From Self-Reported to Verified: Roof Age Accuracy That Pays Off

Roof age plays a critical role in underwriting eligibility, pricing, and coverage terms — yet for most carriers, it’s one of the least reliable data points in the system. This nationwide carrier learned that relying on self-reported and agent-estimated roof age was quietly distorting risk selection and profitability across its book.

By adopting ZestyAI’s verified Roof Age solution, the carrier replaced uncertainty with clarity, and saw measurable financial impact as a result.

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The Challenge: When Roof Age Is Guesswork

With more than $500M in direct written premium, this carrier faced a familiar industry problem:

• Self-reported and agent-estimated roof age was often wrong
• Inspections covered only a small fraction of properties
• Underwriting rules tied to roof age were being applied inconsistently
• Good risks were overpriced or declined, while bad risks slipped through

ZestyAI's research shows that 67% of self-reported roof ages are inaccurate, creating downstream effects across pricing, eligibility, and loss performance.

The Approach: Verified Roof Age at Scale

ZestyAI replaced estimates with verified, property-level roof age intelligence, combining:

• Over 20 years of aerial imagery
• Building permit and property records
• Machine learning and computer vision
• Transparent confidence scores to guide automation vs. review

The Results: Measurable Impact on the Bottom Line

After integrating ZestyAI Roof Age into underwriting and pricing workflows, the carrier achieved:

• 1.71% reduction in combined ratio
• Lower claims severity through more appropriate deductibles and ACV endorsements
• Improved risk selection at quote and renewal
• More efficient inspection targeting, reducing wasted expense

Why Accurate Roof Age Changes Decisions

Roof age directly influences underwriting eligibility, coverage terms, and pricing — yet it’s often treated as a best guess. This case study shows what happens when that assumption is removed.

With verified roof age, the carrier was able to:

• Apply ACV endorsements and deductibles correctly
• Align underwriting guidelines with actual property condition
• Price risk more accurately at quote and renewal
• Reduce losses without tightening appetite

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