Written by Turnkey Siding
This article is general information for Louisiana homeowners. It isn’t legal or insurance advice, and it can’t predict what your insurer will decide. Your policy and the notice you received control what happens. For questions, talk with your agent or the Louisiana Department of Insurance.
Key Takeaways
- If a homeowners insurance inspection in Louisiana ends with a letter asking you to repair the siding before renewal, read that letter closely for the specific items and the deadline.
- LDI’s consumer guide says that if an insurer wants to cancel or not renew your policy, you have the right to ask why in writing, and the company must respond in writing.
- A written repair scope that matches the insurer’s wording, plus before and after photos and an invoice, gives your agent something concrete to send back.
- The Louisiana Fortify Homes Program offers grants for roofs, not siding, so don’t count on it for this repair.
- Turnkey Siding repairs and replaces siding across the metro. Free estimates at 504-882-9704.
What Does a Homeowners Insurance Inspection in Louisiana Mean for Your Siding?
Quick Answer: If your insurer has inspected your home’s exterior and asked for siding repairs before renewal, start by checking what the letter says was found and when it needs to be addressed. Get the details in writing, have the listed items inspected and scoped by a siding company, complete the repairs you agree are needed, and send back documentation before the deadline. We can’t promise any outcome, and nobody else can either. What you can control is how clearly you respond.
Start With the Letter
Before calling anyone to fix anything, read the notice for these details:
- The specific items. “Damaged siding” is vague. Look for which walls are named and what condition was noted.
- The deadline. Write down the date repairs or proof are due, and the policy renewal date.
- What proof they want. Photos, an invoice, a signed statement, or a reinspection each call for different paperwork.
- Who to send it to. Usually your agent, but confirm.
If the letter doesn’t list specifics, ask your agent to get them in writing, and ask whether the inspection photos can be shared. Knowing exactly what an inspector saw keeps you from paying for repairs that won’t answer the request.
Know Your Basic Rights
The Louisiana Department of Insurance’s Consumer’s Guide to Homeowners Insurance says that if your insurance company decides to cancel or not renew your policy, you have the right to know why. If you make a written request for the reason, the company must respond within a reasonable period of time and specify the reasons in writing.
The same guide says an insurance company can’t cancel, refuse to renew, or increase the premium on your homeowners policy based solely on a loss caused by an “Act of God,” which LDI defines as an incident due directly to natural causes and exclusively without human intervention. Louisiana law also sets minimum advance notice periods before a cancellation or nonrenewal takes effect, and those rules have been amended in recent sessions, so check the dates on your notice and ask LDI if anything looks off.
If you believe an insurer has improperly refused to renew your policy, LDI’s guide says to contact your agent or company first. If that doesn’t resolve it, call LDI at 1-800-259-5300.
Get the Siding Scoped the Right Way
A good response to an inspection request is specific. A useful scope covers the walls the letter names and uses the insurer’s own description of each item. That way your agent can match every line of the request to a line of the work.
- Repair or replace? Isolated damage can often be repaired. If the problem is widespread, or the siding material is failing across the house, replacement may be the honest answer. Our guide to siding repair vs replacement explains how to tell.
- Photos before and after. Take them from the same angles, with the date visible in the file information.
- An itemized invoice. List each wall and item that was addressed.
- A permit if required. Larger siding jobs can need one, as our permit guide for New Orleans and Jefferson Parish explains.
Two material issues are worth checking on older metro houses. Swollen hardboard boards are covered in our guide to spotting hardboard siding. If the flagged siding is old cement shingles, read our post on asbestos siding and testing before anyone starts cutting.
What This Looks Like in Kenner and Chalmette
The process above is the same across the metro, but the local details change. Kenner is in Jefferson Parish. Chalmette is in St. Bernard Parish, and LaPlace is in St. John the Baptist Parish. If a repair turns into a larger re-side, confirm permit requirements with the right parish before work starts.
All 3 communities deal with Gulf Coast humidity and storm season, and a home in any of them can sit in a mapped flood zone. If your inspection request comes after a storm, keep the repair documentation separate from any open claim paperwork. Our explainer on how wind and flood damage get sorted in a Louisiana claim covers that side, and our flood zone siding guide explains how larger projects can trigger floodplain rules.
If Your Policy Isn’t Renewed
Talk with your agent about other markets. LDI’s guide describes Louisiana Citizens Property Insurance Corporation as the insurer of last resort for people who can’t get property coverage in the regular market, and it says any Louisiana licensed property and casualty producer can place coverage with Citizens on your behalf. Keep your repair documentation, and ask prospective insurers what information they need.
What About the Fortify Homes Program?
The Louisiana Fortify Homes Program, run by LDI, offers grants of up to $10,000 to upgrade a roof to the FORTIFIED Roof standard set by the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety. It’s a roof program. Grants are awarded through lottery rounds, and some rounds have been limited to certain areas of the state, so check the program page for current eligibility. After a qualifying upgrade, homeowners receive a certificate they can share with their insurer for a premium discount. It doesn’t fund siding repairs, so plan the siding work on its own budget.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does my insurer have to tell me why it’s not renewing my policy?
LDI’s consumer guide says that if you request the reason in writing, the company must respond in writing within a reasonable period and specify the reasons.
If I fix the siding, will my policy definitely renew?
No one can promise that. Renewal decisions belong to the insurer. Ask your agent what response and documentation the insurer needs. Completing repairs doesn’t guarantee renewal.
Can an insurer drop me solely because of a hurricane loss?
LDI’s guide says an insurer can’t drop your homeowners policy or raise the premium based solely on a loss caused by an Act of God. If you think that’s what happened, contact LDI.
How fast can siding repairs be done?
It depends on the scope and the weather. Tell us your deadline on the first call so we can say honestly whether it’s realistic. Our post on siding insurance claims also covers timing after a storm.
Get a Scope You Can Send to Your Agent
If your insurer flagged the siding, send us the letter and we’ll walk the house and write a scope that matches it item by item. Call Turnkey Siding at 504-882-9704 or request an estimate online.