Free tool · roof insurance claims
Roof Depreciation Calculator
How much will insurance pay for your roof? Enter your roof type, age and replacement cost to see the depreciation, the actual cash value, your first check, the depreciation you can recover and what you pay out of pocket, on an RCV or an ACV policy.
- ACV vs RCV payout
- Deductible in $ or %
- Recoverable depreciation
- Depreciation by roof age
Insurance pays only for covered damage, such as wind or hail. Wear and age are not covered.
Your payout, step by step
Straight-line depreciation: roof age ÷ useful life × replacement cost. Insurers use their own useful-life tables and estimating software, so the adjuster’s figures can differ.
Depreciation by roof age
Same roof and replacement cost, at different ages.
| Roof age | Depreciated | Actual cash value | Insurance pays | You pay |
|---|
Your real number
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The calculator shows how a payout is worked out. What gets paid depends on what the adjuster finds. A free inspection gives you photos of every damaged area and a written repair scope, so nothing gets missed.
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How it works
How Insurance Depreciates a Roof
When a covered event such as wind or hail damages your roof, the insurer starts from the replacement cost value (RCV): what it costs to replace the damaged roof today. It then subtracts depreciation for the wear the roof already had. What is left is the actual cash value (ACV).
Straight-line depreciation
Most roof depreciation is straight-line: the roof’s age divided by its expected useful life. A 30-year architectural shingle roof that is 12 years old is 40% depreciated. On a $14,000 replacement cost, that is $5,600 of depreciation and an ACV of $8,400.
RCV policies: depreciation you can get back
On a replacement cost policy, the insurer usually pays the ACV minus your deductible first. The depreciation it held back is recoverable: it is paid once the work is done and you send the final invoice. In the end you pay only your deductible.
ACV policies: depreciation you keep
On an actual cash value policy, the insurer pays the ACV minus your deductible, and the depreciation is not paid back. On an older roof, that gap can be most of the cost.
Percentage deductibles
Some policies use a deductible equal to a percentage of your dwelling coverage, not a flat amount. A 1% deductible on $400,000 of coverage is $4,000. Check your declarations page.
Useful life varies
Insurers set their own useful-life figures. Common figures are about 20 years for 3-tab shingles, 25–30 for architectural shingles, 40–50 or more for tile, 35–50 for metal and 15–20 for flat roof systems. Change the useful life in the calculator to match your adjuster’s estimate.
For the full claim process, read roof insurance claim help in Arizona and does insurance cover roof replacement.
Reference
Roof Depreciation by Roof Type
Typical useful-life figures used for roof depreciation, and how much a roof is depreciated at 10 and 15 years.
| Roof type | Typical useful life | Depreciated at 10 yrs | Depreciated at 15 yrs |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3-tab asphalt shingle | 20 years | 50% | 75% |
| Architectural shingle | 25–30 years | 33–40% | 50–60% |
| Concrete or clay tile | 40–50+ years | 20–25% | 30–38% |
| Metal | 35–50 years | 20–29% | 30–43% |
| TPO, modified bitumen, built-up | 15–20 years | 50–67% | 75–100% |
Figures vary by insurer. Some policies cap depreciation on a roof that is still working.
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Roof Depreciation Questions
How do insurance companies calculate roof depreciation?
Most use straight-line depreciation: the roof’s age divided by its expected useful life, applied to the replacement cost. A 10-year-old roof with a 20-year useful life is 50% depreciated. Insurers use their own useful-life figures and estimating software, so results vary.
What is the difference between ACV and RCV for a roof?
Replacement cost value (RCV) is what it costs to replace the roof today. Actual cash value (ACV) is the RCV minus depreciation. An RCV policy pays the ACV first and the held-back depreciation after the work is done. An ACV policy pays only the ACV.
What is recoverable depreciation on a roof claim?
On a replacement cost policy, recoverable depreciation is the amount the insurer holds back from the first check and pays once the roof is repaired or replaced and you send proof, usually the final invoice.
How much will insurance pay for a 15-year-old roof?
On an RCV policy, the replacement cost minus your deductible, paid in two checks. On an ACV policy, it depends on the useful life: a 15-year-old architectural shingle roof with a 30-year life is 50% depreciated, so the payout is half the replacement cost minus your deductible.
Does my deductible come out of the first check?
Usually, yes. The insurer subtracts the deductible from the actual cash value payment. If the deductible is larger than the ACV, the first check can be zero.
Will insurance pay for an old roof that is just worn out?
No. Homeowners insurance covers sudden damage, such as wind, hail or a fallen tree. Wear and age are not covered. See does insurance cover roof replacement in Arizona.
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