What Is Ordinance or Law Coverage on a Roof Insurance Claim in Boise?
Ordinance or law coverage is the part of a homeowners policy that pays for building code upgrades a city or county requires when storm damage forces a full roof replacement, things like a Class A fire rated assembly in a wildfire prone area, correct drip edge, and attic ventilation brought up to current code that were never required when the home was first built. Without it, the policy only pays to replace what was already there, and the homeowner covers the gap between the old roof and what the building department now demands. Dodd Roofing and Exteriors sees this most on older Boise, Meridian, and Nampa homes filing wind or hail claims, and the coverage is often already sitting on the policy unused because nobody asked the adjuster to apply it.
What does ordinance or law coverage actually pay for?
It pays for the work the building department requires on a permitted reroof, even when the old roof never had it. In Ada and Canyon county that most often means a Class A fire rated roofing assembly for homes inside the wildland urban interface overlay, which covers much of the Boise foothills and parts of Eagle and Star, along with correct drip edge at eaves and rakes and attic intake and exhaust ventilation brought up to current ratios. Standard policies typically carry a set share of the dwelling coverage limit for this line, often around 10 percent, and many carriers let homeowners raise that to 25 or 50 percent for a small premium increase.
Our posts on drip edge requirements and Class A fire rated roofs cover the two code items Treasure Valley adjusters miss most on storm damage claims.
Why do Treasure Valley roofs trigger code upgrades so often?
Older neighborhoods carry the most exposure. Homes in Boise's North End and Boise Bench, along with older sections of Nampa and Caldwell, were built before drip edge and current ventilation ratios were standard, and many foothills parcels were only added to the wildland urban interface map in the past several years as wildfire seasons pushed the boundary outward. A wind or hail claim large enough to justify a full roof replacement needs a building permit, and a permit means the roof has to meet the code in effect today, not the code that applied when the house was built. A foothills home that never needed a Class A assembly before can be required to install one at the next reroof, storm claim or not.
How do you know if your policy has it?
Check the declarations page for a line reading Ordinance or Law, Building Code Upgrade, or Code Coverage, with a percentage listed next to it. Some endorsements that shift roof claims to actual cash value also cap or remove this coverage entirely, so both sections are worth reading side by side before a storm ever hits.
Our post on whether a roof claim raises insurance rates in Idaho covers the separate question of what filing a claim does to next year's premium.
How does the claim actually get paid?
The adjuster's first estimate almost never includes code items, because the adjuster scopes what was on the roof, not what the county now requires. The contractor documents the requirement with the permit application, the code citation, and tear off photos, then submits a supplement for the difference. Ordinance or law money is typically paid as incurred, meaning after the work is complete and invoiced, so code items need their own line on the final bill rather than getting folded into the general roofing cost.
What happens if you do not have it?
The code items become an out of pocket cost stacked on top of the deductible, since a contractor working inside a wildland urban interface overlay cannot install a non rated assembly and still pass final inspection, and a permit will not close without proper drip edge or ventilation. Ask your agent to add the coverage before the next wind or hail event.
Our homeowner guide library has more on prepping a policy and a home before storm season arrives.
When should Treasure Valley homeowners sort this out?
Now, before a storm forces the question during a claim instead of before one. Bring your declarations page to the inspection, and we will check your parcel against the current wildland urban interface map and lay out exactly what code applies and what your policy should pay toward it. Call Dodd Roofing and Exteriors at (208) 295-9421 for a free inspection in Boise, Meridian, Eagle, Nampa, or Caldwell.
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