The roof is one of the most important parts of your home. It protects you from the sun, rain, and snow; it keeps out intruders, and without it, you would be susceptible to damage caused by high winds. Unfortunately, roofing problems are common in many cities due to severe weather conditions. So what should you do if your roof leaks? Should you call a roofing company or an insurance company first? This article discusses some pros and cons that may help answer this question for you!
Should You Call Your Insurance Company or a Roofing Contractor First For a Storm-Damaged Roof?
If you believe an intense storm has damaged your roof in your neighborhood, the first thing you should do is contact your homeowner’s insurance carrier. What happens once you’ve given them all of the pertinent information is dependent on your location and the insurance provider you’ve chosen.
Some insurance companies send out an adjuster to evaluate the damage and determine whether you have a claim. If they approve your claim after their inspection, it’ll be time to start looking for a good roofing contractor.
On the other hand, some insurance companies may advise you to have a residential roofing and siding contractor evaluate your roof for damage before dispatching an adjuster. This is rather frequent in Manhattan, but you won’t know about it until you contact your homeowner’s insurance company.
If you suspect storm damage, the first thing you should do is call your insurance carrier, regardless of which scenario you end up in.
What Are The Things That You Should Know About Hiring a Roofing Contractor For Your Insurance Claim
You now know that before contacting a roofing contractor, you should contact your insurance carrier. When it comes time to call a roofing company team for your insurance claim, there are a few things to keep an eye out for.
The Roofing Company Must Have Experience Working With Insurance Claims
You’ll need to do some research once you’re ready to start looking for a licensed roofing contractor to handle your insurance claim. Throughout your investigation and roof inspection, the first thing you should check is whether or not a potential roofing company has worked with insurance claims before.
Roofing firms that deal with insurance claims understand how the process works, how to read your claim, how to fight to make sure everything on the insurance estimate is correct, and how to do the work per your insurance company. A roofing contractor who works with insurance regularly can also help you avoid unwittingly committing insurance fraud.
Consider the following scenario:
Suppose you have a Replacement Cost Value policy (your insurance company pays for your residential roof replacement). In that case, you may find yourself in a situation where the work estimate is less than the amount the insurance company agreed to pay. You are not allowed to keep the leftover money.
Proof of completion is required by your RCV policy to ensure that the things included in the insurance estimate were included in the contractor’s scope of work. For example, suppose you request a check for recoverable depreciation (the amount an insurance company deems a roof has depreciated over time) but do not get the work completed. In that case, your insurance company will not pay you the depreciation.
Hiring a roofing contractor who understands insurance claims might help you have a great experience during an otherwise stressful situation.
You Need to Make Sure The Roofing Contractor is Local to Your Area
It’s critical to pick a roofing company near you and who is local while looking for possible contractors to hire, especially for insurance work. They must have a physical office and a phone number with a local area code in your area.
Because many out-of-state companies (storm chasers) come in after a big storm and undercut the costs of local roofing companies in your region, this is the case. They’ll send in highly trained salespeople who will go door to door using scare tactics in an attempt to sell new roofs to unsuspecting homes.
The crews stay around to complete the work after receiving the funds and move on to the next storm-affected area. Typically, the work on the shingle roof is done improperly, with little regard for local codes or if your new roof is installed properly.
If your roof suffers storm damage, contact a local reliable roofing firm for your roofing needs and to ensure this does not happen to you when a major storm passes through your region.
Ask To See The Potential Roofing Company’s Paperwork
A licensed, bonded, and insured roof repair contractor is a must. These three pieces of paper are in place to safeguard you and ensure that the job is completed correctly.
You should demand confirmation that the roofing company is properly licensed, bonded, and insured in your state. If even one of the three is missing, you and your roof are at risk.
But how important is this paperwork to you?
Licensed
A contractor only has to register with the state board of licensing contractors to obtain a license. The job’s cost determines the type of license they’ll require.
A home improvement license is required for jobs over $3,000, and a general contractor’s license is required for jobs over $25,000, for example.
Because a roof is such a major expenditure, roofing contractors should have a general contractor’s license.
Bonded
If a company goes out of business in the middle of a job or if there is a problem with the work that they don’t address, the customer can turn to the bond company for help.
A roofing contractor who is bonded has proven to a bonding company that he or she conducts business in a legal and ethical manner. The bonding company posts the bond because they are confident that the contractor will complete the job correctly.
Insured
General liability, workers’ compensation, and company vehicle insurance coverage on all owned and unowned vehicles should be carried by all local roofing company.
The size of the contractor’s jobs and the state they’re in determine the contractor’s general liability insurance and workman’s comp limitations. For example, if all they do is minor residential work, their general liability will be lower than handling larger works.
Don’t even consider employing a roofing contractor that isn’t licensed, bonded, and insured in your state. Otherwise, you’ll be left with no recourse if something goes wrong.
Show Your Roofing Contractor Your Insurance Estimate Paperwork
You’ve just learned three important things to consider when picking the best roofing company to handle your insurance claim. But what do you do once you’ve found one that meets all three criteria we discussed earlier?
The first thing you should do is provide them with all of your appropriate insurance documents. Some homeowners are hesitant to share their insurance claim estimate with their roofing firm, but it is critical.
