's becoming more and more important that consumer starts looking at the coverages vs the premium amount. We all know that Murphy exists.
The filing was submitted by Slide Insurance Company The endorsements appear to expand the definition of “roof surfacing” to include not only shingles, panels and tiles, but also cladding, underlayment and decking, along with roof vents, flashing, drip edges and skylights.
And “unless loss is caused by a ‘Hurricane occurrence’ or ‘Named Storm,'” the Slide endorsement reads, “we do not cover loss to ‘roof surfacing’ caused directly or indirectly by any of the following:
You can read the approved filing here.
- Wear and tear, marring, spatter marks, or deterioration;
- Displacement or removal of roof surface granules that does not result in fracturing, bruising, puncturing, or other damage to the base material or underlying mat;
- Inherent vice or latent defect;
- Faulty, inadequate, or defective maintenance;
- Faulty, inadequate, or defective materials used in repair, construction, renovation, or remodeling;
- Faulty, inadequate, or defective design, specifications, workmanship, repair, construction, renovation, or remodeling; or
- Settling, shrinking, bulging, or expansion, including resultant cracking.”