Green Roof Insurance and Warranties
What You Should Know About Protecting Your Green Roof Investment
May 9, 2009
The environmental benefits of green roofs, building coverings that include vegetation in their engineered design, have been well documented. However, there is less information available about how homeowners can and should protect themselves in case a problem should come up, especially when a green roof is installed on a single family dwelling.
Concerns about insufficient standards and poor understanding about green roofs have led some home insurance companies to refuse to insure homes with green roofs. Others don't have a standard policy for insuring green roofs but evaluate each situation individually. Taking the time to understand your insurance and warranty coverage upfront could save many headaches later on.
When a new green roof system is installed, two types of coverage apply: warranties and insurance.
Green Roof Warranties
Warranties generally insure against defective products or improper installation. They apply to the waterproof membrane, filter fabric, irrigation system, growing medium, and so on, as well as to the workmanship of the installation contractors. If you have a roofing contractor install the waterproof membrane and a landscape designer/green roof professional install the green roof, they may each provide a warranty for their own work.
Some things you should clarify regarding your warranties are:
- If different contractors install the membrane and green roof, whose warranty will cover the installation as a whole? To avoid issues of which warranty covers which aspects of the roof, consider hiring a company that will subcontract each portion of the job and guarantee the entire installation.
- Does the membrane warranty include access to the membrane? Although some companies provide a warranty for their membrane, they don't include the costs to remove the growing medium and plants on the green roof. As the building owner, you may be responsible for removing the green roof components to allow the roofing contractor to access and repair the membrane.
- Does the warranty cover the plants? Some green roof warranties do not guarantee plant growth or survival unless you also purchase a maintenance plan. Other do not cover the plants at all.
- If you install the green roof yourself, are the warranties still valid? If you purchase a do-it-yourself green roof installation, verify what is covered by the warranty and if there are any prerequisites that must be followed to receive coverage. For example, some companies require do-it-yourself installers to take a training course before installing the system.
Green Roof Insurance
Insurance generally covers things like fires, vandalism, and acts of God. Talk to your insurance provider before installing a green roof to be sure they will provide coverage for your green roof.
Some things you should clarify regarding your home insurance are:
- What information do you need to provide to your insurance company so they can make a decision? Since many insurance companies do not have a standard policy regarding green roofs, you may need to provide assurances that the roof abides by the Building Code and Bylaws for your area. Some companies will require a report from an envelope consultant and/or a structural architect.
- What does the policy cover and what is excluded from the plan? Does your policy cover wind damage or damage to plants due to extreme weather conditions? Does it cover home damage due to leaks from the membrane?
- What concerns does the insurance company have regarding the green roof? Since many companies do not completely understand green roof technology, they may make incorrect assumptions about the risks and either turn down the coverage or increase the policy rates unnecessarily. If possible, take the time to educate your insurance company about green roofs so they can make an informed decision.
Green roofs offer many economic and environmental benefits to homeowners. But, before you install a green roof on your home, take the time to verify and understand how you will be covered if something goes wrong. A little advance planning can go a long way towards easing your mind and preventing a minor issue from becoming a major financial burden.
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