Arkansas roof age and home insurance
Arkansas lets insurers put a roof payment schedule on roofs 7 years or older and a separate wind/hail deductible on your policy, if the notice to you is approved first. Since 2025 every deductible must be printed on your declarations page.
Short answer: Arkansas allows roof schedules from 7 years and separate wind/hail deductibles; deductibles must be shown in dollars.
1 of 7 topics have a rule we could quote. 7 points below, 3 from statute or rule text.
Seven topics, what we found in Arkansas
No roof-age or home-age limit on declining or renewing found in the pages we opened
Roof schedule endorsement allowed for roofs 7+ years old; notice needs Department approval
Separate wind/hail deductible allowed; % deductibles must be shown in dollars (Act 246)
Nothing on cosmetic-damage exclusions found in the pages we opened
No cancellation or premium rise solely for no-loss claims (Department bulletin)
No mandatory discount for a stronger roof found; IBHS lists no state incentive
No right-to-cure or inspection rule for roofs found in the pages we opened
"Nothing found" means we opened the official pages listed below and the topic was not there. It does not mean Arkansas has no rule.
In plain English
The Arkansas Insurance Department changed its position in Bulletin 17-2023, dated 2 November 2023. It says rising storm losses are the reason. Insurers may now require a separate wind/hail deductible. They may also require a roof schedule endorsement for roofs 7 years or older. A schedule pays less as the roof ages, so the age of your shingles decides how much of a claim you get back.
The same bulletin sets two guardrails. You must get proper notice, and the insurer must send that notice to the Department for approval before using it. The bulletin does not say how steep a schedule may be, and we did not find a published limit in the documents we opened.
The Legislature added a disclosure layer in 2025. Act 246 changed one code section and added another. A percentage deductible must now be shown as a dollar amount. All deductibles on an owner-occupied home policy go on the declaration page or the renewal notice, and peril deductibles sit side by side.
What we did not find: a rule that stops an insurer from declining or non-renewing a home because the roof is old, and a nonrenewal notice period for home policies. A 2020 Department bulletin does say a policy cannot be cancelled, or the premium raised, only because of claims that cost the insurer nothing.
What we found, with the exact words
7 points, 3 of them from the text of a statute or rule. Each quote was matched against the source page by a script, and the date is when it matched.
| Point | In short | Exact words from the source | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Separate wind/hail deductible Percentage deductibles |
Since Bulletin 17-2023 (2 November 2023) the Department allows insurers to make a separate wind/hail deductible mandatory. | “The Department will now allow the mandatory application of a separate wind/hail deductible.” | Arkansas Insurance Department Bulletin No. 17-2023, Claims Settlements for Storm Damaged Roofs Bulletin. Accessed 2026-10-09; quote matched 2026-10-09 |
| Roof schedule endorsement from 7 years Roof payment schedules |
Insurers may make a roof schedule endorsement mandatory for roofs 7 years or older, if you get proper notice. | “mandatory roof schedule endorsement for roofs 7 years or older, with proper notice to the insured.” | Arkansas Insurance Department Bulletin No. 17-2023 Bulletin. Accessed 2026-10-09; quote matched 2026-10-09 |
| Notice must be approved Roof payment schedules |
The notice about the roof schedule has to be submitted to the Department for approval. | “This notice must be submitted to the Department for approval.” | Arkansas Insurance Department Bulletin No. 17-2023 Bulletin. Accessed 2026-10-09; quote matched 2026-10-09 |
| Percentage deductible shown in dollars Percentage deductibles |
Act 246 of 2025, amending Ark. Code §23-79-168: a home policy with a percentage deductible must state the dollar amount. Earthquake losses are excluded from this duty. | “on a percentage of the ... insured value of the insured property shall disclose to the insured the ... monetary amount of the deductible” | Arkansas Act 246 of 2025 (SB48), amending Ark. Code §23-79-168 Statute. Accessed 2026-10-09; quote matched 2026-10-09 |
| Every deductible on the declarations page Percentage deductibles |
New Ark. Code §23-79-169 (Act 246 of 2025): an owner-occupied home policy must list its deductibles on the declaration page or renewal notice. | “shall disclose, as applicable, on ... the policy declaration page or notice of renewal of the policy all ... deductibles included under the policy” | Arkansas Act 246 of 2025 (SB48), new Ark. Code §23-79-169(a) Statute. Accessed 2026-10-09; quote matched 2026-10-09 |
| Peril deductibles shown side by side Percentage deductibles |
Where a home policy has separate deductible levels by peril, they must appear together with the all other peril deductible (Ark. Code §23-79-169(b)). | “contains separate deductible ... levels by peril shall display these deductible amounts together with the ... policy's all other peril deductible” | Arkansas Act 246 of 2025 (SB48), new Ark. Code §23-79-169(b) Statute. Accessed 2026-10-09; quote matched 2026-10-09 |
| No cancellation for no-loss claims Non-renewal and cancellation |
The Department cites Ark. Code §23-63-110: a policy may not be cancelled, or its premium raised, solely because of claims that cost the insurer nothing. | “may be cancelled nor may the premium ... be increased solely as a result of claims ... which resulted in no loss to the insurer” | Arkansas Insurance Department Bulletin 19A-2020, Windstorm and Hail Claims Bulletin. Accessed 2026-10-09; quote matched 2026-10-09 |
When hail hits Arkansas
Across 33 Arkansas counties the NOAA file holds 1,857 hail reports (2014 to June 2026). Peak month: Apr. Largest stone reported: 5.0 inches. A percentage deductible matters most in the months with the tallest bars.
