Your Insurer Cites Wear and Tear: What to Ask Back

An insurer that answers a roof claim with the phrase "wear and tear" has given you a reason, but not yet the evidence behind it. Wear and tear, deterioration and age-related exclusions are standard policy language, and an adjuster may cite one of them alongside a finding that a storm did not cause the damage you reported. The letter is worth reading slowly, because the questions it leaves open are specific: which part of the roof the insurer says was worn, what it saw to reach that view, and which line of your policy it is relying on.

Read what the letter actually says

Most of these letters are short. They name a category, sometimes point to a policy section, and state a conclusion. They often do not say which shingles, which slope, or which flashing the adjuster examined. Before you respond, pull the letter and mark three things: the exact words used, the part of the roof named, and any date or photo reference. If the letter says the roof "shows wear and tear" without naming a slope, you have a request to make before you have an argument to make.

Ask for the policy language and the inspection notes

Ask your insurer in writing for a copy of the exclusion it is relying on, with the policy form and endorsement number, and for the inspection notes and photographs from its visit. You are entitled to see the basis for a decision made on your policy, and the request keeps the record clear. Write it as a short letter, date it, and keep a copy. Log each phone call the same day, with the name of the person you spoke to and what they said.

Read the exclusion itself. Many policies exclude wear and tear, deterioration and faulty workmanship, but they also cover direct physical loss from a covered peril such as windstorm or hail. A policy can cover a storm hit to a roof that was already aging, and the question then becomes which damage the storm produced. Check whether the exclusion applies to the whole roof or only to the damage the insurer believes was not caused by the storm.

What separates an old roof from a storm mark

Missouri roofs take a hard beating from freeze and thaw cycles, from ice damming at the eave, and from years of sun. Those forces leave signs that can look like storm damage to a quick glance, and storm damage can look like age to someone who did not walk the roof after the event. The difference is in the detail. Granule loss that runs evenly across a slope, cracked sealant at a pipe boot, and lifted tabs along a warped course often point to long-term conditions. Fresh fractures in the mat, bruising that shows the reinforcing layer, soft metal dented in a pattern that matches the storm, and bright exposed asphalt at a recent break are harder to explain as age.

Neither list settles a claim by itself. A roof can show both, and the claim may turn on which damage the storm produced and which damage was already there. That is why the insurer's notes matter as much as your own photos.

What a roofing contractor can document

A contractor can walk the roof, photograph each slope from fixed reference points, measure the affected areas, and put the findings in a written scope with photos and measurements. That scope belongs in your hands. It can show the condition of the shingles, the location of each mark, and any age indicators that remain, such as the date code on a wrapper if spare shingles are still in the garage. It can also record what the contractor did not find, which helps as much as what it did.

Missouri law (RSMo 407.725) bars a roofing contractor from representing or negotiating a homeowner's insurance claim, so a contractor cannot argue the wear-and-tear point with your insurer for you. That job stays with you. What a contractor can do is attend an inspection as the contractor on the job while you deal with your own insurer, and provide the documentation that makes your side of the conversation specific.

Build the file before you reply

• A copy of the letter, the exclusion it cites, and the policy form with its endorsement list.
• Your own dated photos of the roof, taken from the same reference points as any insurer photos.
• The written scope and photos from a roofer who walked the roof after the storm.
• Earlier repair receipts, inspection reports and maintenance records that show the roof's history.
• A dated log of every call and email with the insurer.

Send your written reply as a single letter that answers each point in the insurer's letter, in order. If the insurer named a slope, answer for that slope. If it cited a policy section, quote the words you think apply and say why. Keep the tone plain. A reply that treats the adjuster as an opponent tends to slow the file, while a reply that asks for specific notes tends to get specific answers.

Timing this fall

Cold weather changes what can be examined safely. Once the first hard freeze arrives, shingles that were bent or lifted can crack when handled, and areas the adjuster wants to see may be harder to reach without causing new damage. If a spot needs repair for safety, document it first with dated photos and measurements, then ask the insurer whether the repair can wait for its visit. Request any second visit in writing and name the date you need it by.

When the letter is not the last word

A wear-and-tear letter is a position, and positions can change when the file shows more. If the insurer's notes do not describe the damage you reported, say so in writing and ask for a second look at the named area. If the insurer does not respond within a reasonable time, keep your log current and note each follow-up. The steps that come next depend on your policy and on what the insurer's response says, so read that response itself before deciding what to send.

If you want a roofer to walk the roof and put its findings in writing before you reply, Keys Roofing can be reached at (314) 220-2333. The written scope stays with you, and the reply to your insurer stays with you too.