Roof Damage Home Owners Insurance Question...

[timekiller13]

If you can get it paid for then more power to you.

I’m battling my insurance company for a new roof. I have at least 4 leaks throughout the house.

First time the adjuster came out he said there was no damage.

Two weeks later after a storm, I had 2 new leaks. I sent pictures and he came back out. He then said my roof was “too old to be covered by a replacement.” He argued with me for over 30 mins that my roof was over 15 yrs old. I finally found the paperwork that showed it had been replaced 8 yrs ago.

He wrote up an estimate and then said “well, it’s about $1500 worth of damage. And your deductible is $1500 so it’s a wash.”

Another storm last week. Another new roof leak. I’ve requested a different adjuster.

USAA has always been good to deal with but not so much lately.

 

[Amos Keeto]

I would never allow a "roofing company" specialist on my roof........until I'd had my insurance company adjuster on my roof.

If I didn't call you, you ain't climbing up on my house!
Just the way it is!
When we built, I attempted to do the roofing myself. Didn't take me long to figure out THAT wasn't my forte! LOL!
We started out with composite shingles.
1) cheapest route
2) quickest contractor
3) got it dried in ahead of a storm

Over the years, that poor, cheap composite roof cratered. Insurance sent a check to replace it.
We went back with tin.
1) only had to add $1500 to cover cost
2) contractor standing by
3) insurance company offered significant savings on monthly payments
If there is a down side to a metal roof, it's that a hail storm can beat the crap out of it, but if it doesn't actually affect the integrity of the metal, insurance won't cover it

 

[PredatorSlayer]

Update: I filed a claim yesterday. Adjuster is coming out next week. We’ll see what he says. The guy with the roofing company knows the adjuster and said he is confident insurance will pay for a new roof and gutters.

 

[Traveler]

We had a similar situation that worked out good, but I have backed away from similar situations on a previous house also.

It really depends on the contractor and your insurance. In the end we received a new roof for a wind event 9 months prior, for $1,000 deductible and our insurance premium actually went down.

 

[TSAMP]

Update: I filed a claim yesterday. Adjuster is coming out next week. We’ll see what he says. The guy with the roofing company knows the adjuster and said he is confident insurance will pay for a new roof and gutters.

I've been down this road twice. My piece of advice is to insist on being the contact between the two parties. Lots of contractors develop relationships with insurance companies and say they can handle it all for you. Its in their best interest to not piss off an insurance company.

I prefer to be the main point of contact. It will feel like your a part time project manager but it makes sure everyone's being honest.

I've also never paid a dime upfront and never would. Contractors Constantly fire fight and bounce around projects and that bill at the end is about your only leverage .

 

[AZ8]

Read the fine print on your policy. You might not get 100%. The insurance company will prorate the amount based on the age of your roof.

 

[Idahomnts]

I am a roofer and most of my last summer was filled with insurance jobs covered by an act of god claim, it is legit , though like some said it depends on your policy , and your rates will likely go up due to geological location. Most are covered 100% aside from your deductible, you should definitely get multiple quotes, as some will charge twice the amount the roof is valued at by insurance, there are some terms you must use in order to get different types of roof covered , one being that they don't make the shingle anymore , some will even cover a full ply wood decking if it's a non nailable surface, it is important to have a roofer that knows how to handle the insurance companies as they are paid to say no , good luck to you

 

[ben h]

4-5 years ago we had a wind storm in Salt Lake that dmaged many roofs throughout the valley. When I bought my home in 2007 the roof was old and I figured it had 5 years left tops....well it made it 12 more years and was already way past gone when the wind storm hit. Insurance paid for the entire roof to be stripped (3 layers), new OSB put down and shingles replaced. I had to do all the haggling with the insurance company, which took a while, but well worth it. I bought all the materials and paid the crew for their labor directly. I would never let a contractor pay for materials.....especially one who basically specializes in insurance claims.

 

[Acharenio]

i had same thing happened to me, i call the insurance and they replaced the roof, i had to pay for better quality shingles and wood replacement, all togheter cost me 4 grand and my insurance went up $500. a year, insurance companies never loose.

 

[TaperPin]

It helps to have a friend who works for the insurance company. My neighbor had one little shingle come off and his buddy ok’ed a whole new roof and fence. Fence? Fence wasn’t damaged. Lol

 

[PredatorSlayer]

Update: filed a claim, adjuster came out and did an inspection with the roofer. I am getting a new roof and gutters…estimate came in at $35k.

