Hold the Phone: 5 Reasons to Get a Roof Inspection Before Calling Your Insurance Company

1. Claims can be confusing: Simply put, filing an insurance claim can be confusing. Who do you call? When should you call? What’s the sequence of events like after you call? Will my claim get denied? What’s my deductible? When storm damage occurs, the last thing a property owner should have to worry about is the slew of minor details associated with her policy. That’s where a good roofing contractor comes into the picture – they’ll come out, inspect your damage and work with your insurance company to ensure that your settlement covers it.
2. Expert analysis: Insurance adjusters are not repair experts, so why should you rely on a non-expert to assess your damage and settlement? Let the experts assess your damage. Not only will an experienced roofing contractor thoroughly inspect the roof and analyze the damage, but he’ll also present his findings to the adjuster so that they know the scope of work that is required and offer a more accurate settlement to you.
3. Is filing worth it? In some circumstances, filing an insurance claim may not even be worth it. But how would you know whether or not that’s the case if you don’t know how much the cost of repair and replacement is? Allowing a roofing contractor to assess the damage before a claim is filed will give you a more accurate idea about whether or not filing a claim is even worthwhile. Inappropriately filing a claim can cause your insurance rates to go up and can actually cost you more in the long run. No thanks!
4. Avoid traps: It’s illegal for a property owner to deceive an insurance company and profit from a claim. By getting an inspection beforehand, property owners can be sure that their roofing problems were indeed the result of the storm and not an already present, underlying issue that perhaps isn’t covered. Many roofing Contractor are eager to get more work and may even offer to pay your insurance deductible just to claim the job (but don’t count on this as a certainty).
5. Bridging the gap between adjuster and property owner: Just because it’s worth repeating, insurance claims are confusing. Why not take the confusion out of it by letting an expert bridge the gap between you and your insurance adjuster? By having a roof inspection done prior to filing a claim, you’re essentially allowing your contractor to work with the adjuster to give him a more accurate picture of just what the scope of the damage is. Not only does this take the confusion out of the process, but it also ensures better results in completing the project.

While it might be natural to want to call your insurance agent and file a claim following wind, hail or storm damage, that might not always be the best thing to do. Call an experienced contractor first to inspect your roof – and you’ll walk away with much better results in the long term.