Storms, high winds, and harsh winter weather can often do severe damage to your roof. You must repair any damage as quickly as possible to protect your home. This can be difficult to do when faced with unexpected expenses associated with damage.
Fortunately, your homeowners insurance may cover some of these costs. You need to take several steps to receive coverage from your insurance. Here are a few suggestions to get you started.
1. Review Your Homeowners Policy
A review of your homeowners policy will spell out precisely what is and what is not covered. Most of the time, your roofing coverage will depend on the cause of the damage. Most policies include coverage from perils, sudden accidents, or acts of nature. If your roofing problems are from general wear and tear or have taken place on an older roof, you may not be covered.
Your homeowners policy will spell out your coverage and the deductible you will be expected to pay.
Unfortunately, some companies have reduced the amount of roofing coverage included in homeowners policies. Some of these reductions include:
- Paying actual cash value versus full replacement costs
- Increasing your deductible
- Changing your roof’s depreciation rates
- Adding cosmetic damage endorsements
Sometimes these reductions were not a part of your initial policy but were added in at the time of policy renewals.
2. Review Your Warranty
Your roofing warranty can run anywhere from 5 to 40 years. The length of your contract is often dependent upon your original manufacturer’s warranty, your roofing materials, and any extended warranties you purchased.
Unfortunately, there are still things your warranty does not cover. A thorough review of your policy should outline these.
3. Document Your Damage
Take pictures of any damage you can see on your roof. While you may not be able to document the damage of underlying roofing structures, take the best photos or video that you can. Pictures are essential before removing any debris from your roof as you prepare to put a tarp on it to protect your home from the elements until you can repair your roof.
4. Collect a Damage Inspection From a Roofer
At some point, your insurance company will send out its adjuster to complete a full inspection and assessment of any damage to your roof. Before that takes place, you may want to secure an independent appraisal from a professional roofer.
The average cost of a roof inspection is approximately $210 but can range anywhere from $75 to $800. The price depends on your roof’s design, the extent of the assessment, and the report generated. Some companies will waive this fee if they are the ones who will complete your repairs.
This inspection will give you something to compare the damage estimates and costs against once your insurance company weighs in. The assessment can be a valuable tool, especially if there is a vast difference in the projected cost and the projected claims payment.
5. Complete Your Claim
Complete all of the forms that your insurance company requires to complete your claim promptly. Most insurance companies have limited timeframes following the damage to file a claim.
Make sure everything is signed and submitted to the correct departments. Always keep a copy of anything you submit and print off anything submitted electronically. Keeping copies ensures you have a paper trail for any questions raised later.
Dealing with insurance companies is not easy. These companies are in the business of saving every dollar they can, and paying out claims does not save them money.
Fortunately, Precise Roofing and Contracting has years of experience dealing with the property insurance claims process. We understand the long and complicated forms as well as what insurance companies are looking for. We will help you file your insurance claims to get you the payment you need to repair or replace your roof. Give us a call today.
