Impact Resistant Shingles Insurance Discount: Class 4 Guide

Impact resistant shingles are roof coverings tested for impact resistance at a test laboratory and rated Class 1, 2, 3 or 4. Texas home insurers may offer a discount for them, and the Texas Department of Insurance roofing discounts page says a Class 4 roof covering gets the highest premium credit, with the amount set by each insurer. Ask your insurer what paperwork it requires. For a TWIA credit, keep and submit the completed PC068 installation form; other insurers may require a different form.

If your roof was just hit, start with the hail damage step-by-step guide for photos and temporary repairs, then come back here for the insurance side.

Are impact resistant shingles worth the money?

The answer comes down to two numbers you can get from paperwork: the extra cost of the roof over a standard one, and the credit your insurer gives for its class. The math section below shows how to put your own figures side by side.

What are impact resistant shingles?

They are shingles that have passed an impact test and been classified. The Texas Department of Insurance says roofing materials may be shingles, tiles, shakes, formed metal panels or sheets. To qualify for a discount, the material must be tested for impact resistance at a test laboratory under a recognized test standard. Products that pass are classified Class 1, 2, 3 or 4. The discount for each class is set by each insurance company, company by company, as the TDI roofing discounts page states as of February 24, 2023.

For materials, the IBHS hail research page lists studies on asphalt shingles and synthetic composite shingles. For the exact material of a product you are considering, read its label or ask the manufacturer.

For how long they last, the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) runs a Roof Aging Farm study that exposes real roof systems to diverse climates to see how time, temperature and storms affect performance. For the life of a specific shingle, ask the manufacturer for its warranty terms in writing.

What do the UL 2218 Class 1 to 4 ratings mean?

UL Standard 2218 is the impact test named in the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association (TWIA) credit rule. Under that rule, the roofing must pass UL 2218 and be classified Class 1, 2, 3 or 4. The class is the result of that test, and Class 4 is the top rating for the premium credit.

Do impact resistant shingles work against hail?

The class tells you how a shingle performed in the impact test the rating is built on. IBHS runs a Hail Lab, where, as its hail research page describes, lab technicians fire lab-manufactured hailstones matched to field hail at roofing materials with a pressurized cannon to replicate real-world impacts. Its list of hail research includes Hail Impact-Resistant Shingle Ratings, Relative Impact Resistance of Asphalt Shingles and Water Leakage Vulnerabilities for Shingles with Hail Damage. Start with those titles if you want the technical detail.

How much hail is it where I live?

If you live in a hail-prone area, know the numbers. The NOAA severe weather hail basics page from the National Severe Storms Laboratory says Nebraska, Colorado and Wyoming usually have the most hailstorms, and the area where they meet, known as hail alley, averages seven to nine hail days per year. It also says hail can damage homes and cars, and that hail quarter size or larger is considered severe.

Comparing hail to a coin is a quick estimate. NOAA says measurements with a ruler, calipers or tape measure are best, so measure a few stones when you photograph the damage.

How do I identify impact resistant shingles on a bundle or a quote?

Look for the label and markings, not the color or texture. For TWIA credit eligibility, roofing products manufactured after January 1, 1999 must carry:

• the Underwriters Laboratories label, or a label from another lab the Texas Department of Insurance approves
• the impact resistance classification (Class 1 to 4) under UL Standard 2218
• the manufacturer’s name
• the year manufactured
• the brand name of the roofing product

For roofing products manufactured after January 1, 1999, material that meets the impact standard but lacks the required labeling does not qualify for the TWIA credit. Each insurer decides how labels are verified, so ask yours which label it accepts. If you are not sure what is on your current roof, ask the installer in writing for the brand and class.

How much do impact resistant shingles cost?

Prices depend on the roof, the product and your area. Prices and bundles change, so check today’s price directly with a roofer or supplier. Get two written quotes for the same roof: one for standard shingles and one for an impact resistant product with its class listed. The gap between them is your extra cost, and it is the first number in the math below.

Are impact resistant shingles worth the extra cost? A replacement-time math check

Use your own numbers. You will need your two quotes, your annual premium and the credit your insurer gives for your class.

Also check whether your policy pays replacement cost. The Texas home insurance consumer guide says to make sure your policy has replacement cost coverage to be fully protected. Its example is a roof that costs $10,000 today with a $2,000 deductible, which a replacement cost policy would pay $8,000 toward. Under actual cash value, the same example pays $5,000 on a 10-year-old roof, because depreciation comes out of the payment.

