by Guest » Wed Oct 03, 2007 02:38 am
Hail can cause severe damage to your roof. If you have hail damage protection for your home you can rely on the insurance company to get your roof fixed. You don't have to worry about the rain wetting the inside of your home or the snow falling on your head with hail damage coverage.
Is your roof impact-resistant?
To know whether your roof is impact resistant or not, you can use the Underwriters Laboratories' measuring stick. This test would involve dropping various steel balls of different sizes from a certain height that stimulates the similar force as felt by free falling hailstorms on the roof. There are 4 impact-level designations that help make a comparison between the products. Roof coverings that earn Class 4 rating means that it is the most resistant while a Class 1 rating means that it is the least resistant.
This is by far the best method to determine the strength of the roof. However, it is not perfect and has better results for certain types of coverings than others.
This is by far the best method to determine the strength of the roof. However, it is not perfect and has better results for certain types of coverings than others.
What kind of roof covering should you have?
By suggestion you should have the best roof covering to be able to protect yourself and your home from hail damages to your roof. However, it also depends on your taste and finances what kind of roof you would like to have. Here are a few types of roof coverings that you may choose from:
- Asphalt - This is found in most homes and can be strengthened with fiberglass or organic materials.
- Fibreglass - This lasts for up to 20 years and has fire rating of Class A.
- Metal - These last up to 40 years and are also light weight and usually have a Class A or B fire rating. The one disadvantage of metal coverings is that unlike other shingles it does not ease back into shape.
- Tile - Although it is quite popular with many, their performance during hailstorms depends on the types. Concrete tiles last long (more than 20 years) while clay tiles may break easily. Slate tiles are heavy. If you are using them then you must make sure that the structure of your home is able to support the weight.
- Modified asphalt - This includes SBS which is a rubber types compound or APP which is a plasticizer. These have high durability during hailstorms.
- Slate - This covering is quite expensive and can last for up to 100 years. You will need skilled people to install slate on your roof. This means it will add to the already expensive slate and raise the cost further. Slate is also quite heavy and not all homes may be able to support the weight. Check with an architect or a design professional to see if it will fit your home.
What to do if hail damages your roof?
Once you have detected hail damages inform your insurance company who will either send an adjuster to determine the cost of your loss or simply give you the money you deserve in such claims to get your damage repaired. If your insurance company pays you the repairing cost, you can select your own repairing shop and get your damages repaired. You may look around and get quotes from more than 2 shops and based on your common sense and what the repairing shop offers, may get your damages fixed. Once the insurance company has given you the money they owe you in claims, it is your money entirely. However, you must remember that if your house is again immediately damaged by hail, the insurance company will not pay you once more.
Related Readings:
- Hail damage fraud
- About hail damage repair
- Hail damage to your home
- Insurance cancellation during hail damage
Hello! My Minnesota neighborhood was hit about two months ago with a huge hail storm. We met with our insurance adjuster and filed a roof damage insurance claim to have our roof replaced. No work has been done on our home yet, and we're currently looking for a roofing company to do the job.
My issue: We were told by a contractor today that if the total claim amount that we're paid [check from our insurance co] EXCEEDS the amount we pay to repair the damage and we keep the difference, then we're committing insurance fraud.
Is this a correct statement, or is this contractor trying to scare me into giving him the full amount of the claim, regardless of the actual repair costs? Is there harm in having contractors bid the job, work the bids against each other, then put the excess into a different home project? I'd appreciate any comments!
Thanks in advance!
My issue: We were told by a contractor today that if the total claim amount that we're paid [check from our insurance co] EXCEEDS the amount we pay to repair the damage and we keep the difference, then we're committing insurance fraud.
Is this a correct statement, or is this contractor trying to scare me into giving him the full amount of the claim, regardless of the actual repair costs? Is there harm in having contractors bid the job, work the bids against each other, then put the excess into a different home project? I'd appreciate any comments!
Thanks in advance!
Posted: Wed Oct 03, 2007 09:00 am Post Subject: Can't get more than the amount of the damage
Hi jazzhands, frankly speaking I see no problem in your post. If you have suffered a damage that is covered under your homeowners policy, your insurance company will compensate you for the loss. They will either send an adjuster or will send a proof of loss to apprehend the extent of your loss. Accordingly they will pay. Therefore, no question of getting more and retaining the extra amount is arising.
