If you were not negligent, then probably not. Since hail damages are not caused by you being negligent, most insurance companies will not increase your premium if you file a claim. It’s not like you moved the house into the hail storm. By comparison, if you back your vehicle into your garage door, that’s negligence – you didn’t ensure that your garage was open before you backed-up. Therefore, your premium will probably go up in such a scenario.
When the inspector from your insurance company inspects your roof, they are usually looking for prominent hail damage or other weather-related damage to your roof. The inspector looks for dark spots or bruising on your shingles where granules are missing, exposing the fiberglass or underlayment. Fresh hail damage usually has a shiny appearance, while older damage can appear duller due to weather exposure.
Although hail damages don’t pose immediate threats to the roof’s structural integrity, it will eventually lead to problems. Also, several insurance companies have a statute of limitations of the duration a hail claim is viable. Therefore, it is usually an excellent idea to contact your insurance company soon after a major hail storm.
If you’re going with a reputable roofing company like DFW Authorized Roofing, they should be able to review your insurance papers and let you know if anything is missing from your insurance quote. At that point, and of course, with your permission, your roofing contractor should be able to reach out to your adjuster and let them know any discrepancies along with any code requirements that may be missing from their initial adjustment. These code requirements will need documentation from the city where your home is located, which your roofing contractor should be able to provide.
It is usual for insurance companies to withhold depreciation – that is, the balance or second check for the roof repair or replacement. They do this because of fraudsters. Insurance companies want to make sure that you’re spending that money on actually repair or replacement of your roof and no more. By withholding payments until they receive the final invoice from the roofing contractors, they can ensure they won’t overpay.
There are two main types of residential insurance policies:
Actual Cash Value (ACV)
With an ACV policy, your roof will depreciate each year for ten years. This means that if your roof has sustained any damages, you will only receive a check for your roof’s depreciated value.
Replacement Cost
If you carry an RC policy, your insurance company will cover the cost to replace your roof, minus your deductible. Additionally, home insurance policies that are “replacement cost” will generally pay two installments for a new roof.
First of all, DFW Authorized Roofing will never ask for any money upfront. Upon completing your new roof, you will receive an invoice from us for the total amount due. Please forward this invoice directly to your insurance company as they will begin processing your second check.
Yes. We will accept a fractional/initial payment or your first check upon completing your roofing project. The balance is expected immediately you receive the second check. Please make arrangements with your insurance company, mortgage company, and bank so funds will be available to you.
If there’s a roofing company you’ve been working with for several years and trust, then there’s no need to waste your time and others getting multiple estimates.
However, if you don’t have a roofing contractor you trust, you should probably get a few estimates. When you’re looking for a roofing contractor, don’t just choose the least expensive option. In addition to their price, you should also pick one that’s licensed and insured, has a lot of experience, is qualified and professional, warranties their work, communicates well, etc. Most roofing companies offer no-obligation, free estimates, and inspections. We are no exception.
Whether your insurance company repairs or replaces your roof depends upon the result of their inspection. It comes down to which is the least expensive – repairing a small portion of your roof or an entire roof replacement. Most hail storms are large – large enough that they cause damage to multiple houses, if not the whole community. Therefore, hail storms often damage the entire roof. As a result, most insurance companies will go for an entire roof replacement.
Some insurance companies will offer a discount for a hail-resistant roof. This is usually determined by roofing material that undergoes an Underwriters Laboratory test called the UL 2218. In this test, steel balls of varying diameters and weights are dropped from different heights onto roofing material, and then the damage incurred is assessed. Based on the steel balls’ damage, each material is given a rating that the material manufacturer must agree with for the insurance company to participate in their discount program.
