Matching requirements are a huge issue in insurance. When only part of the covered property is damaged–such as some of the tiles of a roof–and matching replacement tiles cannot be found, should the entire roof be replaced, or can the insurer repair only the damaged part of the roof using mismatched tiles?
Florida is one of a few states with a matching statute codified in their law. Florida Statutes Chapter 626, Section 9744 states:
"Unless otherwise provided by the policy, when a homeowner's insurance policy provides for the adjustment and settlement of first-party losses based on repair or replacement cost, the following requirements apply:
(2) When a loss requires replacement of items and the replaced items do not match in quality, color, or size, the insurer shall make reasonable repairs or replacement of items in adjoining areas. In determining the extent of the repairs or replacement of items in adjoining areas, the insurer may consider the cost of repairing or replacing the undamaged portions of the property, the degree of uniformity that can be achieved without such cost, the remaining useful life of the undamaged portion, and other relevant factors."