How do I ask my insurer for the impact resistant credit, and what proof does it want?

Ask in writing before you sign a contract. Each insurer decides the discount for each class, the test criteria it accepts, how labels are verified and what paperwork it wants. Ask these three questions:

1. What discount do you give for Class 1, Class 2, Class 3 and Class 4 roofing?
2. Which impact test standard and labels do you accept?
3. Do you want your own form, or the TDI form PC068 Impact-Resistant Roofing Installation Form?

The TDI roofing page says insurers may use that form or require their own. For the TWIA credit, the contractor fills out the form after installation, and the completed form goes to you or your agent and then to TWIA. For a TWIA credit, provide the completed PC068 form; ask other insurers which paperwork they require. Keep a copy of everything.

The Texas home insurance consumer guide lists an impact-resistant roof among the discounts you might get. Each company decides which discounts it offers and how much they are worth.

What should I do right after hail hits my house?

1. Call your insurer or agent as soon as possible. The TDI consumer guide says most companies have claim deadlines, and some policies have a one-year deadline. For a TWIA wind and hail policy, you have one year from the date of damage.
2. Photograph or video the damage before any repairs. List your damaged property and note the hail size with a ruler or tape measure.
3. Make only temporary repairs, such as a tarp over a damaged roof, and keep the receipts for materials.
4. Do not make permanent repairs until the insurer has seen the damage. TDI says the insurer might deny your claim if you do, and the Missouri Department of Insurance hail tips say the same.
5. Be there when the adjuster looks at the roof, and bring your contractor, who can talk through the estimate with the adjuster.

For the photo log and claim file, see home insurance repair claims. Stop and call a licensed professional for live electrical, gas, structural, suspected asbestos or lead problems. Do not handle those yourself.

What should a contractor do, and what should they avoid?

Before you sign, check the license and insurance. Use the contractor license and insurance checks list and the guide on how to hire a contractor.

What does the Texas claim timeline look like?

• Your insurer must tell you within 15 days that it received your claim. It may ask for a signed, notarized proof of loss.
• It sends an adjuster, and the payment is based on the adjuster’s estimate. If the damage is worse than first estimated, you or your contractor can ask the adjuster to raise it.
• Generally, it must accept or deny the claim within 15 business days after getting the information it needs; TDI says deadlines may be longer after major disasters, and a company needing more time may take 45 days if it explains why. A denial must come with the reason in writing.
• For most insurers, TDI says payment is due within five business days after agreement to pay; surplus-lines companies have 20 business days, and TWIA has 10 days after acceptance and receipt of needed information.
• A company that needs more time can take 45 days and must tell you why. TWIA has 60 days to tell you whether it will accept or deny a claim.

With a replacement cost policy, most companies pay in two checks. The first comes after the adjuster’s look, minus depreciation and your deductible. The rest comes after the finished job. If you owe money on the house, the check is made out to you and your mortgage company, which usually releases the money as the work is done. If the mortgage company does not release money within 10 days after receiving the information it requested, the TDI guide says to complain to the Texas Attorney General’s Office.

Will a hail claim raise my premium or get me non-renewed?

The Texas consumer guide says most companies consider claims history when setting premiums. The TDI consumer guide says your premiums might be higher if you have had claims, and most companies check the Comprehensive Loss Underwriting Exchange (CLUE) report, which shows claims history for the last seven years. The Colorado after-hail-storm insurance FAQs say no law addresses non-renewal because of a hail storm, but if you have had multiple losses, including hail, an insurer may consider non-renewing. The same page says no law requires a company to match siding or paint on undamaged areas; the company must repair or replace actual damage caused by the covered event. Policies and state rules vary, so Colorado is an example, not a rule for your state.

When should I call my insurer, the state insurance department or the attorney general?

Public adjusters work for you, charge fees and must hold a TDI license. If your claim is under $20,000, the TDI guide says you can use Justice Court, where you do not need an attorney but must pay a filing fee in advance.

Before you order: ask your insurer for the discount for your class, the labels it accepts and the form it wants, then compare the discount with your extra cost using the math above.

By HomeRemodelingAndRepairs.net Home Research & Editorial Team