You know it’ll either be to the insurance company or your preferred roofing company, but ask yourself this first: how do roofing companies work with insurance companies?
Knowing more about their relationship could help you save thousands of dollars.
For some homeowners, their first instinct is to call an insurance company for an estimate. That’s a reasonable idea! After all, the insurance company could end up covering the cost.
For others, they reach out to a roofing company directly. That can make sense too, as the roofing company has to do the actual repairs.
At some point, you’re likely going to deal with both. So, does it matter which one you contact first? And after that first contact, do you know how roofing companies work with insurance companies?
Making sense of this situation is important to make sure you get an accurate estimate for your roof damage repairs – and get the appropriate money to pay for it. To help, we’re sharing the basic ways these two companies work together in the insurance claim filing process, and how you can come out on top.
Filing claims through insurance is not on most homeowners’ “love to do” list. Even for insurance companies that have streamlined the process, it can end up taking hours. Plus, given that most homeowners aren’t having their roof replaced every month, they may lack the experience that a professional roofing team has.
To make this process simpler, a homeowner might choose to go directly to their favorite roofing company first. This can have a few benefits, including help negotiating with the insurance companies and filing the paperwork.
One concern homeowners have is that an insurance company might not deliver a thorough inspection. Often these assessments are happening after a strong winter storm, so a claims adjuster may have a number of visits to make in a short period of time. Additionally, they may prioritize addressing surface situations and not have the expertise to diagnose deeper issues.
By comparison, a roofing company is motivated to deliver an inspection that gets the roof in as good a condition as possible. This can lead to them uncovering underlying problems or issues that would cause further damage and deterioration later on. This assessment can then be sent to the insurance company.
If a claim needs to be opened, an insurance adjuster will come out, and the data between the roofing company and the adjuster will be compared. Once these damages have been verified, the roofer can start the repairs.
There is one important idea that doesn’t always get brought up in the conversation of how do roofing companies work with insurance companies: should they actually file an insurance claim?
Depending on the deductible and the damage, homeowners may not want to file a claim. However, when the insurance adjuster is called out, they are setting the claims process in motion. Should the damage be under the deductible amount, homeowners will just pay out of pocket. Yet the process is still considered a claim, which has been known to increase insurance policy premiums.
This is one of the biggest advantages to getting a roofing company out to the home first. Most reputable roofing companies offer a free consultation or estimate and no obligation. Plus, the insurance claim is only opened when necessary. If the damages end up being close to the deductible, homeowners may find it easier to go without involving the insurance company.
One final note on this assessment: while an insurance adjuster will give an estimate on the storm damages, a roofing company will give a more in-depth understanding of the current health of the roof. That starts with the damages to be fixed, of course, but this estimate will also give an idea of the roofing needs over the coming years so the homeowner can be well prepared.
When all is said and done after the roofing company’s assessment, a claim may still need to be filed. For homeowners and roofing companies alike, this includes negotiating, submitting paperwork, and going back and forth with the insurance company to make sure they get the appropriate amount for the roof’s repairs.
At US Home Supplements, we help with the supplementing and estimating process to help roofers get paid quickly so the job can get done smoothly. We’ve helped hundreds of contractors to date. To find out more about how we can support you, get in touch with our team today.