| County with the most reports | Reports | Largest stone |
|---|---|---|
| Benton County | 197 | 4.0 in |
| Washington County | 156 | 5.0 in |
| Pulaski County | 114 | 2.75 in |
| Sebastian County | 91 | 2.5 in |
| Faulkner County | 71 | 2.75 in |
What a percentage deductible costs on your policy
Some policies set the wind or hail deductible as a percentage of the dwelling coverage. Put in the two numbers from your declarations page. This is plain multiplication; the rule above controls how the percentage may be used, not how much it is.
Depends on your policy. Enter both numbers to see the dollar amount you would pay first.
What changes for a homeowner
- Check your declarations page for a separate wind/hail line. Since Act 246 it must be there as a dollar amount, not only as a percentage.
- If your roof is 7 years or older, look for a roof schedule endorsement in the policy or the renewal packet. The Department requires proper notice, so a change should not be a surprise.
- A newer roof is the only lever the bulletin leaves you. An older roof is where a schedule can start to apply.
- Ask for the schedule table in writing. The bulletin does not say how much the payout may drop each year.
- A claim that cost the insurer nothing is not a lawful reason to cancel or raise your premium, according to the Department.
What to ask your insurer
Ask in writing and keep the replies. The box below turns these questions into a letter you can copy.
- Does my policy include a roof schedule endorsement, and from which roof age does it apply?
- Was the notice about the roof schedule approved by the Arkansas Insurance Department? Can I see the notice?
- What is my wind/hail deductible in dollars, and is it shown on my declarations page?
- Do I have different deductibles for different perils, and are they listed together?
- Would a new roof remove the schedule or the separate wind/hail deductible?
- Did any claim that paid nothing affect my cancellation or my renewal premium?
What we could not confirm
- Roof or home age limits on declining or non-renewing: we opened Department Bulletins 17-2023, 19A-2020, 9-2024, 9-2025, 20-2024 and Rule 4; none sets one.
- Nonrenewal notice period for home policies: Ark. Code Title 23 text was not reachable on an official host, so we do not state a number.
- Cosmetic-damage and right-to-repair rules, and a mandatory FORTIFIED discount: nothing in the Department bulletins or Act 246 covers them.
- Limits on how much a roof schedule may reduce a payout: Bulletin 17-2023 gives none.
Sources, with dates
- AID Bulletin No. 17-2023, Claims Settlements for Storm Damaged Roofs (bulletin, accessed 2026-10-09)
- AID Bulletin 19A-2020, Windstorm and Hail Claims (bulletin, accessed 2026-10-09)
- Arkansas Act 246 of 2025 (SB48) (statute, accessed 2026-10-09)
Last verified 2026-10-09. For a complaint or a question about your own policy, contact the Arkansas Insurance Department.
Questions people ask
Can my Arkansas insurer put a roof schedule on my home policy?
Yes, for roofs 7 years or older, with proper notice to you. The notice has to be approved by the Department first (Bulletin 17-2023).
Can the insurer make the wind/hail deductible separate?
Yes. The Department has allowed a mandatory separate wind/hail deductible since 2 November 2023.
Must a percentage deductible be shown as a dollar amount?
Yes. Act 246 of 2025 requires the dollar amount on the declaration page or the renewal notice, and all other deductibles go there too.
Can the insurer cancel me because I filed a claim that paid nothing?
The Department says no. It cites Ark. Code §23-63-110, which bars cancellation or a premium increase solely because of claims that cost the insurer nothing.
Related pages
- Arkansas insurer claim deadlines
- FORTIFIED Roof incentives by state (no Arkansas page yet)
- Roof age and insurance: the general guide
- Actual cash value or replacement cost for a roof
- All states
Other states: Alabama, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington
Arkansas cities we cover
Census data counts when homes were built, not when roofs were last replaced, so home age is only a rough guide to roof age.
| City | Median year homes were built | Homes built before 1980 | Roof age page |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bentonville | 2006 | 11.1% | How old are the roofs in Bentonville |
| Conway | 1997 | 20.1% | How old are the roofs in Conway |
| Fayetteville | 1996 | 25.7% | How old are the roofs in Fayetteville |
| Fort Smith | 1976 | 57.5% | How old are the roofs in Fort Smith |
| Jonesboro | 1990 | 35.0% | How old are the roofs in Jonesboro |
| Little Rock | 1978 | 53.3% | How old are the roofs in Little Rock |
| Rogers | 1997 | 17.4% | How old are the roofs in Rogers |
| Springdale | 1994 | 27.2% | How old are the roofs in Springdale |