Your insurer flagged the roof: repair it or replace it before the renewal date
A non-renewal letter that names the roof gives you a date, a reason and not much else. We go up on the roof, check what the underwriter wrote against what is really there, then fix it or replace it.
You end up with a dated report and photos of the finished work to send back to your carrier. Most letters we're shown cite the roof's condition, its age, or both.
Notice of non-renewal
We regret to inform you that your homeowners policy will not be renewed at the end of its current term.
AReason: condition of the roof covering, observed during a recent property review.BThis takes effect on the expiration date shown on your declarations page.CWe may reconsider on receipt of documentation that the roof has been repaired or replaced.You may be eligible for the Illinois FAIR Plan. You may request a review of this decision.
A sample letter drawn for this page. Yours will use other words, so look for these three lines.
Three lines in the letter decide what we do on the roof
Read them before you call anyone, and have the letter at hand when you book. They tell us where to look, how fast to move and what to hand you at the end.
The reason
Condition sends us after specific defects: lifted tabs, a cracked pipe boot, a patch, a tarp. Age points at the install year on file, which is often wrong when a roof was replaced and never reported.
If the letter only says underwriting guidelines, ask the carrier in writing what fact sits behind it. Illinois requires one.
The date
Check the postmark against the expiration date first. A policy held under five years is owed at least 30 days of notice. After five years, a roof reason usually means 60.
Everything we do on the roof is planned backward from that date.
The proof
Ask your agent what the carrier will accept: photos of finished work, an invoice, its own form. If there's a form, send it to us with the estimate request.
Then the report answers the carrier's questions, in the carrier's order.
From the letter to the renewal date, on one line
Two Illinois deadlines sit inside that window, and both are easy to miss. Our guide to your rights after a roof non-renewal explains the rules behind each stop.
The letter arrives
It also goes to your agent and your mortgage holder, so the bank may call first.
We inspect the roof
Every slope photographed and every defect written down against the reason in the letter. The inspection is free.
20 days before expiration
The last day a written request for a hearing can reach the Illinois Director of Insurance.
The repair period
On a roof that can be repaired, the carrier has to allow a reasonable time, up to 90 days, counted from its notice of needed repairs.
Renewal date
The report and the photos of the finished work should already be with the underwriter.
The repair period starts with the carrier's own notice naming the repairs, not with the non-renewal letter. If no such notice came, ask for one in writing.
What the underwriter wrote, the fix that answers it and the price
Most flags in these letters are small jobs. These are typical prices in the Chicago suburbs; you get a firm price once we've been on your roof.
| What the letter flags | The fix that answers it | Typical price |
|---|---|---|
| Cracked pipe boot collar | A new boot slid under the course above and nailed into sound deck, as on our roof vent leak repair page | $250-$450, then $100-$200 each |
| Lifted or missing shingles | Lifted tabs sealed down, torn or missing ones replaced, each spot photographed | A few hundred to about $1,500 |
| Dark algae streaks or moss | A soft wash, and a zinc strip near the ridge to keep it from coming back | $350-$700 wash, $150-$400 zinc strip |
| Debris, overhanging limbs, clogged gutters | Roof and gutters cleared, with gutter cleaning on the same visit | Priced per home before we start |
| Asphalt roof past 20 years | Full tear-off and a new roof | $9,000-$18,000, about $450-$1,150 a square |
The folder you send back to the underwriter
An underwriter can't come out to your house, so the papers have to show the roof. This is what you get from us, in the order a carrier usually reads it.
Dated inspection report
What we found on each slope, with photographs, written against the reason in the letter.
Itemized scope
Each repair on its own line, so it can be matched to what was flagged.
The carrier's form
If your insurer has one, we see it with the estimate request, not after the work.
Photos of the finished work
Taken on the roof and dated, slope by slope.
The invoice
What was done and when, with our company details on it.
Illinois names a certificate from a licensed contractor or architect as proof of the repair. Our Illinois roofing license is 104.018671. If your carrier asks for a signed form, send it to us at the start, with the letter.
Repair what was flagged, or replace the roof now
The letter sets a date. It doesn't decide whether your roof needs a repair or a new roof, and we tell you which one after the inspection.
Repair the flagged items
A few hundred dollars
When the letter names a cracked boot and a few lifted tabs on a roof with years left, that is a roof repair, not a new roof. Photos of the finished work are usually what the underwriter asked for.
Replace the roof
$9,000-$18,000
A roof past about 20 years that sheds granules into the downspouts was due anyway, and the letter only set the date. A full roof replacement resets the roof age on file for good.
Pay with 0% in-house plans for up to 24 months or lender plans of 10 to 30 years: apply for financing.
When the roof was scored from a plane
Many of these letters start with aerial or satellite images scored by software, with nobody on your property. On north suburban roofs we most often see four things misread from above.
- Dark algae streaking on a roof that is otherwise sound.
- A valley in deep shade that looks worn in the image.
- A section that was still under repair on the day of the flyover.
- A roof replaced two years ago that the carrier's records never caught.
Each one is answered with a date-stamped photo taken on the roof. We put a person up there and take it, and the photo goes in your report.
What Illinois law lets a roofer do
A non-renewal is an underwriting decision, not an insurance claim. There is nothing to negotiate, so be wary of anyone who offers to deal with your insurance company for you.
If the roof also has hail or wind damage, that is a separate storm claim, and Illinois does not allow a roofing contractor to negotiate a claim. We inspect, document and write a code-compliant estimate. Our partner, the licensed Illinois public adjuster State Adjusting Services, can represent you with the insurer. Our storm and insurance page covers those steps.
Who comes out to your roof
State Restoration Services is a family-owned roofing contractor in Lincolnshire, working since 2018 across Lake and Cook County, including Arlington Heights, Northbrook and Palatine.
Homeowners give us 4.9 from 91 Google reviews.
Call with the letter in hand
Our phones are answered Monday to Friday, 7 AM to 7 PM, and on weekends from 9 AM to 5 PM. Read us the reason and the date from the letter and we'll book the inspection.
Questions homeowners ask us about non-renewal letters
Can I keep my policy if I repair the roof instead of replacing it?
Often, when the letter names specific defects on a roof with years left in it. Ask the carrier in writing what it wants fixed and what proof it accepts, then send the dated report and photos of the finished work. The decision to renew stays with the insurer.
How much notice does my insurer have to give me in Illinois?
At least 30 days if the policy has been in force for under five years. At five years or more, 60 days for most reasons, the roof included. A request for a hearing has to reach the Department of Insurance at least 20 days before the expiration date.
What do you give me to send to my insurance company?
A dated written inspection report with photographs and an itemized scope of the work, then dated photos of the finished work and the invoice. If your carrier has its own form, send it to us with the estimate request so the report follows it.
Will a new roof get my insurance renewed?
A new roof resets the roof age your carrier has on file, which is the most common reason in these letters. Whether a carrier renews is still its own underwriting decision, so ask your agent before the work what they need to see.
Want this looked at?
We inspect for free, document what we find and prepare a code-compliant estimate you can hand to your insurer. Our partner, a licensed public adjuster, State Adjusting Services, can represent you on the claim.
Call (866) 992-2982. Free Inspection