Roof shape affects your home insurance in New Orleans

Believe it or not, your roof shape drives the price of your premium. As many homeowners know -and new homeowners will find out -home insurance in New Orleans can be expensive. Why is it expensive? 

Homeowners insurance is expensive in New Orleans because this area is prone to storms and other natural disasters. Because of this, insurance companies charge higher premiums to ensure there is enough coverage for homes should another Hurricane Katrina or other disaster hit the ground.

Luckily, as a homeowner, or as someone looking for a new home, there is a simple way to help lower your home insurance premium and it has to do with something that you look at everyday: your roof! 

 

How can a roof shape lower my homeowners insurance in New Orleans?

 

Your roof is your protection – it protects your home from wind, heavy rains, snow and hail.

Because your roof is so important and battles the elements each and every day, the geometry or shape of your roof plays an important role in your protection and can help lower your homeowners insurance premium.

Most roofs are either hip or gable shaped and having one or the other can make a difference in what you pay for your homeowners insurance.

When shopping for a home in New Orleans try to look for a home that has a hip roof. Since hip roofs are more likely to hold up in high winds or other weather elements, having a hip roof can help lower your homeowners insurance premium.

 

What’s the difference between a hip roof and a gable roof?

 

A gable roof has two “faces” or two sets of parallel rafters that angle upward – when all is in place the roof creates a triangle shape.

A hip roof is sloped on all sides like a pyramid and consists of several types of rafters. When completely constructed, there are many angles and sides to a hip roof.

 

What are the benefits of a hip roof in New Orleans?

 

Hip roofs have been proven to be significantly more hurricane-resistant and perform better in extreme winds than gable roofs because they have fewer sharp corners, a shallower slope, and the structure is overall more stable. Because of this, there is a windstorm insurance discount in New Orleans for homes that have a hip roof shape; homeowners can save up to 30% off their insurance premium!

In order to qualify, the roof needs to be at least 90% hip-shaped. This calculation is made by measuring the length of the roof perimeter that is a hip shape in proportion to the total perimeter of the roof.

 

Lower your homeowners insurance in New Orleans

 

A roof is a big piece of your home and protects you from all the elements that mother nature throws your way. Why not have a roof that can protect you and save you money? When looking for a house, look for a home that has a hip-shaped roof and you can save big on homeowners insurance.