Storm damage to your roof is never a fun experience, but you pay your insurance premiums for this very situation. So, once you notice storm damage to your roof, you should immediately call your insurance company.
Depending on the company, they’ll either send out an insurance adjuster or tell you to call a roofing contractor for an inspection. For homeowners who are told to call a roofer, this gives the impression that a roofing contractor plays a role in the approval process.
But is this true? Or do you still have to rely on the insurance adjuster to approve your claim even after a roofing contractor’s inspection?
For over 30 years, the team at Bill Ragan Roofing has helped homeowners understand the insurance claim process. Because of this, I’ll help you understand who can approve your insurance claim.
This article answers the following questions:
- Can a roofing contractor approve your roof damage insurance claim?
- Why would your roof damage claim be denied?
- What are your options if your roof damage claim is denied?
- Should you let a roofing contractor pay your deductible?
Can a roofing contractor approve your roof damage insurance claim?
No, a roofing contractor can not approve your roof damage insurance claim. A roofing contractor can inspect for storm damage, take pictures as proof, and advocate for you if they think you have it.
Unfortunately, some homeowners think a claim is approved once a roofing company finds storm damage. But it’s completely out of the roofing contractor’s hands if the claim is actually approved.
Once you file a claim, the insurance adjuster is the one who has to approve it. Even if a roofing contractor is 100% certain that your roof has storm damage, the insurance adjuster has all the power to approve or deny your claim.
Getting a denial is frustrating, but just know there are options if the adjuster initially denies your claim (more on that in a minute).
Why would your roof damage insurance claim be denied?
As I said, there’s a chance your claim will be denied. Adjusters do make mistakes, even if there is storm damage to your roof.
However, there are cases when your claim is denied for a specific reason. The main reason why your insurance claim would be denied is that there’s simply no damage.
Sometimes it’s because you waited too long to file, but you usually have a year. Another reason insurance claims are denied is because of policy exclusions.
This could be because a storm didn't cause the damage and is therefore not covered by homeowners insurance. But two big reasons insurance claims are denied are due to improper roof installation and inadequate attic ventilation.
Simply put, the insurance company won’t cover a roof if it wasn't installed correctly in the first place. Other reasons include manufacturer defects, your roof was too old when the policy started, or a previous storm damaged the roof.
Unfortunately, there’s nothing you can do about all this when you file a claim. But adjusters do make mistakes, and there’s a chance your claim is denied even if you have storm damage.
If this happens, there’s no reason to panic and give up.
What are your options if your roof damage insurance claim is denied?
It’s extremely frustrating to hear from a roofing contractor that your roof has storm damage just for your insurance company to deny the claim. However, you can double and even triple-check your roof if you and your roofing contractor are adamant it has storm damage.
The easiest and most common way is to ask your insurance company for a second opinion by another adjuster. The second adjuster will either approve your claim or agree with the first adjuster.
But if you want to continue pursuing the claim after the second adjuster says no, you can contact a structural engineer. They’ll do an inspection and provide proof to the insurance company that the roof structure needs to be replaced due to storm damage.
If the insurance company still doesn't approve your claim, you’ll accept the loss or pursue legal actions that I’m not qualified to speak on.
Should you let your roofing contractor pay your deductible?
Hopefully, everything checks out, and your insurance claim for roof damage gets approved. If it does, you’re now ready to start the roof replacement process with the insurance money.
But once your claim is approved, there’s the issue of paying the deductible. Unfortunately, you’ll hear some roofing companies offering to pay deductibles.
No matter what the roofing company says, you must pay your deductible once your claim is approved. Not only is a roofer paying it illegal, but you and the roofing contractor are outright committing fraud.
I understand wanting to save money, but having a roofing company pay your deductible is not worth committing fraud. This is actually one of the biggest scams in the roofing industry that’s prevalent is storm hit areas.
How do you avoid roof damage insurance scams?
Now you know that a roofing contractor can’t approve your claim, why your claim would be denied, your options if it’s denied, and if you should let a roofing contractor pay your deductible. Remember, a roofing contractor willing to pay your deductible is a common insurance scam.
Unfortunately, this is just one prevalent scam that plagues the roofing industry. These scams keep making it hard for homeowners to trust even reputable roofing contractors.
Luckily, you can avoid being taken advantage of by knowing how to spot the warning signs. The team at Bill Ragan Roofing aims to build trust in a hard-to-trust industry.
That’s why I wrote another article helping homeowners avoid getting taken advantage of when it comes to insurance claims.
Check out 6 Tips to Avoid Roof Damage Insurance Scams to learn how to spot potential scams when going through the insurance process.
