October 2026 – If you have ever been told your home insurance is being cancelled or not renewed because of your roof’s age, the Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) has something to say about that. They just issued a clarification making clear that home insurers in Texas cannot deny coverage or refuse to renew a policy based solely on the age of a home’s roof (or any other component like electrical wiring, HVAC systems, plumbing, or siding).
Insurance Commissioner Amanda Crawford put it plainly: “Texans deserve fair access to home insurance, no matter the age of their home.”
The announcement is part of a broader push by Governor Greg Abbott, who directed TDI in August to tackle the state’s home insurance affordability crisis. Texas homeowners have seen premiums rise 79% between 2020 and 2026, one of the steepest increases in the country.
What the Rule Actually Says About Insurers Denying You Over Your Roof’s Age
The rule draws a line between age and condition. Insurers are still allowed to inspect a home and assess the actual physical state of its roof, wiring, or plumbing. What they cannot do is point to the age of those components alone as grounds for a denial or nonrenewal.
So if your roof is 20 years old but is in serviceable condition, that number by itself is not a legal basis for dropping your coverage. If an insurer wants to decline or cancel, they have to document a specific condition problem, not just cite how many years it has been on your house.
Why This Matters for Houston Homeowners
Houston’s housing stock skews older. Many homes in Harris County were built in the 1970s and 1980s, and roofs in this region take serious punishment from hail, wind, and tropical systems year after year. It has not been uncommon for insurers to use roof age as a quick exit from policies they no longer want to carry, leaving homeowners scrambling to find coverage right before hurricane season.
Under this rule, that practice is no longer permissible. If your insurer sends you a nonrenewal notice and the only justification is age, that notice may not hold up.
What to Do If You Have Received a Nonrenewal Notice
If you have received a nonrenewal or denial and believe your roof’s age was the real reason behind it, you have options. Texas law already requires insurers to provide written explanations when they cancel or refuse to renew a policy. If the written reason is vague or amounts to “old roof”, that’s not good enough to call the matter settled.
As a homeowner, you can file a complaint with TDI directly. And if an insurer is using age as a pretext to exit a policy on a home they have decided is too risky to cover, that conduct may cross into bad faith insurance claims territory.
The insurance coverage team at McLaurin Law works with Houston and Harris County homeowners who are fighting back against wrongful denials and nonrenewals. If your insurer has cancelled your policy or refused to renew it and you are not sure the reason they gave holds up under the law anymore, get in touch and we will take a look.