What the exclusion covers
Standard property policies exclude wear and tear, marring, deterioration, rust, rot, and similar gradual processes, along with inherent vice and latent defect. The reasoning is that insurance pays for sudden, fortuitous events, not for the predictable aging of a building or its systems. The exclusion draws a line between a loss that happened at an identifiable moment and damage that accumulated slowly over years.
The Florida roof-age tactic
Florida carriers frequently label sudden storm damage as wear and tear to deny or reduce claims, especially on older roofs. A single storm can cause covered damage even to an aging roof, and the age of the roof does not automatically convert a sudden loss into excluded deterioration. If your claim was denied as wear and tear, the real question is what actually caused the damage on the loss date, not how old the component was.
Proving sudden versus gradual
Because this exclusion is a causation fight, evidence decides it: dated photos, weather data for the loss date, and an independent inspection that distinguishes storm impact from long-term aging. The exclusion is closely tied to the definition of sudden and accidental damage and to how the cause of loss is characterized, so building a clear timeline of the event is the strongest response to a wear and tear denial.