If your home has been affected by an act of God or nature it is important to work with a company that knows how to work with your insurance company to document all damages. If you try to do this on your own it is like the story of David and Goliath but in this instance Goliath wins. That is because you as a homeowner are going against a multi-billion dollar industry who ultimately need to make a profit and make money for the shareholders. They must collect more money from insurance premiums than what they pay out in claims. State Farm as an example collects several billion more in premiums than they pay out in claims and profits billions every year. We are not saying any insurance company is evil or are doing anything wrong because they are a business and have to make a profit. The insurance companies have an unfair advantage against you if you attempt to go at this alone. What we do is that we level the playing field by documenting all damage and communicating with your insurance company to ensure they are made aware of ALL damages. Most common damages we deal with in regards to insurance:
- Hail: If you had a hail storm in your area you will want us to take a look immediately. Hail can puncture your shingles which allows water to get inside your home. You may not think you have an issue but most of the time you will not be able to see the damage from the ground. We will go on the roof and inspect the shingles on every elevation to determine if further action is necessary.
- Wind: Many shingles on roofs are only rated for 60 mph winds. If the seals on your roof are broken, the shingles will possibly blow off, crease, and allow water penetration into your home. Many times home insurance will cover this expense if the wind damage can be attributed to a storm in the last year.
- Tree: Trees and tree branches can cause substantial damage to your home and garage. We have been involved on claims where not only did the tree go through the roof but also shifted the entire structure!
How Long Do I Have to Make a Claim?
Many insurance companies will give you anywhere between 6 months to a year after the date of loss to file a claim but every policy is different so you will need to look at the fine print to see. As a general rule of the thumb, sooner is better for us to come out. We will be able to make a better case for you and show more collateral damages for you as everything is fresh. Think of your home after a storm as a crime scene, the more documentation and proof we can get closer to the date of the event, the stronger a case we will have. The longer you wait, the harder it is to make a case on your behalf.
What if I Don’t See Damage?
If there was a severe storm you will want to have us out to look at it, please do not try to get on your roof! There are 164,000 emergency room-treated injuries and hundreds of deaths from ladder accidents every year! We are trained and it is why “Safety always takes priority” is our number one value. You can see all our values here
You will not be able to see damages to your roof from the ground! We cannot tell you how many times homeowners thought that their roof was ok because it looked ok from the ground. You will not know the condition of the roof unless you actually get on the roof and touch and feel and visually inspect the roof up close.
How Much Does This Cost Me?
We always try to get insurance to cover as much as possible that is reasonable and legitimate damage from the storm. If we do not think you have a case, we will let you know. The only thing you are responsible in most instances is the deductible that your insurance company charges and upgrades if you so choose to do them if we are able to get you approved for work. Your deductible cannot be waived and we cannot pay this on your behalf. Any company that is willing to do this is committing insurance fraud and can get you in a heap of trouble. If you are looking for a company to pay your deductible we will not be a good fit as this is illegal.
Will Insurance Rates Go Up if a Claim is Made?
Many people worry that replacing a roof on their home due to wind or hail damage will make their premiums sky rocket and the good news is that is usually not the case. The insurance companies look at wind and hail as an act of nature so if insurance rates go up, it goes up for everyone in the area you live in. In that case, your rate would go up whether you took advantage of your insurance or not so it is almost like you get double hit if you do not take advantage of your insurance (you get hit from the storm which damages your roof and you get hit from the insurance company).
How Do I Schedule an Inspection?
Call us at 1.87.ROOFS.R.US (1-877-663-7787) or fill out your information below. We will have a few questions for you to see if we may be able to help.
Insurance Case Study
Below is a photo of a home that was previously denied by her insurance company for a roof replacement. Months went by and she was given our information by one our clients. After our roof assessment and inspection we felt that she had a strong case for insurance to cover the damages that we found. Not only did we get her approved but we got both of her neighbors approved as well! The second photo underneath the photo shows her roof and both neighbors getting approved with our help!
