When your roof experiences damage from storms it can lead to all sorts of different problems ranging in all kinds of shapes and sizes. When you need a storm damage roof repair it’s a good idea to have your roof inspected to make sure there isn’t any real serious damage that needs to be taken care of right away.
Some damage that can happen to your roof can include trees falling on top of it and caving into the house or something as simple as hail damage. Some damage is more or less noticeable than others. However, no matter what kind of storm damage you have to your roof it can be hard to know exactly what to do and how to start.
Within this article, we’ll go over the very first thing you should do once you become aware that your roof has been damaged from a storm. And then afterwards we’ll go over the 5 main factors all homeowners should know about submitting an insurance claim process for a storm damaged roof repair.
What Should You Do If Your Roof Happens to Have Storm Damage?
The very first thing you need to take care of is to contact your homeowners insurance company if you think or know that your roof has been damaged due to a storm. Once you are done speaking with your insurance agent and you give them all of the required information, the next thing to do typically depends solely on where you live and your particular insurance company.
There are two possible outcomes you could encounter right after you get done speaking with your insurance company about your storm damaged roof.
➢ #1. Your Insurance Company Will Send an Adjuster to Fully Inspect Your Roof For Any Signs Of Storm Damage
The first outcome after contacting your insurance company is that the insurance company will schedule an adjuster to come to your house and do an inspection of your roof for any signs of potential damage.
After they finish their inspection of your roof, they will either approve your insurance claim or inform you that there actually is no sign of any storm damage to your roof after all and everything is fine.
If it so happens that your insurance claim gets approved, then you’ll need to take the time to begin research online for a local roofing contractor that is experienced with working with insurance claims specifically.
However, if your claim doesn’t get approved, that doesn’t mean you are out of options. There are different ways to double or triple- check your roof for signs of storm damage. We’ll cover more about them later in the article.
➢ #2. You’ll Be Able to Locate a Local Roofing Contractor to Inspect Your Roof for Storm Damage
This second outcome typically occurs when your insurance company suggests that you contact a local roofing contractor to have them do an inspection of your roof for any signs of storm damage. If this happens, the roofing contractor will take pictures of your roof specifically of any signs of potential damage.
Afterwards, the contractor will submit the pictures they took of the damage on the roof if there is any to the insurance company. If the pictures that the insurance recieve show any kind of signs of storm damage to your roof, they will then have an adjuster come to your house to do another inspection.
This outcome is pretty common around the Middle Tennessee region, however, it could be completely opposite where you live. Although, you won’t know what to do until you’ve contacted your insurance company first.
Regardless of which outcome you end up experiencing, the very first call to action you should always remember to take is to contact your insurance company right away if you suspect or notice any signs of storm damage to your roof.
5 Things You Should Know About the Insurance Claim Process for a Storm Damaged Roof
After you’ve contacted your homeowners insurance company when you suspect that your roof has been damaged due to a storm, you’re beginning the insurance claim process. This can be the start to an often long and tedious process.
Therefore, there are some important aspects of the process that you should know about. Here are the 5 things I should learn about the storm damage insurance claim process.
1. Insurance Claims For Storm Damage Can Be Confusing
Unfortunately, not all roofing and insurance companies really have your back when it comes to your best interests. That’s why the insurance claim process can be somewhat difficult and confusing. Sometimes insurance companies use your lack of knowledge of how the process works to scam you when you are desperate to get your roof fixed.
2. Never Sign Any Paperwork Unless Your Claim Is Approved
Some roofing companies try to trick homeowners into signing a contract before they even do an inspection of the roof. When this type of thing happens it means they are trying to trick you into locking you into a contract that gives them the rights to your roof before your claim is ever even approved.
3. Insurance Adjusters Have to Approve Your Damage Claim
It doesn’t matter what your insurance company has to say about your storm damage claim, the only person who can approve your damage claim is an insurance adjuster. This means even if a roofing contractor has proof that your roof has storm damage, the insurance adjuster has all the power with whether or not you get approved.
4. Sometimes Insurance Adjusters Make Mistakes
Insurance adjusters can find that you have storm damage to your roof however, sometimes they can make a mistake that leads to you not getting your storm damage claim approved. When this type of thing happens you can always ask for a second insurance adjuster to come and inspect your roof and try to get approved a second time.
5. You Get To Decide What Roofing Contractor Fixes Your Storm Damaged Roof
Once your claim is approved through your insurance company, you have all the power in choosing the perfect roofing contractor to help fix your storm damaged roof. When you are searching for the right contractor make sure you choose one that is familiar with insurance claims.