If you’re already tackling a roof project, it might be worth having someone peek at the wiring too. Not saying you need to gut everything, but even swapping out the worst offenders can make a big difference with insurance—and your own peace of mind.
I get where you’re coming from, but I’m not totally convinced the insurance folks are always as chill about metal roofs as you say. Maybe it’s a regional thing? Around here (southern Ohio), I’ve had two neighbors get hassled about switching to metal—one even had to send in extra paperwork about “lightning mitigation” before they’d update his policy. Meanwhile, his breaker panel looked like a spaghetti dinner and nobody blinked.
Not saying old wiring isn’t a bigger risk, but sometimes the adjusters seem more worried about what’s new and shiny than what’s hiding in the walls. Maybe it depends on who shows up with the clipboard that day...
Personally, I’d still rather deal with a little extra paperwork for a metal roof than wake up to the smell of burning insulation. But yeah, wish insurance was more consistent on this stuff.
That’s interesting about the insurance angle in your area. I’ve actually seen similar cases—sometimes they get more hung up on the new metal roof than the old fuse box, which seems a bit backwards to me. From what I understand, a metal roof doesn’t attract lightning, but it does a good job of dispersing the energy safely if it’s installed right and grounded. Have you noticed if your neighbors’ policies required actual lightning rods, or just extra paperwork? Sometimes it’s just a checkbox thing, sometimes they want a whole system. It’s not always logical, but that’s insurance for you...
Yeah, I’ve noticed the same thing—insurance companies can be weirdly inconsistent. Around here, a few neighbors with metal roofs got flagged for “increased lightning risk” on their policies, but none of them actually had to install full lightning rod systems. Mostly it was just extra forms and a higher premium, which honestly felt like a money grab. Meanwhile, I know at least two houses with ancient wiring and no GFCIs that never got a second look.
I agree, metal roofs don’t attract lightning any more than shingles do. If anything, they’re safer since they’ll conduct and spread out the charge if grounded right. My installer made a big deal about proper grounding, but the insurance folks barely seemed to care about that part—just wanted to check their boxes.
It’s frustrating when logic goes out the window. I’d be more worried about old electrical than a new metal roof, personally. But I guess that’s not how the paperwork works...
That’s wild about the insurance stuff. I just bought my first place and was actually hoping the metal roof would be a plus, not a red flag. I did some reading and it sounds like, if anything, it’s less likely to catch fire from a strike compared to shingles. The old wiring thing freaks me out way more—my inspector flagged a couple outlets with no GFCI and that’s what I’m prioritizing. Feels backwards that insurance cares more about the roof than what’s running through the walls...
Funny, I had almost the exact same reaction when I bought my place—thought the metal roof was a huge bonus, not something to worry about. I’m in the Midwest, so hail and storms are just part of life, and every old-timer around here swears by metal for longevity. The fire thing especially—metal doesn’t burn, so I figured that was a win. My insurance agent, though, practically acted like I’d installed a trampoline on the roof or something. Apparently, they worry more about the cost of replacing metal if it gets dented or “cosmetic” hail damage than about it catching fire.
Lightning-wise, I dug into this when I moved in, because I had visions of the whole house turning into a giant bug zapper during storms. Turns out, metal roofs actually help disperse the energy if you do get struck. It’s not like the roof attracts lightning more than any other material; it just gives the electricity a path to ground. My neighbor has had a metal roof for 30 years and never had a single issue. Meanwhile, the house two doors down with old cedar shakes did catch a small fire after a lightning hit a few years back.
The electrical stuff inside freaks me out way more, too. I had some ungrounded outlets and no GFCI in the kitchen when I moved in, and that was top of my list—especially since I’ve got kids. Insurance never even asked about it, which seems nuts. I guess roofs are easier for them to check off a list than wiring hidden behind drywall.
If you’re worried about lightning, you could look into surge protection for your main panel. That’s what I did—just a little extra peace of mind, especially with all the electronics we rely on now. But honestly, I’d take a metal roof over old asphalt any day, especially with the storms we get.
Anyway, I wouldn’t lose sleep over the roof. But yeah, I’d put those GFCIs in ASAP. It’s weird what insurance companies focus on sometimes... their priorities don’t always line up with what actually keeps a house safe.