Finding roof damage after a strong storm is a stressful situation. You probably have a lot of questions and concerns, especially about dealing with your homeowners insurance.
The truth is, the insurance process can be confusing and, if you haven’t been through it before, overwhelming. We can’t possibly answer every concern or question most homeowners have about the insurance process in one article.
However, we can give 5 crucial things every homeowner needs to know about the insurance claim process for a storm-damaged roof.
The team at Bill Ragan Roofing takes pride in being the roof damage insurance experts in Nashville. We guide and advocate for you throughout the insurance claim process. That’s why we like to say, “We work for you, not the insurance company.”
By the end of this article, you’ll learn the 5 things you need to know about the insurance process for roof damage. And at the very end, don’t forget to grab your free Storm Damage Checklist so you can determine for yourself if your roof has possible storm damage.
1. The insurance process can be muddy
Both the roofing industry and the insurance industry don’t have the best reputation. The unfortunate truth is that there are a lot of roofing and insurance companies who don't necessarily have your best interest in mind.
That’s why we like to say the insurance process can be muddy and confusing. Some companies use this to their advantage and scam homeowners who are desperate to get their roof problem taken care of.
That’s not to say that all roofing or insurance companies are out to take advantage of you. There are great companies, and there are not so great companies.
All we’re trying to do is let you know that there are people on both sides who unfortunately try to take advantage of people in a stressful situation. Understanding this from the beginning helps you be aware to ensure something like this doesn’t happen to you.
2. Don’t sign any paperwork until your roof damage claim is approved
Like I said earlier, the roofing industry doesn’t have the best reputation. One of the reasons it gained this reputation is because some roofing companies try to strong-arm homeowners into signing something before they’ll inspect the roof.
When a roofing company does this, they're trying to lock you into a contract that gives them the right to your roof before your claim has even been approved. This is a clear and obvious sign that they don’t have your best interest in mind.
A roofing contractor that has your best interest in mind will walk you through the insurance process and give you an honest assessment of if your roof has storm damage or not. Then if your insurance claim is approved, they’ll ask for your business.
Even if you're panicking when you have storm damage, don’t sign any paperwork from a roofing company before your insurance claim is actually approved.
3. You have to rely on insurance adjusters to approve your claim
When you suspect roof damage after a strong storm, the first thing you should do is call your insurance company. After speaking with them, they’ll either send out an insurance adjuster or tell you to call a roofing contractor for an inspection.
No matter which route the insurance company decides to go down, the insurance adjuster is the only one who can approve your claim. A roofing contractor can inspect for storm damage and advocate for you if they think you have it.
But even if a roofing contractor is 100% certain that you need your roof replaced because of storm damage, the insurance adjuster has the final say.
4. Insurance adjusters make mistakes
Everyone is human and makes mistakes, even insurance adjusters. Most of the time, an insurance adjuster will spot storm damage, but sometimes they make a mistake and deny your claim.
Even if they deny your claim, don't panic. There are ways to double and triple check your roof for storm damage.
The best way to get a second opinion is to ask for a second insurance adjuster to come out and inspect your roof. If they approve your claim, great, but sometimes the second adjuster will still insist that that roof is not viable for a claim.
If you still think you have storm damage after the second adjuster says no, you can have an engineer come out to your home, inspect the roof, and then offer proof (if they have any) to your insurance company that the roof needs to be replaced because of storm damage.
5. You get to choose your own roofing contractor
Once your claim is approved, it's up to you to choose any local roofing contractor you want. You need to be sure to hire one local to your area and that has experience working with insurance claims.
But you need to be aware that there’s no reason to get multiple quotes to find the lowest price when you start looking for a roofing company. This is because once your insurance claim is approved, no matter what roofing contractor you hire, the price for your replacement is set by the insurance company.
Just because you shouldn’t get multiple estimates doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do your research and talk to multiple roofing companies to find the right one for you. But when looking for the right one, you need to make sure they provide high-quality workmanship and a willingness to fight for you during the insurance process.
Get your free checklist to see if your roof has storm damage
You just learned 5 things to know about the insurance claim process for storm damage. Remember, you need to call your insurance company as soon as you suspect roof damage after a strong storm.
But how do you know if you actually have storm damage? There are obvious signs like roof leaks and shingles missing, but there are other signs that you have a roof insurance claim that are a little harder to spot.
That’s why you need our Storm Damage checklist. This checklist helps you determine for yourself if you suspect roof damage from the safety of the ground.
While you’ll still need to call your insurance company, at least our checklist helps determine if your roof has possible storm damage and if it’s worth your time to file a claim.
The team at Bill Ragan Roofing has helped the residents of Nashville and surrounding areas deal with storm damage since 1990. We advocate and fight for you to ensure your insurance company covers everything your roof needs. If you’re local to Nashville, don’t hesitate to contact us to work for you and your storm-damaged roof.
To help you determine if your roof was damaged after recent storms, get your free Storm Damage Checklist now.
