Storms, snow, and the sun can cause a lot of damage, and one of the most common types of damage is to your roof. If your roof is damaged, you may need to file a roof insurance claim. This can be a stressful process, but don’t worry – we’re here to help! We’ll explain how roofing insurance claims work and what you need to do if you find yourself in a situation where you need to file a homeowners insurance claim on your roof. We’ll also explain the differences between other types of insurance claims and roofing insurance claims, so you’ll know exactly what to expect.
Filing A Roof Insurance Claim
The first step to a homeowner’s roof insurance claim is to inspect your roof and confirm if there is any indication of damage. You don’t necessarily need to get on your roof, in fact, you may have noticed other signs of roof damage such as leaks, missing shingles, or damage to your gutters. This quick inspection should be completed after a big storm or if you notice any of these signs.
The second step to filing a homeowner’s roof insurance claim is to get a roofing contractor out to your house to inspect the roof. The roofing contractor will be able to confirm any roof damage, provide details regarding whether the roof needs to be replaced or repaired, and will also be able to give the estimated cost of replacement. This estimate is the proof you give to your insurance that there is damage to your roof that needs to be replaced or repaired.
Be sure to choose a reputable roofing company. Want a free roof inspection? Trout Roofing will come out, provide a free roof damage inspection, offer estimated repair or replacement costs, and assist you through the insurance claim details.
Once the roofing contractor has determined that there is indeed damage to your roof and provided the necessary steps to resolve the damage, the next step is to call or contact your insurance company. You will need to file a homeowners insurance roof claim with the details provided by the roof inspection.
After you have filed a claim on your roof damage, the insurance company will send an insurance adjuster to confirm the damage and approve the insurance claim. An adjuster may deny an insurance claim for a few reasons. For example, if they believe the damage was from a long time ago or if they don’t believe the damage is substantial.
Pro Tip: Have the professional roofer there at the same time as the insurance adjuster. This way they can find different things the other may have missed. Also, be sure to be kind to both. This may be a difficult and stressful situation, but it’s best to be kind to these people who are there to help you get this situation resolved.
If your claim is approved, the insurance company will give you a check for the first half of the replacement. You will be able to pay for the roofing company to begin work on replacing or repairing your roof. Once the roof is complete, either you will contact your insurance for the second half of the roof costs to pay the roofing company, or the roofing company will invoice or bill the insurance company.
Deductible and Types of Roof Coverage Policies
Your contribution to the cost of the roof updates will depend on your insurance policy. When you choose a home insurance policy, you selected a policy that had a specific amount that you and the insurance would pay in the case of damage to your roof. What you pay is called the deductible. The policy you signed has specific descriptions that would qualify the insurance company to pay for the roof repair or replacement, such as wind and hail clauses and whether or not the policy is Actual Cash Value (ACV), Replacement Cost, or no coverage. For your specific plan, review your home insurance roof policy or contact your insurer to get the details of your plan.
How Much Will You Pay?
It will need to take a little math, but it is simple to calculate how much you have to pay for your roof replacement or repairs.
Replacement Cost Roof Coverage – Insurance will pay for the roof costs, minus the deductible
Estimated cost to replace – deductible = how much the insurance company will pay
$20K – $1K = $19K
Actual Cash Value (ACV) Roof Coverage – Insurance will pay up to what the roof’s current value is, minus the deductible
Estimated cost to replace – deductible – actual value/depreciation (replace cost – current value) = how much the insurance company will pay
$20K – $1K – $6K ($20K – $13K) = $13K
No Roof Coverage – Insurance will not pay for any roof costs
Why do homeowner insurance companies split claim payments on roofs?
It’s important to note why insurance companies will split out the payments like this. It’s tempting to not actually replace the roof and to pocket that cash for savings or to spend it on something else. If someone kept the money instead of replacing the roof, and they tried to make another claim on the same roof later, the insurance company won’t pay anything else. They have already made a payment on that roof and it is uncovered until it is replaced.
How to File An Insurance Roof Claim & Replace a Roof
Let’s recap the homeowner insurance roof claim process
Inspect your roof for damage or notice secondary roof damage signs
- Have the roofing contractor inspect your roof
- Call your homeowners insurance to file a claim
- The adjuster will approve or deny the claim
- If approved, the insurance company will send you a check to pay the roofing company
- Replace or repair your roof
- The insurance company will pay the remaining costs once the roof is complete
Let Trout Roofing Help In The Insurance Claim Process
This process can be difficult to navigate, but Trout Roofing is here to walk you through every step. We understand the costs behind every roof and have a free roof inspection to help you through the process of replacing or repairing your roof. Call us today and we’ll assist you through the hoops of working with insurance companies!