Tools

Roof claim payout estimator

Estimate what a roof claim pays under replacement cost, actual cash value and roof payment schedule settlements, and what you would pay yourself.

Runs entirely in your browser: nothing you enter is sent or stored by this site. Results are estimates for planning, not a quote or advice.

On a roof claim, three things set your check: how the policy values the roof, how old the roof is, and which deductible applies. The estimator runs all three settlement methods side by side so you can see which one your policy uses and what it costs you.

How to use it

Get the replacement figure from a roofer's estimate or the adjuster's scope. Then look at your declarations page and endorsements for the roof wording. Phrases like "roof surfacing payment schedule" or "actual cash value roof" mean you are not on plain replacement cost. Enter:

  1. The cost to replace the roof.
  2. The roof covering. The menu fills in a typical service life you can overwrite.
  3. The roof's age.
  4. How your policy settles roof claims: replacement cost, actual cash value, or a payment schedule. For a schedule, read the percentage for the roof's age from the table in your endorsement.
  5. Your deductible: a dollar amount, or a percentage of Coverage A (common for wind, hail and hurricane losses) with your dwelling limit.

How the math works

Actual cash value is the replacement cost times one minus age divided by expected life, never below zero. A schedule pays the replacement cost times the percentage in your endorsement. Replacement cost pays the full figure, though the first check is typically the actual cash value amount, with the rest paid after the work is done. In every case the deductible comes off last, and you pay the difference.

Say, hypothetically, an $18,000 roof of architectural shingles with an assumed 25-year life, 12 years old, and a 1% wind and hail deductible on $400,000 of Coverage A ($4,000). Depreciation is $8,640 (48%). Replacement cost pays $14,000, of which $5,360 comes first. Actual cash value pays $5,360, leaving you $12,640. A schedule at 60% pays $10,800 less the deductible, or $6,800, leaving you $11,200.

What it assumes

The menu lives (20 years for three-tab shingles, 25 for architectural shingles and shakes, 45 for metal, 50 for tile) and the 60% schedule figure are editable examples, not insurer data. Climate, installation and upkeep all change real service life. The straight-line formula is the tool's, not your insurer's; some insurers use their own roof depreciation tables.

Lenders add a wrinkle. For one-to-four-unit loans, Fannie Mae (Lender Letter LL-2026-03) and Freddie Mac (Bulletin 2026-C), both dated March 18, 2026, say roofs must be insured but need not be insured at replacement cost. Your lender may still ask for more.

Where it stops being right

Insurers pay for damage from a covered event, not for wear, age or poor installation, and many exclude purely cosmetic hail damage; a roof that is simply old may not be a claim at all. The tool assumes the whole roof is being replaced. A repair, a partial replacement, a matching dispute with the rest of the roof, code upgrades and the cost of tearing off extra layers can each change the figure. Settlement terms differ by insurer and state, so your policy's wording controls.

If the result surprises you, read will insurance pay for a roof replacement? and Roof payment schedules and ACV roof endorsements, and try the hurricane and percentage deductible calculator with your own numbers. An upgraded roof can earn a premium credit, which the roof and mitigation upgrade payback calculator weighs.

Last reviewed October 10, 2026

Related guides

Will insurance pay for a roof replacement? Insurance pays for a new roof when hail, wind or a fallen tree damages it beyond repair, not because it is old. How the decision and the check work. Roof payment schedules and ACV roof endorsements ACV roof endorsements and payment schedules cut what a wind or hail roof claim pays as the roof ages, for a lower premium. How each works and what to compare. Roof age limits: when insurers won't cover an old roof How insurers treat older roofs, from nonrenewal to payment schedules, and what Florida, Texas and Citizens rules say about roof age and condition. Hail damage claims: roofs, siding and windows How hail claims are inspected and paid, why the roof settlement, the wind/hail deductible and cosmetic exclusions decide the check, and what to do first. Matching: when new shingles or siding don't match When repairs leave mismatched shingles or siding, whether the insurer pays for more depends on your state's rule and your policy wording. How to argue it. Wind and hail deductibles explained A wind/hail deductible applies to every wind or hail loss, not just hurricanes. How it differs from a hurricane deductible, state rules and roof claims.

Terms used here

Roof surfacing payment schedule An endorsement that pays roof damage as a set percentage of replacement cost based on the roof's age and material, not full cost or a depreciation estimate. ACV roof endorsement An endorsement that pays wind and hail roof damage at replacement cost less depreciation, even when the rest of the home is settled at full replacement cost. Actual cash value What an insurer pays for damaged property: the cost to repair or replace it today, minus a deduction for age and wear, so less than a new-for-old payment. Cosmetic damage exclusion An endorsement that excludes hail dents, pitting and surface marks that do not stop a roof or siding from doing its job, often in exchange for a lower premium. Wind/hail deductible A separate amount you pay first, flat or a percentage of the dwelling limit, on damage from wind or hail in place of the standard flat amount.

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