When it comes to anticipating negotiations with a homeowner’s insurance company, preparation is always essential. Roofing insurance claims for storm damage can be particularly tricky. Luckily, there are ways that you can build a strong case for yourself when filing a claim to ensure that you aren’t left in the lurch after a storm.
Among the best methods of preparing is to have an experienced roofing contractor on your side. Their support will go far in maximizing your claim and making sure there are no other damages that occur in the meantime.
Revive Restoration is Minnesota and Wisconsin’s answer to the conundrum of navigating insurance claims. Contact us today for a free inspection. We will ensure your future insurance claims go smoothly.
Roofing Insurance Claims for Storm Damage: Where to Start?
The best advice in dealing with an insurance claim is actually to prepare before disaster strikes. Putting this off until the future may seem convenient today, but being caught unprepared will give you a considerable headache later. (Your future self thanks you for getting things together now!)
There are a few different things to consider when even choosing your plan. First, make sure you’re aware of what kind of coverage you signed up for.
There are two main types of coverage if you’re getting your roof repaired or replaced:
Replacement
This type of coverage is more expensive, but if eligible, the insurance company will cover the entire roof replacement cost (minus deductible).
Repair
The insurance company considers the depreciation and lifetime of your roof. Therefore, they will provide a percentage of the roofing cost based on the materials used and the age of the roof. Depending on those factors, you could receive as low as 15% towards the total replacement cost.
For an older home, the insurance company may only provide Repair coverage. How well you maintain your roof and how often you replace the roof will also impact the coverage you receive.
Let’s consider the steps that will best serve your future storm damage claim (and save you stress and anxiety in the process!).
Step 1: Develop a Relationship with a Roofing Contractor
If you’re making an insurance claim for roofing, the companies like to see a paper trail. They want to know the history of repairs and who performed them (ensuring that it was a reputable company).
Insurance companies are also eager to read inspection reports that are recent (within the last few years at least). This enables them to have a clearer picture of the condition of the roof in the recent past to compare with the current damages.
Your inspection report will be able to provide proof beyond a doubt that the condition of your roof was optimal before the storm damages occurred. In addition, an experienced roofing contractor will know what insurance companies want to see on the report and answer questions ahead of time.
They will include details such as:
- Whether the roof was installed correctly, to begin with
- The quality and structure of roofing materials
- Solid history of roof maintenance
- Attic ventilation is performing well
- Age and lifetime of the roof
All of those details are things that insurance companies consider when evaluating whether to cover your claim. An inspection and report from a qualified roofing contractor will go a long way in proving that your roof is up to snuff (and isn’t to blame for the damages that occurred).
While it may feel strange to prove yourself to an insurance company, they want to make sure that they are responsible for coverage. If there is an issue with the roofing materials or how they were installed, they will not cover the costs.
An insurance company will be considering if the:
- Home is in good repair
- Damage is purely cosmetic
- Roof Materials are faulty
- Roof was installed correctly
- Age of the roof is more than 20+ years
In short, insurance companies want to prove without a doubt that there is no other issue to blame for the damages. If that is the case, then they should provide coverage without issue.
A qualified roofing contractor will provide this critical inspection that allows an insurance adjuster to feel more confident in their assessment. These inspections every few years will also show that you are a responsible homeowner and any issues are not due to negligence or disrepair of the home.
Step 2: What to do After Storm Damages Occur
If your home sustains wind or hail damage, the first thing you want to do is report the event to your insurance company so that they can begin processing your claim quickly. Especially if there was a storm in your area, there might be other people in line, so acting fast will help speed up your process.
Creating photographic evidence to document the event is your next move. Hopefully, you will also have “before” pictures taken during prior roof assessments. These are very helpful in proving damages to an insurance company.
Next, you want to ensure that no further damage can occur to your home before repairs can begin. That is also often required by insurance companies. Unfortunately, they do not cover secondary damages (for example, if there is roof leak that leads to further water damage).
Again, this is where having a relationship with a roofing contractor is so important. They can create a temporary fix if you have damage to your roof to ensure no additional issues arise.
Step 3: Have the Right Team on Your Side
An experienced contractor will be very familiar with helping you as you file an insurance claim. They can be on hand to meet with the adjuster and walk them through the damages. This will make the process so much easier for you and decrease the uncertainty you may be experiencing.
Revive Restoration has the expertise and reputation that our customers know to trust when dealing with storm restoration. We serve these areas with pride:
Minneapolis, MN,
Saint Paul, MN (and 60-mile radius)
Hudson, WI (and 60-mile radius)
Contact us today, and we can begin documenting and repairing your roof to make sure that it is picture-perfect in the event of a future insurance claim.
