Yeah, good points there. EPDM definitely seems more forgiving budget-wise, especially if you're looking at long-term maintenance. But have you checked into insurance implications with EPDM vs TPO? I've heard some insurers get picky about fire ratings and might jack up premiums depending on the material. Might be worth a quick call to your agent before committing... learned that one the hard way myself a few years back.
"Might be worth a quick call to your agent before committing... learned that one the hard way myself a few years back."
Good shout on insurance—seen plenty of folks overlook that step. EPDM usually works out fine, but insurers can be picky. Quick check now saves headaches later... trust me.
Insurance is definitely one of those things you don't think about until it bites you. When we bought our first place, we were so excited about finally having our own roof over our heads (literally!) that we didn't even consider how the roofing material might affect insurance. Turns out, insurers can get pretty particular about fire ratings and materials—who knew?
We ended up going with TPO after a bit of back-and-forth with our agent. EPDM was on the table, but the agent mentioned something about fire safety ratings and premiums that nudged us toward TPO. Honestly, I still don't fully understand all the technicalities, but it worked out fine in the end.
Curious though, has anyone here actually had trouble getting coverage specifically because of EPDM? Or is it more just a matter of higher premiums or extra hoops to jump through?
EPDM isn't usually a deal-breaker in my experience—more about premiums. Most insurers I've dealt with don't outright deny coverage for EPDM roofs, but they're definitely more cautious. Seen a few cases where they asked for extra inspections or documentation on installation quality. TPO generally gets less scrutiny, sure, but a properly installed EPDM roof rarely causes major headaches. I'd say it's more about navigating the paperwork than anything else...
"Seen a few cases where they asked for extra inspections or documentation on installation quality."
That's pretty much spot-on. I've noticed insurers are less worried about EPDM itself and more concerned about how well it's been maintained or installed. Had a client once whose EPDM roof passed initial inspection no problem, but after a storm, the insurance company suddenly wanted detailed installation records going back years... bit of a headache honestly. Curious though, has anyone had similar scrutiny with TPO roofs after storm damage, or is this mostly an EPDM thing?
