Getting multiple quotes for your new roof is a great way to get a second opinion and make the right hiring decision. But let’s be honest: homeowners get more than one mainly to compare pricing.
I completely understand why, especially with roofing costs at an all-time high. In fact, I always recommend getting two or three quotes when getting a new roof under normal circumstances.
However, it’s the exact opposite when insurance is involved. But why shouldn’t you get multiple quotes for a storm-damaged roof?
For over 30 years, Bill Ragan Roofing has helped homeowners navigate the confusion and frustration of dealing with insurance for a storm-damaged roof. Because of this, I’ll break down why adding to this confusion with multiple roofers doesn’t make sense.
Let’s get to the 5 reasons you shouldn’t get multiple roofing quotes when you have an insurance claim.
1. The insurance company determines the scope of work and cost
Once your claim is approved, your insurance company provides an estimate containing the scope of work and the cost of replacing your roof. This estimate will be created by using a software like Xactimate to come up with a payout based on general prices in the area.
The problem is that every roofing company has different pricing, which insurance estimates do not account for. Even with different pricing, almost every roofer’s estimate will be higher than insurance.
So, you’re just mudding the waters by getting quotes from different roofers when the initial price is already set. This doesn’t mean pricing isn’t important, but it shouldn’t be the main hiring qualification when insurance is involved.
Instead, you need a single roofer who can read claims correctly, has insurance experience, and will give you the tools and information needed to supplement your claim.
2. You don’t get to keep leftover money from your claim
As you just learned, it’s highly likely that your insurance estimate will cover the entire cost of your roof replacement. But even if you find a cheap company that can do it for less than your insurance company agreed to pay, you don’t get to pocket the leftover money.
If you don’t get to keep any money that’s left, getting multiple quotes to find the lowest price is pointless. And if you have an RCV policy, keeping anything left after insurance’s scope of work is illegal.
This policy requires proof that the scope of work was followed correctly before they’ll send a final payment. And even when you get the final check, it’ll go to the roofer to cover the rest of your roof replacement.
3. It makes you vulnerable to insurance scams
Insurance work brings out the worst in the roofing industry. Any time a storm hits an area, storm chasers and bad roofers try to scare and scam homeowners who are desperate to get their roof taken care of as quickly as possible.
Sometimes, it’s as simple as getting you to sign paperwork before an inspection, which locks you into a contract if your claim is approved. However, the two most common are when a price is too good to be true and/or offering to pay the deductible.
Once they get a signature, you’ll get stuck with shoddy work, low-quality materials, and plenty of headaches. And if they pay the deductible, add insurance fraud on top of it.
Unfortunately, there are also plenty of cases where bad roofers create their own “damage” once they get on a roof. This isn’t to say all roofers are out to take advantage of you when a storm hits.
However, getting multiple quotes for a storm-damaged roof makes you vulnerable to these insurance scams. That’s why finding a local roofer you trust is the best way to avoid this happening to you.
4. You risk pushing away reputable roofers
Reputable roofers with insurance experience are happy to walk you through the process, support your approval if there’s viable damage, and give you tools to supplement your claim. However, some roofing companies won’t do insurance work because of the hoops they have to jump through to make a profit.
The ones who do understand the headaches that come with working a claim. They have to guide you through a confusing and frustrating process while also dealing with insurance companies/adjusters, slow progress, constant follow-ups, lower profits, and everything else that goes into working a claim properly.
All of this is also on top of the normal process of inspecting your roof, creating an estimate, and helping you make the right decisions outside of insurance’s scope of work. Once they know you’re getting multiple quotes or looking for lower pricing, you risk pushing away any reputable roofer.
There’s no reason to spend all the time, energy, and company resources required just to hear another company got the roof. That’s why roofers who don’t focus solely on insurance work always ask if you’re getting multiple quotes.
Trust me, this isn’t to be disrespectful. Using my personal experience, I can’t tell you how often I’ve done all the front-end work and worked tirelessly to get the claim approved, only to have it given to another company because they’re cheaper.
5. It wastes your valuable time
Your life is already busy and full of time-consuming activities. Do you really want to waste your valuable time getting multiple quotes when you don’t have to?
I think the answer most people will give is a resounding no. Getting multiple quotes means more research, appointments you need to be home for, sitting through multiple presentations, and reviewing different estimates while also dealing with insurance.
Not only does it waste your time, but it also makes a slow process even slower. So, do your research, find a roofing contractor you trust, show them your insurance claim paperwork, and get your roof taken care of in a timely manner.
How do you find a reputable roofer for your roof damage insurance claim?
Now you know the 5 reasons not to get multiple quotes for your storm-damaged roof. This doesn’t mean you should do your due diligence when researching and even call a few roofing companies to find the right one.
However, the most important thing to understand is that you shouldn’t go into the process looking for the cheapest price possible. This just makes you a prime target for bad roofers, especially when insurance is involved.
Unfortunately, it’s hard to spot a good one if you don’t know what to look for. That’s why I wrote another article with tips for hiring a great roofer to handle your insurance claim.
Check out 5 Tips to Hire a Roofing Contractor for a Roof Damage Insurance Claim to avoid getting taken advantage of or scammed by a bad roofer.
