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The Insurance Claims Process for Roof Damage - Roof Claims
Dealing with the aftermath of a Wildfire, Monster hail storm or Tornado strength wind can be one of the most stressful situations that property owners face. After the dust settles and all concerned are safe one of the first questions asked is, “where should I begin the insurance claims process for roof damage?”
Roof Claims: Guide to seamlessly processing your roof insurance claims.
After a catastrophic weather event, or a natural disaster such as a wildfire the first thing we want to do is to make sure that everybody is safe and sound. Then we can consider our property. Are the properties safe, or should they be vacated and left to the professionals?
Concerning your roof, you will want to assess the damage. Our Guide “How to Spot Roof Damage from the Ground Looking Up” is a handy tool to help you get started with a DIY roof inspections. You will be looking for the most noticeable signs of damage such as cracked, broken or missing shingles. Hail damage can be easily overlooked during roof inspections. Hail that strikes the roof backed by wind will leave a small dimple that may not look like much to be concerned with. However, the dimple or dent causes tiny cracks that spread out like a spider’s web. These cracks expand and contract while the weather changes, they fill with moisture then dry out, in a few short years these dimples can be a major problem as they expose the roof deck and cause leaks into your attic that may also go unnoticed for years. If the hail is like sharp shards of ice these tiny cracks are even harder to spot if you do not know what you are looking for. If you do notice small dimples, document them as they may aid in future insurance claims.
Strong wind causes roof damage that may be even harder to spot. Look for curling shingles. Wind hitting the roof's downward slope will cause the shingle to lift up or in extreme cases, up and off. This uplift may be unnoticeable after the wind quits blowing and the shingle settles down again. But again, there is a huge potential that your roof deck can be easily exposed to moisture especially as the seasons bring blowing snow. Snow melts easily under the shingles and will be a slow but constant offender for most roof decks.
Use our helpful guide to get started with a quick, safe, overview of your roof's condition. Make notes and take pictures that you can used to document the damage to your property. As you continue reading, we will expose some of the common mistakes that homeowners, roofing companies and insurance adjusters make as they dig into the insurance claims process.
How to Document Your Roof Damage for Insurance Claims.
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Using Pictures or Video to Document Roof Damage Insurance Claims
Most insurance agents will stress the importance of regular roof inspections, documenting everything and documenting it often. They recommend whenever you purchase something new you should take pictures, make a video of the item and its condition when you purchased it. If applicable, record any warranty info like how long the product should last, are workmanship and material covered under the same warranty, and are there weather exclusions, cosmetic damage exclusions, or any changes to the warranty that are covered in the small print, also include any past insurance claims on the property. The same goes for your insurance policy, go over it in detail and make sure to save a copy with your other important documents (insurance companies will go to great lengths to hide exclusions from you, so do not rely on your agent to keep a copy of your policy handy. Oftentimes, once the policy is approved your agent no longer has access to it in its entirety).
Roof Certifications - Roof Inspections
We recommend that you make a current assessment of the condition of your roof at least every other year. If possible, have your roof certified by a home inspector or a licensed contractor every 1-5 years. This will streamline the insurance claims process and it may be required if you choose to shop for a new insurance policy, better mortgage terms or would like to sell your property.
Forming Your Roof Damage Insurance Claim
Make sure that your pictures or videos are time stamped. Roof damage that is not easily spotted at first and later causes a serious issue can easily be sourced during the insurance claims process by moving backwards through the chronological order of your documentation. If you choose to use pictures with your roof inspections, take plenty of them from as many different angles as possible starting at the roof center and moving down. The more details that you have documented the easier it will be to form your roof claims and to validate your arguments. Don’t forget to document the date of any storms that may or may not have caused damage.
Using Storm Restoration Contractors to Document Roof Damage
Storm restoration contractors know what to look for during roof inspections, on the surface and below the surface, from the roof center to the eves, and can be of great service when documenting damage after a major storm or natural disaster. A Roof Cert will not only aid in the event of insurance claims, but it will help you to decide if the damage is significant enough to warrant a roof claim. It may be that simple repairs are all that are needed to prevent long-term weaknesses.
Roof Insurance Claims and getting treated fairly.
How to Make Your Insurance Claim
Putting Roof Insurance Claims together.
Most property owners are not excited about navigating through the insurance claims process. It can easily turn into a time consuming, frustrating process. Follow-ups with your insurance adjuster, desk adjuster, claims agent, and local agent can be an undaunting task, especially if you have a work schedule to keep or other family obligations. An experienced roofing contractor that you know, and trust will be worth their weight in gold at this time, especially if they specialize in your type of insurance claims. Experiencing a major loss and getting your roofing and insurance questions answered by someone with your best interest in mind can be stressful on your entire family. Abc Seamless is there for you and has the experience necessary to be your best advocate in these trying times.
How to make sure that your insurance company is treating you fairly.
Most insurance policies will have some type of time limit to opening an insurance claim after a weather event. To be sure that you receive all that you have coming to you it is a good idea to be proactive when it comes to your home and your roof. The thing to keep in mind is that insurance companies negotiate with their best interest in mind. Their first adjustment is usually just an overview and a low-ball statement that they are aware of the problem and are suggesting a total roof replacement, a repair, or a comparable product. The money they offer is not the concern yet, the first concern is that they realize the total course and scope for your restoration project. If a friendly contractor stops by and suggests that they can finish your project for the money allotted at this point, please be aware that, chances are, that is not possible. Insurance will settle your claim, and the contractor will bombard you with change orders and added expenses that will have to come from out of your pocket. Or, they have no plans of ever finishing your project in the first place. They only want your initial investment. Please beware of unscrupulous contractors and business practices.
On the first adjustment, adjusters will make mistakes on most claims. The truth is that mistakes can be made, usually due to the adjuster not seeing the total scope of your project, or that they are not aware of pricing comparable building products, or products that have been discontinued.
Usually, it is a good idea to let the adjuster look at your property as soon as they can. Chances are that the same adjuster will be adjusting several properties. In most cases their primary concern will be to document an overview of the damage. From there a desk adjuster will take over unless you accept the adjustment as is.
