Tips for Getting a Roof Damage Insurance Claim Approved

How a Perfect Roof Damage Insurance Claim Works

Before reading roof damage insurance claim tips, it helps to understand how a perfectly ideal roof claim works:

1. A storm hits your area and you believe it caused damage to your roof.
2. You contact a local roofing contractor for a free roof inspection. The contractor finds significant damage to your roof, then provides an estimate for full replacement of your roof.
3. You call your insurer to initiate the claim. The insurer assigns a claims number before asking you to complete paperwork and answer questions.
4. The insurer dispatches an adjuster to your property to inspect the damage.
5. The adjuster agrees with the contractor’s assessment and estimated cost, approving payment for a full roof replacement per the terms of your insurance contract.
6. You get a new roof, your insurer covers the new roof (minus your deductible), and all parties walk away happy.

As you might expect, many roof damage insurance claims aren’t this smooth. Instead, insurers push back, deny or reduce coverage, challenge the contractor’s estimate, and seemingly do everything they can to limit payout.

Why Insurers Deny or Reduce Roof Damage Claims

Insurers deny or reduce roof damage insurance claims every day.

Sometimes, there are legitimate reasons for this denial: a section of your policy could exclude windstorm or hail storm damage, for example, preventing you from claiming damages caused by wind or hail.

Common reasons for insurers to deny or reduce roof damage claims include:

• Failure to report damage within a certain length of time. You may not notice storm damage until months after a storm. A July hailstorm may have damaged your roof, but you don’t notice until the next major rainstorm in September causes your roof to leak. In this case, your insurer could deny your claim because you failed to respond to roof damage in a timely manner. You have a responsibility to report damage as soon as possible. Your insurer is not liable for any damage your roof incurred from July through September, for example, because you failed to notice the initial damage.
• Policy exclusions. Some insurance policies specifically exclude windstorm and hailstorm damage. Others have other exclusions that could limit your ability to make a claim. Most policies now exclude wind driven rain. The wind or hail must make a hole or opening in your roof for any interior damage to be covered.
• Pre-existing damage to an old roof. A major hailstorm may have damaged your roof. However, your insurer could argue damage was pre-existing. Generally, it’s harder to make a roof damage claim on asphalt shingle roofs older than 10 or 15 years because of pre-existing damage.
• Inability to name the specific date when damage occurred. Insurers track storms, and they know which storms are capable of causing damage in an area. If you don’t know the date damage occurred, then your insurer could deny your claim.

Other Tips for Getting a Roof Damage Insurance Claim Approved

Other tips to help you get a roof damage insurance claim approved include:

• Understand insurance covers sudden and unexpected damage – not wear and tear. If your roof is suddenly damaged by a falling object, hailstorm, or fire, for example, you can make an insurance claim. If your roof has accumulated damage over 10+ years, then you likely can’t make a successful insurance claim for that damage.
• Insurers count the number of strikes to determine the impact on roof lifespan. If your roof has enough damage in a certain area to reduce its lifespan, then insurance will cover the cost of a new roof. Now, they only replace the slope (or area) that is damaged. They have the right to repair the roof before they replace it if it can be done in a manner that corrects the damage.
• Insurance doesn’t typically cover cosmetic damage. If you have a metal roof, for example, then hail may not affect the structural integrity of your roof, but it could dent the roof. In this case, insurance typically won’t cover it.
• Certain roofs cost more to insure. If you have a wood roof, for example, then you could pay up to 25% more for dwelling coverage.
• Check your policy for windstorm and hail storm exclusions. Most policies don’t exclude windstorm and hailstorm damage to roofs. However, some insurers allow you to save money by dropping these coverages from your policy. This can significantly reduce your chances of making a roof damage claim.
• It costs around $12,000 to replace an average roof. If you need to replace a roof on your home, you can expect to pay around $12,000 or more. That’s why a roof damage insurance claim can be so important: it can significantly impact your household finances.

Contact ClaimsMate for Help with a Roof Damage Claim

ClaimsMate has public adjusters who specialize in roof damage claims.

Overturning a denied roofing claim could mean tens of thousands of dollars’ of extra compensation – and a brand new roof for your home. In many cases, it’s worth hiring a public adjuster.

Public adjusters can help with your roof damage claim by:

• Performing a thorough inspection of the roof to identify any and all damage caused by the latest incident.
• Helping clients avoid the loopholes insurers typically use to deny or reduce claims.
• Negotiating with the insurer on your behalf and pushing back when they try to reduce your claim.
• Overseeing the claim from start to finish to ensure you receive the compensation you deserve.

To schedule a no-cost consultation with a public adjuster for your roof damage insurance claim, contact ClaimsMate today.

Stephanie Corona

Stephanie is a property insurance claim expert with over 20 years of experience working as an insurance adjuster, expert witness, appraiser and umpire. She is passionate about sharing her expertise, knowledge, tips and training to help both property owners and Public Adjusters in their pursuit of effectively managing claims and recovering the claim settlement they deserve after a loss.