How to Deal with Insurance Claims after a Storm
Concordant to nearly all state insurance codes, your homeowner’s insurance needs to cover any damage to your house caused by an “act of God.” Except for flooding which is usually covered in a separate insurance or rider.But how do you know if the damage to your roof is caused by a storm and will your insurance policy cover the damage?The question to ask is not necessarily will they cover your roof, but rather how did your gutters, chimney, and vents have damage. If you can’t pinpoint a specific storm, you may be in for a challenge.If your roof, gutters, chimney, and vents gets damaged because you didn’t take care of a trimming tree limb or some other obstacle, your insurance company is not obligated to recoup you for repairs. They are only predisposed to take care of things that were outside of your responsibility.You can have a Roofing Contractor present during Insurance Company inspection. This is a respectable idea to have a master roofing contractor present with you any time you meet with your insurance adjuster. A roofing contractor is better prepared to verify storm damage as opposed to other causes. When you have someone around who lives the business, you are more likely to have a smooth and easy claim process. Questions to Determine Eligibility for Insurance Claim Here are some questions to ask to ensure whether your roofing claim will be paid for by your insurance company:1. Did you have your insurance at the time of the damage to your roof and storm damage. In order for you to get insurance reimbursement for your roof’s repair or replacement, there must not be any lapse in your insurance coverage, especially on the day of the storm that battered your roof.2. What kind of damage does your roof or residence have. If your roof or house is broken because you failed to cut the trees back or for some other reason that is essentially your fault, the answer is no. The insurance company will not fix your roof for you if the damage is something you should have prevented.3. Was your roof or residence broken by hail? If you can pinpoint the storm that damaged your roof, that is the best scenario. Although, we are able to get roofs and other damages replaced by our customer’s insurance companies when they are not sure when the hail damage occurred. If your roof or household was legitimately broken by hail, your insurance company is obligated to restore your house to it’s pre-storm value.4. Not sure how your roof was broken, or even if it is damaged? We recommend getting in contact with a pro roofing consultant who understands the system and can best advise you as to which steps to take to ethically get your claim approved
