If you plan to file an insurance claim for roof replacement, you’ll want to make sure the damage to your roof falls under the category of covered perils. With a roof insurance claim, covered perils are those events or circumstances that normally fall out of your control. Storms, for instance, usually fall into this category, as do fires and even vandalism. Check your insurance policy to find out exactly what’s covered before you file a claim.
Your policy should also outline any limits on coverage. Your roof’s age, for example, could affect how much the insurance company will pay out for repairs. Most asphalt shingle roofs last about 20 years, and if your roof is more than 10 years old, your insurer is going to consider the natural wear that’s occurred and may pay less when it’s damaged than it would for a newer roof. It’s also highly unlikely your insurer will cover a new roof if you’ve neglected upkeep or it’s aged or worn.
Before you file a claim, get a reputable roofer to come out and inspect the roof. A roofer will verify the damage and give you an estimate of the repairs that you can file with the claim along with any documentation you have. Roofers also can help ensure you get the full benefit of your claim and can act on your behalf if there are any problems to resolve with the insurer. If you need an inspection or other roof insurance claims help in Dallas and Fort Worth, TX, reach out to the professionals at Greenco Construction Services. You can reach us at 469-858-2448.
Filing a roof insurance claim is actually a fairly easy process.
Anytime your roof is damaged by a storm or fire or another event, you might think about filing a roof insurance claim. But, filing a claim might not always be a good idea, especially if you’ve filed several claims over the past three to seven years. The more claims you file, the more likely your insurer will see you as a big risk. When you’re perceived as a significant risk, insurers might increase your premiums or even void your policy.
You also should not file a claim if the amount for repairs doesn’t exceed your deductible or the repairs are needed because you’ve neglected to maintain your roof or because it needs to be replaced due to age and wear. Policies rarely if ever cover repairs or replacement due to neglect or age and wear, and insurers usually deny claims that don’t exceed the deductible. On the other hand, if your roof is a total loss, it’s recommended that you file a claim.
Canceling a roof insurance claim is very difficult. You have a very short window of time to cancel it and can only do so before an adjuster is assigned the claim. Once the adjuster is assigned to your claim you can’t cancel it, even if the adjuster never makes contact with you or comes to inspect your roof.
What an insurer pays on a roof insurance claim will vary. The age of the roof, the extent of the damage, and even the type of roof may affect the amount paid. Check your policy to see exactly what is covered and clarify anything with your insurer.
Once an insurer verifies a roof insurance claim, they’ll pay a certain amount to you to cover repairs. Typically, this is the money you’ll pay the roofing contractor to make the repair. Sometimes the roofing contractor will finish the job at a price lower than originally estimated. In this case, it is perfectly ethical and legal to keep the difference from the insurance payout.
On the other hand, it’s unethical and illegal to intentionally defraud your insurer. You can’t, for instance, tell your roofer to make an estimate higher than it should be or claim any unnecessary repairs so you can get a larger payment from your insurance company.
There are basically two types of policies for roof damage: ones that cover Actual Cash Value (ACV) or ones that cover Replacement Cost Value (RCV). Most typical policies are RCV, that is they pay out the replacement value minus the deductible at the time of the covered loss. No depreciation is factored into the coverage. An ACV policy, on the other hand, figures in depreciation as the roof ages and wears, and pays out just the actual cash value minus the deductible of the roof at the time of the loss. This means if your roof is 10 years old and damaged in a storm, your insurer will factor in the roof’s age—your roof loses value as it ages and wears—when determining a payout, so the payout will normally be less than what you might receive with an RCV policy. What’s appealing about ACV policies is that premiums are usually lower than those of RCV policies.
Roof insurance claims can be denied for several reasons, although one common reason they are denied is that the estimated cost of repairs does not exceed the deductible. Similarly, the claim will be denied if the coverage limits are exceeded. If your policy only covers $200,000 worth of damage, for instance, and you claim $225,000, the amount exceeds the coverage limit and will be denied. Your claim also must fit into a category of a covered peril in your policy. If you submit a claim for hail damage but your policy doesn’t cover hail damage, your claim will be denied. Failure to maintain your roof or needing repairs because the roof is old and worn also will not be covered by the insurer.
Adjusters come out to verify the damage reported on the claim. They’ll check the roof’s age and look to see if any of the damage might be caused by aging and wear rather than from a storm or other covered peril. If the claim is for hail damage, for instance, they’ll check for signs of hail damage such as spots in shingles where granules have been knocked away from the impact of the hailstones. Because adjusters work for the insurance company they are looking for any signs that might lead them to deny the claim or pay out less than needed to make the repair. One way a reputable roofer like Greenco Construction Services can help is to show up when the adjuster shows up and verify and clarify any damages reported in the claim. This is just one of the many ways we can help you with a roof insurance claim in Dallas and Fort Worth, TX. When you need our help, just give us a call at 469-858-2448.
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