Thunderstorms, hail storms, snowstorms, heavy rains, etc., can severely deteriorate the roof. This may lead to a cracked rooftop, leaking roofs, and so on. If you are a novice, you’d probably think of replacing the damaged roofs of your house immediately. But before you do this, it is necessary to consult either an insurance company or a roofing company to handle the consequences.
Several companies, such as SCI Roofing & Construction, provide solutions to handle the aftermath effects of harsh weather conditions. In addition, some insurance companies cover the costs of damaged roofs caused by natural accidents. If you have home protection coverage and are contemplating whether to call a roofer or insurance company first, keep reading further to know what’s best for you.
What can you do if your roof is damaged by the storm?
If the roof of your house is disfigured severely, there is a high chance that it may collapse sooner or later. This may result in accidents or injuries. Generally, the first thing you need to do is call your insurance agent if you have taken home insurance. Once you do, mention all the details of the damage to your agent.
Most insurance companies provide an onsite inspection to ensure the severity of the damage. This helps them understand what steps to take next. Once the information you have mentioned matches with the inspected damage, your insurance company will likely provide contacts of roofers for repair and replacement. Some companies might ask you to contact roofers without inspecting the place directly.
But this process can extend to days and even weeks due to delays from the insurance companies and approval of claims. To avoid this, you can first call a professional roofing company to ensure the minute details of the defects. You can then use this information for filing insurance claims according to homeowners insurance.
Proper documentation and paperwork make it easier for you and your coverage company to finish up the process. In addition, hiring professional roofers also means you do not have to worry about the condition of your roof. You do not have to worry about inadequate assessments or repairs.
Benefits of calling roofers to assess the damage caused by storms
While some insurance companies do provide situation assessments, it is better to hire a professional roofer instead. The following reasons are why you should consider contacting your local contractor or roofing company first.
- Better situation analysis
The professional roofers are trained properly and have adequate experience in working with such situations. Such professionals are qualified enough to access even the minute details of damage while inspecting accurately.
Additionally, professional roofers will run a thorough check of the stability of your roof to know exactly what measures are required to address the problem. Furthermore, roofers will deduce the best possible way to fix the damages after a proper inspection.
- Time-efficient repairs
Another huge advantage of calling professional roofers to examine the destruction is efficiency. Typically, insurance companies take time to send adjusters to assess the severity of damages. This leads to further deterioration of the roofs if they are not fixed immediately.
Moreover, if the roofs are beyond repair, they might disfigure the whole house by collapsing over the walls and through water damage. When you hire a professional roofer, they quickly determine the solution and repair it immediately to reduce the risk of further deterioration. This saves your time while fixing the problem accurately.
- Detailed documentation and paperwork
Filing insurance claims and acquiring compensation is a long and tiring process. Moreover, your claim is likely to get rejected if proper details, paperwork for previous fixes, damage reviews, etc., are not documented. Most roofers are familiar with the way the insurance process works and will thus help you in double-checking paperwork details.
Furthermore, these professionals also provide services like taking a proper course of action and negotiating with the coverage company to make sure you receive the claimed compensation smoothly and effectively.
Tips to keep in mind while contacting roofers
Now that you know who to contact for the issue, you need to keep in mind certain factors while hiring a professional roofing company. Here are some of the tips you can apply while appointing roofers for immediate assessments, repairs, and replacements.
- Check whether they are familiar with insurance
When hiring a roofer to assess or fix the damages, the first thing you need to check is their working experience with coverage claims. A reliable company that has worked on similar cases previously will know how to proceed with the work. Such a company will help you read claims, ensure correct estimates, and avoid fraud.
In most cases, such companies comply with the requirements of the insurance agency to ensure policies such as the Replacement Cost Value (RCV) policy are followed within the scope of working.
- Research about the company
Before appointing any contractor or roofing company, it is always advantageous to research them. First, check whether the company is local to your area or not by examining the phone number.
Additionally, you can search on the internet if they have any offices in your area. Moreover, check the reviews left by the past clients on the companies’ websites and other forums. Finally, examine whether the company follows all the local residential and safety codes while repairing or assessing the Storm damages.
- Review the credentials
Another important aspect to check while hiring a roofer is their credentials such as licenses, bonds, insurance, warranties, etc. Check whether your potential company is licensed according to home improvement and general contractor licenses.
Examine whether the company is bonded to ensure an ethical working process and quality standards. Furthermore, check whether all the workers, employees, equipment, etc., are insured properly. This would reduce your risk of liability if any accident or injuries were to occur during the working process.
Conclusion
It is better to understand all the terms and conditions for choosing a roofing or coverage company. However, in case you do not understand some of the financial terms, do not hesitate to ask the contractor or insurance agent to explain them to you. In addition, verify the written documents, licenses, and permits of the selected company to ensure trustworthiness.
