How to Get Insurance to Pay for Roof Replacement

Whether a tree fell on your home, the roof was damaged by strong winds, or a storm ripped off a few of your shingles, you’ll need to know how to file to get insurance to pay for roof replacement.

Rest assured that getting your insurer to cover the costs shouldn’t be a challenge—especially if the source of the damage was totally outside of your control.

How to Get Insurance to Pay for Roof Replacement

In this article, we’ll split down everything you need to know about the steps to get insurance to pay for roof replacement.

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These are the steps you should take if you believe your homeowners’ insurance may pay to replace your roof:

Document the Damage

As soon as possible after the loss, take photos and videos of the impairment. Your insurance provider won’t necessarily want your photos, but they may be useful if a dispute arises.

Photos can be particularly helpful if you need to make temporary roof repairs to prevent further damage.

Review Your Insurance Policy

Review the perils your policy covers as well as the peculiarities. Do your best to figure out whether you have a legitimate claim.

Also, review your deductible (it’s on your declarations page) and consider acquiring at least one experienced roofing contractor to estimate the cost to repair the damage.

They may also be able to offer insight into how your carrier is likely to manage your claim.

File a Claim

You can file a claim by reaching your insurance agent (if you have one) or by calling your carrier’s claims phone number. Many insurers also permit and even encourage you to file a claim through their website or mobile app.

Wait for the Adjuster

Once you file a claim, your carrier will allocate an insurance adjuster to your claim. This person will come to your home to inspect your deterioration and become your point of contact for your claim.

Find a Reputable Roofing Contractor

If the insurer approves your claim, it’s your right and responsibility to select a contractor.

A good roofing contractor will be licensed, bonded, and insured; requirements can vary by state, so check with your state’s Department of Insurance to discover what to look for and verify.

Begin Roofing Work

Depending on the cost of your claim, your insurance carrier may issue one or a series of payments to substitute (or repair) your roof.

If you have a mortgage, expect to funnel these payments through your finance loan servicer since it has a financial interest in making sure you actually fix your roof and don’t just pocket the claim payment.

Things to Know about Getting Roof Replacement Insurance

Now you understand the steps for getting roof replacement insurance. If you feel your roof qualifies for an insurance replacement, you’re ready to reach out to your insurance company.

However, before you do, there are a few things you need to know about the process. Below are 5 things to learn about getting insurance to pay for your roof replacement.

1. The Process to Get Insurance to Pay for Your Roof Can be Long

Some homeowners have the misconception their roofs will be replaced immediately after filing a claim. Unfortunately, this isn’t the truth.

The truth is, getting insurance to replace your storm-damaged roof is a long procedure. Below is a checklist of some of the steps leading up to an insurance roof replacement:

You’ll contact your insurance company
They send out an adjuster for an assessment
If approved by the adjuster, they’ll draw up a claim
You’ll get a reputable roof contractor
They’ll go over the claim and provide you with a checklist of what needs to be supplemented (if applicable)
You’ll send the supplemented claim back to the insurance company for authorization
If approved, you’ll get your whole roof replacement covered by insurance

The steps above aren’t the exact procedure and vary based on your insurance company, policy, and even your roofing contractor.

This list just affirms how much goes on behind the scenes once you file an insurance claim and that each phase of the process takes time.

Understanding this from the beginning helps you understand why it’s taking so long to get your roof replaced through your insurance company.

2. Be Aware of Storm Chasers in Your Neighborhood

I assure you that after a strong storm comes through your area, you’ll have people walking around your neighborhood knocking on doors.

This by itself isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but you ought to know a couple of warnings about storm chasers.

Storm chasers are out-of-state companies that come in instantly after a storm, undercut local roofing company prices, get your money, and move on to the next storm-hit town.

They don’t care about local codes or if they even properly install your shelter.

And after they’re done with your replacement, I guarantee issues will show up and they won’t answer your phone call.

3. Only an Insurance Adjuster can Approve Your Roof Damage Insurance Claim

The first thing you should do is call your insurance company when you presume you have a claim.

After giving them all the relevant notifications, they’ll either send out an insurance adjuster or tell you to call a roofing contractor for an inspection.

If they tell you to find a roofing contractor, they’ll be able to examine for storm damage and let you (and the insurance company) know the roof is damaged.

Now, you might feel your claim will automatically be approved when this happens.

Unfortunately, that’s not the point. The insurance adjuster is the only one who can authorize a roof damage insurance claim.

Your roofing contractor can take pictures of storm damage as proof and advocate for you if they feel you have it.

But at the end of the day, the insurance adjuster has the final say, even if the roofing contractor is 100% sure you have a claim.

4. Don’t Sign Any Paperwork until Your Insurance Claim is Approved

The roofing industry doesn’t have the finest reputation, and honestly, some of it’s warranted.

But a big reason for the reputation is that some roofing firms try to strong-arm and scare homeowners into signing something before they’ll inspect the roof.

If a roofing company tries this, they’re trying to lock you into a contract that gives them the right to your roof before your claim has even been authorized.

This means you already pledged them your roof without even knowing if they’re a reputable roofing company.

That’s why it’s vital never to sign any paperwork until your insurance claim is approved.

You shouldn’t even let a roofing contractor on your roof until it’s authorized unless your insurance company tells you to find one in your area to inspect it.

Even if you’re panicking about storm impairment or a door knocker tries to scare you, don’t sign anything until your insurance claim is approved.

5. Find a Roofing Contractor Who Has Experience Working with Roof Damage Insurance Claims

Once your claim is endorsed, it’s up to you to choose any local roofing contractor you want. When looking for one local to your area, it’s critical to hire one that has experience working with insurance claims.

Hiring a roofing contractor who regularly handles insurance work understands the insurance claim process,

how to read your claim, help you supplement anything missing, and how to do the work in compliance with your insurance company.

They can also protect you from inadvertently committing insurance fraud.

Unlike retail replacements, there’s no reason to get multiple quotes to figure out the lowest price when you start looking for a roofing company for an insurance claim.

So, find one you trust that has experience managing claims and go from there.

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To Round Up

Take note of the steps to get insurance to pay for roof replacement as well as the things to know about getting roof replacement insurance. We know this material will assist you in the best way possible if you utilize it.

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