 

[ben h]

I had the adjuster out a couple times with the contractor and eventually pried about $14k from the insurance company to pay for my roof replacement due to wind damage. This is on a 1200 sq ft house, so not a big roof at all.

I think my roof was 100% garbage before the storm, but it did sustain some additional damage during the storm and they replaced all of it.

 

[roosterdown]

I just went through this - took a while, but a hail storm from a couple years ago (some fist-sized hail) dented enough shingles and gutters that the insurance company agreed to replace, less my eye-watering deductible. Still, $45K new roof (old one was 20 years old) for the price of the deductible...can't complain. They finished in the last couple weeks and it looks great.

 

[thewileyone]

I have personal experience with this. I have replaced my roof twice. Once I used a local contractor and another time I used an out of town roofer/contractor. I actually had better experience with the out of town roofing contractor. The local guy would send 1-2 guys and drug out the job for over a month, bitched about how much it cost him to do the job and claimed he lost money. He wouldn’t show up when I called and he had been in business over 20 years…

Out of town roofer experience…. I had some 18-20 yr old guys show up and they’re selling roofs and working for a company in the area… nope they’re not getting my business. I had a 30-40 yr old contractor show up and I felt comfortable with him. I asked him for references and he provided several. He met with my insurance adjuster and all of us got on the roof to inspect damage. He pointed out damage the insurance adjuster did not see. His knowledge and experience helped me tremendously. I still paid my deductible and recommended him to neighbors and friends.

So my advice is make the best decision for your situation. There are trustworthy people in the industry, there are roofers who are storm chasers who are reputable, there are local contractors who are trustworthy, and there are manipulators/swindlers on all sides as well. My experience was the out of town roofer/contractor ended up getting more money, built a quality roof, replaced decking, and was a more positive experience than my local contractor.

I also learned a lot about insurance companies through these experiences…. Insurance companies are not equal.


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[roadrunner]

If the insurance "specialist" isn't from your insurance provider, what he said is irrelevant...

 

[rideold]

Ack. Roof insurance is such a mixed bag. I've had my roof damaged by hail twice. The first time it was the original t-lock roof. The insurance paid for the full replacement. I put on impact resistant shingles etc. as suggested by my insurance company. The second time I had hail damage (it was bad enough to total one of my cars) they came out and inspected it and "depreciated" my 5 year old roof and gave me $500. What a laugh. I'm more of a mind to just save up the cost of a re-roof and keep it in the bank for the next time I need it and forget the insurance company.

 

[TSAMP]

I was just notified the roof deductible for ALL insurance companies in Iowa is moving to a $2500 minimum. I haven't checked this yet by getting a new quote but it sounds ridiculous. That is nearly 40% of the total replacement cost from last year for my home.

I realize they had record claims and payouts but it's to getting to the point that the coverage value isn't worth it. You quickly realize their in business for a reason and it isn't to protect you.

 

[Laramie]

I bought my current home in 2003. We are on our 5th, soon to be 6th roof, all from bad hail storms. I feel like I live under the hail bullseye. The first time it happened, I though great, new free roof. Fast forward to now and I loath the thought of another storm. It is a huge PIA, and yes, deductibles for our area have gone up considerably. It is understandable though imo.

 

[id_jon]

I bought my current home in 2003. We are on our 5th, soon to be 6th roof, all from bad hail storms. I feel like I live under the hail bullseye. The first time it happened, I though great, new free roof. Fast forward to now and I loath the thought of another storm. It is a huge PIA, and yes, deductibles for our area have gone up considerably. It is understandable though imo.

That is crazy. Really makes me appreciate how mild the weather is here in Boise, most of the roofs I replace are still mid to late 90s, just started getting into the early 2000s roofs in the last couple years.

 

[WV Mountaineer]

I’ve seen roofs leaking bad. I mean bad. Ruined the ceilings type bad. And I’ve never seen an insurance company pay for an entire roof. Not once. They pro rate it based on square footage.

Insurance adjusters love to cut the bid. It doesn’t matter if it was a $6500 roof or a $12,000 roof. They have never paid the full amount on any claim. And, they are often 6 weeks out on payment to the homeowner as well.

The insurance market is as cracked as anything I’ve ever experienced. And, it’s legal!