Posted: Wed Oct 03, 2007 10:32 am Post Subject:
Is this a correct statement, or is this contractor trying to scare me into giving him the full amount of the claim, regardless of the actual repair costs
? I think that's likely what he's trying to do or get the entire amount. If the draft is made out to you, (or even if it's not) it's your choice to hire whomever you want to repair your roof. Now if you don't repair it, and another storm comes along, then you won't be paid again (assuming they paid for an entire roof).You're fine to keep the balance...... :D
Posted: Wed Oct 03, 2007 11:12 am Post Subject: Hail damage- What would it take to repair?
Hi friend, lemme touch upon few points for you.
1)You will only be paid for the ascertained amount of damage. No matter even if you feel that your losses were in terms of degrees were more. If you dispute with the insurance company,then that's altogether a different issue.
2)The insurer will pay for the extra amount after you pay the deductibles. Therefore, it may be the case that they pay a very little amount towards the claim.
3)I bet you will not be left with much as extra after paying for the damages. So, the question of scamming the insurance company may not arise at all.
4)Lastly, as Lori has mentioned, you can retain the extra amount. Once the insurance company pays out for the damages the money becomes all yours. They won't consider it to be a hail damage fraud for that extra amount.
Regards,
Juanita
Posted: Wed Oct 03, 2007 11:32 am Post Subject:
The insurer will pay for the extra amount after you pay the deductibles.
Generally Jaunita the draft is issued simply 'minus' the deductible. If one is owed it is paid directly to the provider of the service and in this case, looks likely won't be any out of pocket.Posted: Wed Oct 03, 2007 01:21 pm Post Subject:
Thank you all for the information! I feel like the contractor was threatening my husband in order to get our business--it's great to know the facts.
Posted: Thu Oct 04, 2007 06:24 am Post Subject:
Thanks Lori, for identifying and correcting my mistake.
Posted: Fri Oct 05, 2007 03:44 pm Post Subject:
I have no plans to work with this contractor for this damage or anything else that happens in the future! I am concerned, however, that he's telling other people in my neighborhood (or ANYWHERE), the same thing and that they're believing him. As stated in my original post, I honestly felt that the contractor was threatening to turn me in for insurance fraud if I didn't have him do the work for the full dollar amount of the claim. Do his statements warrant a complaint to his office, our state licensing board, etc.?
Any advice?
Posted: Fri Oct 05, 2007 05:52 pm Post Subject:
Jazzhands... actually both are (probably) correct.
If the repairs cost less you _technically_ need to return the difference to the insurance company. But here is the thing... no one has _EVER_ done this, the insurance company would probably have a difficult time accepting this money, and I can almost guarantee you that the adjuster at the insurance company would tell you just to keep it (and probably indicate that it's legal for you to keep it, which is incorrect). Using insurance finds for anything other then the loss is legally committing fraud. Again, and I cannot stress this enough, just keep the money and sleep good at night.
On to the second part... even though the contract was correct, he needs to go stuff himself. I have little doubt that he wanted to be paid as much as possible and more then he probably would normally charge. I'd walk away from that person and pick one of the hundreds of other contracts willing to do some honest work. It's _none_ of his business how you manage your money.[/img]
Posted: Sun Oct 07, 2007 05:34 pm Post Subject:
Tcope hit it right on the head. I could have said it any better myself!
Posted: Sat Nov 10, 2007 07:13 am Post Subject: hail damage, insurance fraud
my name is john i work for a company that specialices in hail and wind recovery damage.
I get customers like you all the time, the money that the insurance company gave you is enough to hire a top of the line contractor.
major companies use the same estimating system as the ins cos. so there should not be a big diff in the cost and the check that you got.
but on the other hand it costs about two thirds of what the ins gave you, to actually do your roof. the ins pays for the OVER HEAD and PROFIT, what this means is 10% of the total goes to the contractor. this is used for advertising, office space,insurance, and what ever else it would cost to run a business. what ever is left after the cost of material, labor and Over H. AND P is all PROFit. an average roof of 20 squares leaves a proffit of abot $2k. thanks
any question about ins email me at toptobottom07[at]gmail.com
*e-mail id edited for your security
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