Enter your replacement cost, roof age, material, and deductible.
A planning estimate, not an offer or a guarantee of payment. Your carrier's actual settlement depends on the adjuster, your policy wording, and state law.
Policy type
How this is calculated
Actual cash value and replacement cost value follow standard insurance settlement methods, where actual cash value is replacement cost minus depreciation. Enter your own policy values.
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Roof claims, explained
Every figure below comes from the same verified data the calculator runs on.
RCV vs ACV: what your policy actually pays
Replacement cost value, RCV, is what it costs today to put back the roof you had. Actual cash value, ACV, is that same number minus depreciation for the life your roof has already used up. The standard method is straight-line: depreciation equals age divided by expected life, capped at 100 percent. Worked example: a 10-year-old roof on a material with a typical 30-year life is 33 percent depreciated. On a $19,000 replacement, that's $6,333 of depreciation and an ACV of $12,667. Which number drives your payout comes down to one line in your policy, and the gap between them is often the biggest money question in the whole claim.
Recoverable depreciation: the two-check process
On an RCV policy, the payout usually arrives in two checks. Check one: the ACV minus your deductible. Check two: the held-back depreciation, called recoverable depreciation, released after you complete the work and document it, often within about 180 days. End result, the insurer pays full replacement cost minus your deductible, and your out-of-pocket is the deductible. On an ACV policy there's no second check: you get the depreciated value minus the deductible and fund the gap yourself, which on an older roof can be most of the bill.
Older roofs often get ACV-only treatment
Carriers vary, adjusters have discretion, and some don't depreciate labor. But one pattern is worth knowing before you need it: roofs past about 15 to 20 years are often limited to ACV coverage, sometimes by an endorsement added at renewal. Read your loss settlement clause now, not during a claim. This calculator models both policy types with your roof's numbers, using the same InterNACHI life figures as the lifespan tool. For a realistic RCV input, the roof cost calculator prices your replacement locally.
Frequently asked questions
What is recoverable depreciation?
The depreciation an RCV policy holds back from the first check and releases after the work is done and documented. It exists so claim money funds actual repairs. Pocket the first check and skip the work, and the held-back amount usually stays with the insurer.
How do insurers calculate roof depreciation?
Most use straight-line: age divided by expected life for the material, applied to the replacement cost. Schedules vary by carrier and adjusters have discretion, which is why two companies can depreciate the same roof differently.
Why was my payout less than my contractor's quote?
Usually one of three things: an ACV policy, a large or percentage-based deductible, or a depreciation schedule assuming a shorter life than your material has. This tool is a planning estimate, not a promise of payment. Your carrier's settlement depends on the adjuster, your policy wording, and state law.