Insurance coverage on your roof depends on the age and condition of the entire roofing system and the upper framework of the house.
If you don’t know your current coverage, contact your insurance provider or review your homeowner’s policy. In most cases, insurance policies will cover natural disasters, vandalism, and fire.
If your insurance company requires a formal inspection of the roof before you build a new one, we can assess your roof to determine its overall condition and the market value of your home.
What Factors Determine Insurance Coverage?
Although your insurance provider will protect you when wind, rain, or hail damages your roof, there are several other factors to consider when it comes to the amount paid out and all conditions that meet the policy requirements.
Some of the factors include:
- Age: If the roof is over ten years old, you may not receive as much as for a newer roof.
- Depreciation: The insurance company may reimburse you for the depreciation value of the roof instead of its purchase value.
- Partial Damage: If you need a new roof due to damage, the insurance provider may only pay for the damaged part, not the entire roof, even if we assess the roofing system as “totaled.”
- Wear and Tear: If you need a new roof because the old one is worn out, the policy will likely not cover replacement under the policy. The insurance company would consider the work done to be regular roof maintenance, not roof repair.
- Storm Damage: Does the policy cover all forms of storm damage? Some policies may cover wind damage but do not include water damage.
Making a Claim for Roof Damage
You can make a claim to your insurance company for roof damage in one of two ways. The first is to call the company directly and request an adjuster assess the damage.
The second is to contact one of our roofing contractors to assess the damage and help you file the claim with the insurance company. We recommend the second option.
Allowing an Intelligent Design-certified roof to inspect the damage will ensure that the final assessment is accurate so you get adequate coverage on the loss. When disaster strikes, your first call should be to a roofing contractor, not the insurance company.
Tips for Making Sure You Get Coverage
Just dealing with the storm alone is a lot to navigate, from worrying about how the roads are to whether your loved ones are okay, but worrying about the insurance portion is a whole different level of stress.
Your insurance is in place to protect your home, but if you’re not taking care of your investment, your claim could be rejected. Here are three primary things you can do to increase your chances of them accepting the claim.
Work With a Restoration Pro
Hands down, DIY is never a good choice for storm restoration because, without the right training, experience, and certifications, you could easily miss something or make the situation worse.
Pick an expert who will advocate for you and help you with the insurance claims process so no damages go unnoticed and your repair is expertly completed.
Stay on Top of Maintenance
The fact is, your home will need ongoing maintenance, which will help back up any insurance claims.
Doing preventative steps like cleaning your gutters, having regular roof inspections, and staying on top of repairs will mean that if the time comes, the insurance company can’t say that the damages resulted from negligence or failure to upkeep the property.
Don’t Hold Back on Documenting the Damage
Documentation is everything, and once it’s safe after a storm, photograph or video any damage you find. A thorough account that the insurance company can physically see can expedite the claims process and support if you need hotel stays or gas expenditures.
Give them as much information as possible so include receipts, visual documentation, and a written task or expenditure log to back up your claim.
Intelligent Design Can Help You with Insurance Claims
When it comes to filing an insurance claim, you should have a professional roofing company that can help you through every step of the process.
Intelligent Design roofers specialize in roof installation, roof repair, and total roof replacement after a storm. No matter how damaged your roof is, we can fully restore it!
If a storm, vandalism, or fire has damaged your roof, contact us at 763-315-0745 or message us on our contact page. Our service extends to all residential and commercial properties in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota.
