Filing a storm damage claim with your insurer is a lot harder than it seems. That’s because insurance agents, as well as the forms for filing claims, tend to use hard-to-understand financial jargon. Not to mention the claims process itself is a bit complicated. Luckily, if you’re having trouble filing an insurance claim, some residential roofing companies offer claims processing assistance.
Here’s how professional roofers can help you with your insurance claim:
Comprehensive Roof Inspections
The first thing you need to after a storm, or any extreme weather event for that matter, is to do a quick visual inspection of the damage to your exterior. Don’t forget to take pictures while inspecting your roof from ground-level—you’ll need to submit pictures of storm roof damage when you file an insurance claim. The problem is it’s easy to miss the warning signs of damage.
While your insurer will eventually send an adjuster to assess the extent of surface damage and calculate your insurance payout, they might not be able to detect underlying roof damage caused by water that seeped into your roof. But if you have a professional roofer conduct a roof inspection as soon as the weather clears up, they can share notes with your adjuster to ensure all of the roof damage is covered by the payout.
Important note: Don’t attempt to fix any holes in your roof, no matter how minor they are. That’s because this can lower your overall insurance payout.
Familiarity With the Claims Filing Process
Since roofing contractors work directly with insurance companies and understand their processes, they can be your advocate and ensure that you get a fair and accurate appraisal.
One more thing: Don’t forget that insurance policies usually only cover storm damage, but not damage caused by negligence on the homeowner’s part. That’s why you need to make sure your roofing system undergoes routine roof maintenance to ensure your coverage remains intact.
Vista Roofing Inc. offers a wide range of professional roofing and exterior services. To request a quote, call us at (803) 391-4604 or fill out this form.