Buying a house after storm season: inspecting for prior roof damage & open claims

Pre-purchase storm-damage inspection

The standard home inspection is not designed to detect storm damage. Inspectors walk the roof surface and note visible defects; they are not trained to identify hail-bruised asphalt mats, improperly patched storm damage, or the subtle signs of a prior repair that was not done to code. For any house in a hail-corridor state — Texas, Oklahoma, Colorado, Nebraska, Kansas — or after a known local storm event, pay for a dedicated roof inspection by a licensed storm-restoration roofer. Cost: $150–$400 depending on market. The roofer should provide a written report that specifically addresses storm-damage indicators.

Key items the dedicated inspection should identify: evidence of hail bruising or granule displacement, any shingles that were replaced after a storm (often visible as a different shade or shingle product), flashing that was improperly repaired, evidence of prior leaks on the decking underside (staining, mold), and any repairs that were done without permits. Unpermitted storm-repair work is a significant liability — it may not meet current code, and in some states it creates issues with insurability.

Pulling the CLUE report and asking about open claims

A CLUE (Comprehensive Loss Underwriting Exchange) report shows insurance claims filed on the property for the past seven years. Sellers can pull their own CLUE report from LexisNexis and provide it to buyers; this is standard practice in states with strong property disclosure laws. Ask for it. A prior hail or wind claim that was settled and the repair completed properly is less concerning than no claim on a property in a severe-storm corridor — it may mean the damage was never found or never repaired.

Open claims are a separate problem. An open claim — filed but not resolved — on a property you are about to buy creates complications. Your new insurer may decline to write a new policy until the claim is closed. The prior owner may have received a partial ACV payment without completing the repair, meaning the roof you are buying has damage that was acknowledged by an insurer but not fixed. Get any open claims disclosed in writing and resolved before you close, or price the unresolved claim into your offer.

Insurance gatekeeping after a storm history

In Florida, most carriers will not write a new HO-3 policy on a roof over 15 years old without a 5-year-useful-life inspection (F.S. §627.7011). In Texas and Oklahoma, carriers may write the policy but apply a cosmetic-damage exclusion or a higher wind/hail deductible on older roofs. In states that have seen storm-driven insurer exits — Louisiana, parts of coastal Texas, parts of Florida — your options may be limited to the state's last-resort carrier (Citizens in Florida, Texas FAIR plan equivalent) at a much higher premium.

Get an insurance quote conditional on the current roof before you close. This is non-negotiable in high-risk states. Discovering you cannot insure the property at a reasonable rate after closing is expensive; it may require an emergency roof replacement before the policy can be bound. Make the ability to insure at a stated maximum premium a condition in your purchase contract.

Using storm damage as a negotiation lever

Found storm damage the seller did not disclose? Get a written estimate from a licensed storm-restoration roofer that specifies the scope of the damage and the replacement cost. Use this as the basis for a price reduction or closing credit. Do not rely on the home inspector's cost estimate — inspectors identify problems; they do not bid work.

If the seller offers to have the roof repaired before closing, require that the work be done by a licensed contractor you can verify, with permits pulled, and with the warranty documentation transferring to you at closing. Do not allow the seller to use their preferred door-knocker. After the work is completed and before you close, have your independent roofer re-inspect to confirm the repair was done correctly.

Frequently asked questions

• How do I find out if the seller filed a roof insurance claim in the past?
  Ask for the CLUE (Comprehensive Loss Underwriting Exchange) report on the property. Sellers in most states are required to disclose known material defects including prior insurance claims; a CLUE report from LexisNexis fills in any gaps. An open claim — one filed but not yet paid or closed — is a significant issue because it may affect your ability to insure the property immediately after closing. Ask your real estate attorney to make prior claims a disclosure item in the contract.
• Should I walk away from a house that had prior storm damage?
  Not necessarily. Prior storm damage that was properly repaired by a licensed contractor with permits pulled is less of a concern than undisclosed or improperly repaired damage. The issue is undisclosed or incompletely remediated damage — water intrusion that was cosmetically patched but not structurally repaired, or a claim that was filed and settled but the repair was never completed. A dedicated pre-purchase roof inspection by a licensed roofer (not just the standard home inspector) will find most of these issues.
• Can I get a home insurance policy on a house with a storm-damaged or old roof?
  It depends on the state and the carrier. In Florida, most carriers will not write a new HO-3 policy on a roof over 15 years old without a 5-year-useful-life inspection (F.S. §627.7011). In Texas and Oklahoma, carriers may write the policy but add a cosmetic-damage exclusion or a higher wind/hail deductible on older roofs. Get an insurance quote conditional on the current roof before you close — discovering you cannot insure the property at a reasonable rate after closing is an expensive surprise.
• What is an open insurance claim on a property I am buying?
  An open claim means the prior owner (or the current owner of the property) filed a storm-damage claim that has not yet been resolved — the carrier has not issued a final payment, or the supplement process is still active. Buying a property with an open claim is complicated: the claim may or may not transfer, your new carrier may refuse to write coverage until it is resolved, and you may inherit disputes about scope or payout. Have a real estate attorney review any open claim before closing.