The roof age box on your Houston renewal isn't a formality anymore

That little question about when your roof was last replaced? It used to be a checkbox. In 2026, it's the single line on your renewal that decides whether you keep full coverage, a stripped down version, or a non renewal letter.

Most of my Katy and Cypress clients didn't catch the shift until premiums jumped 18% to 30% this spring. The roof is why.

Texas carriers have spent the last three years tightening underwriting around hail, wind, and roof condition. Harris and Galveston counties got hit hardest. By June 2026, the Texas FAIR Plan has crossed 120,000 active policies, and a lot of those owners landed there because their roof was over 15 years old and nobody else would write them.

What the underwriter actually does with your answer

If your roof is under 10 years old, you usually keep replacement cost coverage. Carriers like that age bracket. Your premium still climbs because of broader Gulf Coast risk, but the terms hold.

Hit 10 to 14 years and things get interesting. Some carriers quietly move you to actual cash value on the roof, which means depreciation comes out of any future claim payment. Hail destroys a 12 year old roof in 77084, the check covers maybe half the replacement cost. You eat the rest.

15 years and up is where the real action is. You'll see one of three things: a wind and hail deductible bump from 2% to 3% or 5%, an exclusion for cosmetic roof damage, or a non renewal with 60 days notice.

I had a Cypress client renew last month on a 17 year old composition shingle roof. The carrier didn't drop her. They did move her to a 5% wind and hail deductible on a $420,000 dwelling. That's $21,000 out of pocket before the policy pays a dime on a hail loss.

What to do before you answer the question

Pull your roof's real install date. Not the year you bought the house. The permit, if your city pulled one, is the cleanest record. Harris County permits are searchable online for most ZIPs including 77095.

If your roof is 12 or 13 years old and still in good shape, get a roofer's certification letter. Carriers sometimes accept it as proof of remaining useful life and keep your replacement cost terms.

If you're past 15, run the numbers on replacement now versus the deductible math later. A new composition roof in northwest Houston runs $9,000 to $16,000 depending on pitch and square footage. Compare that to the $15,000 to $25,000 deductible exposure sitting on your declarations page.

Worth checking before renewal:

• Year of last full replacement (not repair)
• Material and impact rating
• Whether your current carrier offers a credit for Class 4 shingles

Class 4 impact resistant shingles earn a 10% to 28% wind and hail premium discount with most Texas carriers. On a $4,800 annual premium in 77084, that's real money back every year for the life of the roof.

If you already got a non renewal notice, you have options outside the FAIR Plan. Surplus lines carriers write older roofs in Houston. The premiums hurt, but the terms are negotiable, and a broker who works the wholesale market can usually find something better than the state pool.

Bring your roof paperwork, your declarations page, and last year's renewal to a consultation and we'll go line by line before you sign anything.