Even when you have insurance, repairing a damaged roof is a complicated process. Adding supplements to your insurance shouldn’t have to be.
Today, we’re going to look in-depth at the connection between your regular insurance and supplements. By sharing how they work together, you can make sure you’re covered even if the scope of work changes during repairs.
Finding roof damage is just the first part of the insurance claims process. Next, your insurance company will have an adjuster sent out to inspect the level of damage and create a claim.
Once that claim is approved, you’ll receive an insurance estimate that should, in theory, cover the scope of work. This is also the amount your insurance company will end up paying by the end of the repair.
This is where the process begins to get complicated. Insurance adjusters can make mistakes in their assessment - maybe they’re inexperienced, in a rush, or were just being human - and leave work off of your estimate.
That work will be uncovered as your roofing contractor and their team begin repairs. When the extra work is identified, this is where supplementing comes in.
With the start of your insurance process, the first claim estimate is intended to get your roof back to how it was before it was damaged.
That means the scope of work provides for what the adjuster wrote up in their claim estimate. But what happens if they leave off an important upgrade to make sure your roof is up to code and compliant with state regulations? What if they miss a section of the roof?
When these items are left off, the corresponding insurance claim won’t be sufficient to cover the work that actually needs to be done.
Without an insurance claim, the homeowner may need to pay out of pocket to cover the difference. Here is where you can supplement your insurance claim.
This process involves your roofing contractor or a trusted partner starting a new conversation with your insurance company about everything else that needs to be covered.
You can expect some pushback in this process. As long as your roofing contractor has experience supplementing, though, you will be able to get the repairs your roof needs covered.
Once you’re aware that supplements are a possibility with every roof damage insurance claim, this is how you can prepare yourself.
Repairing a roof is no longer just about the act of physically repairing it. It’s also about understanding how to navigate the insurance process confidently.
One of the best steps to take after your insurance claim is approved is to hire a reputable roofing contractor.
A roofing contractor with experience in handling insurance claims is a great asset. They’ll know the claim process, how to read the claim, how to supplement correctly, and to oversee work that is compliant with what your insurance company expects.
Once you’ve reached an agreement with a roofing contractor, have them look over the claim paperwork.
These are the guidelines they need to do the job well, and will give them the steps to take to supplement any items not on the claim estimate.
Confirming that everything the insurance company paid for is in the roofing contractor’s scope of work also saves you from accidentally committing insurance fraud.
At this point in the process, you already have an approved claim. That claim is the price to repair (or even replace) the damaged roof. The price was generated by the insurance company with Xactimate, a software that takes into account, among other things, the average price of materials in your area.
In that sense, you’re not looking for a lower estimate. An estimate that comes in at the claim is fine. But what happens when the price is higher than the claim?
Here is where the importance of supplementing comes back into play.
Their higher price is a reflection that they believe someone was left off the claim. They’ll create an itemized list of what remains and the costs to complete the job for the insurance company’s approval.
There are a few reasons a roofing company might not be willing to handle supplements. For some roofing contractors who are just getting started, they might not have the experience to handle it well. Others may be too bogged down with the roofing repair process to spend time managing insurance companies. That’s where US Home Supplements is happy to step in and handle your insurance supplements.
If you’re a roofing contractor who needs help managing supplements, get in touch with the expert team at US Home Supplements today. We've helped hundreds of roofing contractors get paid on thousands of projects, and we’re here to make sure you can get the job done.