Insurance Companies May Not Pay For Roof Replacement

(Newswire.net — August 31, 2015) Flower Mound, TEXAS — If you live in North Texas, you know that May, June, July and August are severe storm months.  But did you know that Texas leads the nation in significant hail storms where the size of the hail exceeds 1 inch in diameter?  With that size hail and the frequency of the storms, it isn’t surprising that the insurance companies and Texas state legislature are banding together to place restrictions on the claims process.  Since 2012, the Texas home insurance companies have paid out over $2 billion in hail damage claims.

It is no secret that the insurance companies and the Texas state legislature want to limit the amount of money the insurance companies will have to pay out in claims, thus putting the homeowner in jeopardy of not being able to get his full roof replaced, after the storm.  Not only are they restricting the pay outs, they are also raising deductibles.  This isn’t just for general deductibles, they are also applying this to a separate hail and wind deductible for coverage.  In 2013 there were a few North Texas insurance companies that raised their hail and wind deductible from 1% to 1.5% or even 2%, thus allowing more out of pocket expenses to the homeowner.

You get insurance and pay the premiums every year just to have insurance to cover the financial loss that you may experience if you have to file a claim for covered damage.  But how do you know you will get the full benefit of your insurance policy coverage?  Depending on your insurance policy, a full roof replacement may not be covered by your policy.  There are several variables when it comes to full roof replacement being covered by your insurance policy.   Some of these are: 

• Type of policy coverage – do you have replacement value or actual cash value coverage?  Replacement value pays the cost of the full replacement roof, minus your deductible.  Actual cash value coverage is adjusted downward (depreciation) based on the age of the roof.
• What type roof is on the house?
• Amount of damage – is the damage so severe that the house is uninhabitable?
• Area of damage – does the damage constitute the majority of the roof, or just a small section?
• Are there other houses in the area that were damaged? To what extent?
• Is this a confirmed “storm” by the National Weather Service
• What is the age of the roof, and what condition was it in prior to the damage?

How the Insurance Company Views Claims:

The roof is the most important part of the home because it protects everything inside and under it.  Once the roof is compromised, it may lead to further damage and thus a higher insurance claim.  It is in the insurance company’s best interest to replace the damaged roof as soon as possible.  But, the insurance company looks at the loss (claim) in a few different ways. 

• Is it possible that you could be at fault for at least some of the damage, because you have not done routine maintenance on your roof;
• You should have trimmed up the tree so that the branch didn’t fall during the storm;
• Or is it possible the hail damage was done by a previous storm and should have been reported earlier.

How You, the Insured Views Claims:

You pay your premiums every year, so expect to be fully covered.  Unless you have read through your policy, you probably are not aware of all the intricacies of your policy.  Without looking at your policy, do you know:

• What is covered by your policy? 
• Do you know what your deductible is? 
• Do you have a separate deductible for wind, hail, tornado, hurricane or flood? 
• Do you need a separate policy or rider for wind, hail, tornado, hurricane of flood? 
• Are you covered for fire, theft, and/or wood destroying insects? 
• What are the limits of your coverage? 

How The Roofing Company Views Claims:

Roofing companies are in the business of replacing and repairing roofs.  According to Blake Snow of First Out Roofing in Denton, Texas, “Insurance companies will try to pay as little as possible in some cases.  Some insurance companies are great and will pay for a full roof replacement, while others will only pay for half of the roof.”  So what are you supposed to do about paying for the other half of the roof?  Unfortunately, that will have to come out of your pocket.  So much for depending on your insurance company to take care of everything.

What Are You Supposed To Do If you Have Hail Damage

Before the storm strikes make sure you have “before” pictures of your roof.  If it looks like the storm will be severe, get pictures of other outside items such as air conditioning units, siding, gutters, etc.  In other words, anything that may be damaged by hail.  Also, any time you have work done – such as routine maintenance – take a new “before” photo.  Once the storm has passed, and you suspect that you have damage, take and “after” photo, date it.  Keep it, along with any notations, estimates for repair or replacement, invoices or copies of receipts for any expenses you may have incurred making temporary repairs of the damage.  Anything that will help prove your claim will be helpful.  You will be required to provide certain documentation for your claim and the more you have to substantiate the claim, the easier the claims process may be.

File A Claim With Your Insurance Company

Now that you have the damage, give your insurance agent a call and let them know you have a claim.  Your agent may already be aware that the possibility of loss is there if the damage is wide-spread.  Know what your policy covers and make sure you have the documentation you will need to file the claim. Snow advises, “A quality roofer knows how to talk to your insurance company and will represent the homeowner, so the homeowner gets a full roof replacement if that’s what is needed. Homeowners should never go it alone or they may be getting less than what they deserve and have paid for.”