Your homeowner’s insurance policy will cover your roof leak. Yes, but only in certain situations. Your homeowner’s insurance covers a roof leak or any roof damage that is caused by extreme weather events. Extreme weather, straight-line winds(or damaging winds) during heavy storms, hail storms, snowstorms, and tornadoes. These policies will also cover damage caused by tree limbs that fall on your roof in strong storms. It’ll cover any roof damage that is severe. If your roof is not worthy of replacement, however, the insurance adjuster will determine. But as long as the damage is caused by extreme weather, your homeowner’s insurance will cover your roof.
Here Are 3 Things You Can Do If Your Roof Is Damaged By Storms
You now know that your homeowner’s policy covers roof leaks if they are caused by severe weather. What should you do if you suspect that your roof has been damaged by a storm?
1. Call Your Insurance Company First
If you are concerned about storm damage, you should immediately call your insurance company. After you have provided all the necessary information, the next steps will depend on where you live and what your insurance company offers. Insurance companies may send an adjuster out to inspect the damage and determine if there is a claim. After their inspection, and if they approve your claim, then it’ll be time to start researching to find a great roofing contractor.
Some insurance companies may tell you that a roofing contractor should inspect your roof before sending an adjuster. This is quite common in the Middle Tennessee region, but it’s not something you should do unless you contact your homeowner’s insurance. No matter the situation, you need to call your insurance company.
2. Find a Local Roofing Contractor With Experience In Handling Insurance Claims
Talking to your insurance company will help you determine the next steps. Next, start looking for a roofing contractor. It is important to find out if potential roofing companies have worked on insurance claims before you look at them.
They’ll know how the insurance claim process works, how to read your claim, fight to make sure everything is correct on the estimate, and how to do the work in compliance with your insurance company. It’s possible to avoid insurance fraud by having a roofing contractor who regularly works with your insurance company.
Hiring a local roofing company that regularly works with insurance claims helps you have a positive experience during a stressful time. After finding the right one, show them your insurance paperwork and get ready to replace your storm-damaged roof.
3. For your insurance claim, don’t get estimates from multiple roofing companies
You shouldn’t request estimates from other roofing companies until you have completed your insurance claim paperwork. This is because insurance companies, and not roofing contractors, will determine the cost to replace or repair your storm-damaged roof.
Insurance companies use software, which calculates the cost estimate for your roof claim based upon the average price of materials in your area. This means that you don’t have to look for the lowest-priced roofing company because the price has already been set by your insurance company.
There’s no need to panic if the estimate from your roofing company is higher than your initial estimate. The insurance company will require you to submit an itemized estimate showing the cost of the roofing job.
However, just because you don’t need multiple estimates doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t research and speak to several roofing companies to find one that suits you best. Once your claim is approved, the most important thing to look for in a roofing company isn’t pricing, it’s trust.
This post was written by Reggie Reed! Reggie is a state-certified roofing contractor and co-owner of Reggie Reed Roofing, the best roofers in St petersburg FL. He is a 4th generation roofing contractor. RR Roofing offers a wide variety of roofing services for residential homes, apartment complexes, condos, commercial buildings, churches, and more. Reggie enjoys dedicating his spare time to helping underprivileged youth in his community and traveling with his family and friends.
