Was your roof damaged after a recent storm? Are you scrambling to find a roofer you can trust with insurance work?
I get it; roof damage is stressful. Unfortunately, dealing with your insurance company and filing a roof damage claim is even more stressful.
That’s why you need a roofing company you can count on to know all the ins and outs of the insurance claim process. The problem is that there are a lot of roofing companies out there.
How are you supposed to find a great roofing company to handle your roof damage insurance claim when the industry is so saturated?
For over 30 years, the team at Bill Ragan Roofing has educated homeowners on all aspects of the complicated insurance process. Because of this, I want to give you 7 tips for hiring a roofer to handle your insurance claim.
Let’s look at the tips you need when hiring a roofer specifically for insurance work.
1. You get to choose the roofing company
Whether it’s insurance or retail, you always get to choose the roofing company. Some insurance companies have preferred companies, but there’s no obligation to go with them.
This isn’t to say a recommendation from your insurance company is bad or that you shouldn’t go with the roofing company. Maybe they trust the roofer and their work quality.
On the other hand, insurance could recommend them because they know it’ll be done for the payout provided with no pushback. You just need to keep in mind that the decision is ultimately yours.
2. Any potential roofing company must have insurance experience
The biggest tip I can give you is to hire a roofing company with experience working with insurance claims. They must know how the process works, read claims correctly, and comply with the scope of work provided by your insurance company.
On top of that, they’ll know how to supplement a claim to ensure your roof gets everything it needs. Hiring a roofer who knows how to do insurance work correctly also helps avoid common scams and fraud attempts.
Unfortunately, it’s hard to identify if a roofing company is reputable just because they have insurance experience. So, do your research, ask questions, and make sure they have insurance experience for a smooth experience.
3. Only consider roofing companies with a local address and phone number
After a strong storm comes into an area, you’ll inevitably have door knockers in your neighborhood. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but many storm-chasing companies come from out of state.
While they aren’t all bad, most undercut local roofing company prices, take the money, and go on to the next storm. There’s a good chance they won’t adhere to local codes and most likely won’t properly install your roof.
That’s why you should only consider local roofing companies, especially when insurance is involved. They must have a physical office in your area, local phone number, and be licensed, bonded, and insured in your state.
4. There’s no reason to get multiple quotes
Under normal circumstances, I recommend getting two to three quotes to ensure you find the right roofer. But there's no reason to get multiple quotes from different roofing companies when insurance is involved.
This is simply because insurance companies determine the payout and how much gets covered, not the roofing company. These estimates are created using software like Xactimate, which goes off general prices in the area.
However, they don’t account for the fact that every roofing company has different pricing. With the price set by insurance, getting multiple quotes just muddies the waters and increases the likelihood of getting taken advantage of.
5. Don’t look for the cheapest roofing company
As you just learned, insurance companies determine the amount you get for your roof replacement. Unfortunately, most reputable roofing companies’ estimates will be more than your insurance’s initial estimate.
This is where some homeowners get multiple quotes to find a roofing company willing to do the work for the amount insurance gives them. The last thing you should do is go into the process looking for the cheapest roofing company or roof you can find.
When you make it known you’re looking for the lowest price possible, you’re setting your roof up for problems and making yourself vulnerable to bad roofers. I’m not saying pricing isn’t important, but it shouldn’t be the main hiring qualification when insurance is involved.
Instead, you need to find a roofing company you trust to handle your claim correctly and work together to get more covered by the insurance company.
6. A roofing company cannot pay your deductible
No matter what you hear, you must pay your deductible once your claim is approved. Some roofing companies offer to pay deductibles, but this is illegal and one of the most common insurance scams in the roofing industry.
I’ll say it one more time to get the point across: having a roofing company pay your deductible is illegal. You and the roofing company would be committing blatant insurance fraud.
The worst part is that some homeowners jump at the opportunity when they hear a roofing company will take care of their deductible. I promise you don't want to work with a roofer willing to do this.
I understand saving money when possible is tempting, especially with a high deductible. However, having a roofing company pay it is not worth committing fraud.
7. Don’t sign anything before a roofing company gets on your roof
When a storm chaser is knocking on your door, they’re trying to sell you something or make you aware of damage. While you can let them get on your roof for an inspection, DO NOT sign anything they put in front of you.
They may make it seem like it’s just for permission to get on your roof for an inspection. But what they don’t tell you is that you’re also giving them the rights to your roof if there’s a viable insurance claim.
This locks you into using this specific company for your roof replacement, and breaking the contract could have financial implications. Under no circumstances should you sign anything unless it’s the final contract with the roofing company you decided to hire for your roof replacement.
What are the signs of a bad roofing company?
Now you have the 7 tips you need when hiring a roofing company for an insurance claim. With insurance involved, you can’t take chances with a roofer who doesn’t have the right expertise.
But as long as you choose one who has the required knowledge, you’ll have a smooth experience. While these tips are great, you still have to hire a roofing company with the qualities of a reputable roofer.
Whether retail, insurance, or roof repairs, you must know how to identify a great company in a saturated industry. The first step is to know how to spot a bad roofer.
That’s why I wrote another article breaking down the signs of a bad roofing contractor.
Check out 8 Signs of a Bad Roofing Contractor to learn how to differentiate a bad roofer from a reputable one.
