Filing An Insurance Claim For Roof Damage FAQ
Finding roof damage after a strong storm is a stressful situation. The insurance process can be confusing and, if you haven’t been through it before, overwhelming.
Because it’s so confusing, you may be afraid to use the services you’ve been paying for. You may think your premium will increase, or you might lose your discount if you file a roof claim.
As scary as that may sound, you won’t be punished for making an insurance claim for roof damage. Keep reading to learn more about the claim process for roof damage.
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My Roof Has Storm Damage. What should I do?
When you suspect roof damage after a strong storm, the first thing you should do is call your insurance company. After speaking with them, they’ll either send out an insurance adjuster or tell you to call a roofing contractor for an inspection.
No matter which route the insurance company decides to go down, the insurance adjuster is the only one who can approve your claim. A roofing contractor can inspect for storm damage and advocate for you if they think you have it, but even if a roofing contractor is 100% certain that you need your roof replaced because of storm damage, the insurance adjuster has the final say.
How Long Do I Have To File A Claim For Roof Damage?
While it may depend on the severity of the storm and the location of the natural disaster, in Texas, you have one year from the date of the loss event to file an insurance claim. Most homeowners won’t wait that long since they need to repair their houses. Even if you think repairs can wait, don’t postpone making a claim as these things take time to settle and you risk facing winter with a damaged roof.
I Think My Roof Is Fine, Do I Really Need To Have The Insurance Company Inspect It?
The short answer is Yes. Storm damage, especially hail damage, is not easily identifiable by an untrained eye or even from the ground for that matter. Having your roof inspected by a roofing contractor or a licensed insurance adjuster, is always the safest course of action.
Most all Insurance Policies state that the homeowner is expected to use due diligence if they suspect storm damage. This means getting an inspection.
By not having a roof inspection following a hail or wind storm, you are taking a big risk. Should you have a roof leak several years down the road and you file a claim, the insurance company can deny the roof claim (they will still cover any interior damage) if the damage was caused prior to the 1 year time limit for filing a claim. In this situation the homeowner may be looking at a costly out-of-pocket roof replacement. It’s always better to be safe than sorry.
Will My Rates Increase If I File A Roof Claim?
No. Filing a claim for a storm damaged roof will not increase your insurance rates. Insurance companies raise rates based on demographics depending on their loss. An example, In 2021 Leander Texas 78641 was hit with devastating hail, damaging brand new homes less than a year old. Every home in that area was damaged. Every homeowner in that zip code will see a premium increase, even those who did not file a claim!
Do I Need To Get 3 Estimates?
No you don’t. Often, insurance carriers will ask you to get three estimates for roof repair or replacement. This is not necessarily in your best interest, nor do you need to get any estimates. It is your insurance company’s responsibility to send a licensed adjuster to you home to do an inspection and provide the estimate. You can choose any roofing contractor you wish.
The Texas Department of Insurance recommends that your roofing contractor be present when your insurance adjustor arrives to inspect your home and roof. Insurance adjusters are often extremely busy after a major weather event, and may inadvertently miss or overlook an important aspect of your claim.
Though there are certain contractors that can do work for less than the fair market price, often someone must cut corners somewhere to make a profit. The savings by accepting a lower than market value bid is not money that can be applied towards your deductible. The savings is passed on to the insurance company.
We recommend that you have us come out and meet with your adjuster in case there is a disagreement on the damage or scope of work.
Can I Reduce My Deductible?
I have shopped around and found a contractor that will do the job for less than what the adjuster has calculated. Can I use this savings to reduce my deductible?
No. Your deductible always comes first. You only save your insurance company money by choosing a cheap contractor. When you submit an invoice that is lower than what the adjuster calculated, this will lower the amount of depreciation you will later be paid, but you will still pay your full deductible. All you are doing is saving the Insurance Company money. They probably will not reward you for that.
Example:
Your Insurance company quotes the roof replacement to be $10,000.00
The Customer has a $2000.00 Deductible
The Insurance company is responsible for $8000.00 and issues first check of $4000.00 (another $4000.00 will be paid by insurance company after work is completed and invoices sent to them.
If you hire a roofing contractor who does the roof for $9000.00, the 2nd check from the insurance company will only be $3000.00 ($9000 minus $2000 deductible = $7000 that the Insurance company is responsible for)
You are still out your deductible.
However, there are options available regarding your deductible. 1.) Some roofing companies will upgrade your roof free-of-charge with the amount the Insurance company has quoted , and 2.) Low monthly payments and even 12 month deferred interest financing to cover your deductible.
Why is my Insurance check less than what my roof will cost?
There are two main deductions from an adjusters estimate of what your roof will cost. The first is your deductible. The second is for depreciation.
RCV stands for Replacement Cost Value. RCV is the current retail cost to replace your damaged items. ACV is the Actual Cost Value. For example, assume a roof in year 10 of an expected 20-year life is totaled by hail. The cost to replace the roof is $10,000 Then RCV would be 10,000 and the ACV would be $5,000 (10/20th of $10,000). The difference between the two, $5,000, is the depreciation which is additional funds you will receive. Generally, depreciation is paid after you submit a final invoice.
See the information above regarding deductibles.
Insurance Company Says No Roof Damage
Everyone makes mistakes, even insurance adjusters. Most of the time, an insurance adjuster will spot storm damage, but sometimes they make a mistake and deny your claim.
Even if they deny your claim, don’t panic. There are ways to double and triple check your roof for storm damage.
The best way to get a second opinion is to ask for a second insurance adjuster to come out and inspect your roof. If they approve your claim, great, but sometimes the second adjuster will still insist that that roof is not viable for a claim, you should always have a professional roofing contractor who specializes in storm damage inspect your roof. Believe is or not, some roofing contractors are highly experienced in installation, but have no clue how to identify hail damage.
Accurate Roofing and Construction will work on your behalf and meet with the Insurance Adjuster to be assured that the outcome is in your best interest.
Choosing The Right Roofing Contractor
Once your claim is approved, it’s up to you to choose any local roofing contractor you want. You need to be sure to hire one local to your area and that has experience working with insurance claims.
But you need to be aware that there’s no reason to get multiple quotes to find the lowest price when you start looking for a roofing company. This is because once your insurance claim is approved, no matter what roofing contractor you hire, the price for your replacement is set by the insurance company.
Just because you shouldn’t get multiple estimates doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do your research and talk to multiple roofing companies to find the right one for you. But when looking for the right one, you need to make sure they provide high-quality workmanship and a willingness to fight for you during the insurance process.