Most homeowners insurance allows you to file a claim if there is damage to your roof. When filing a claim for insurance, it is important to be familiar with the details of insurance coverage and insurance terms.
The following information can help homeowners understand when they can file an insurance claim for roof damages and how to file insurance claims.
When You Can File a Roof Insurance Claim
The easiest way to know if you can file a roof insurance claim for roof damage is to ask yourself these questions:
- Do I have homeowners insurance? If not, then there’s nothing to file a roof insurance claim about; insurance companies don’t insure roofs that aren’t insured by homeowners insurance policies.
- Is my roof damaged? If so, what kinds of damages are there? If your roof is simply old and deteriorating due to age and normal wear and tear, you may not have grounds to file a roofing insurance claim.
- Is my roof damaged due to bad hail storms or intense winds, or a strange, sudden event? Roof insurance is used mostly in the case of a natural disaster or an unexpected event that causes damage through no fault of the homeowner.
How to File an Insurance Claim
The insurance claim process isn’t as difficult as it sounds. To file insurance claims for roof damage, homeowners should follow these steps:
1 . Contact your insurance company to find out the details of your policy and what kind of damages are covered by insurance. For example, some insurance policies cover hail damages but not wind damages. The best way to find out what is covered is through a phone call with your insurance provider or reading through your homeowner’s insurance policy contract.
2 . Document the damage to your roof with photographs and/or a video camera. Get close-up shots of individual damages along with wide, sweeping views of all damages in one complete shot, if you can. Whether it’s shingles in your yard from high winds or cracked and dislodged shingles from intense hail storms, get it all on camera or video. This documentation can be used later when insurance claims adjusters investigate the damages and file insurance claims on homeowners’ behalves.
3 . Fill out insurance claim forms. Insurance companies provide insurance claim forms for their policyholders to use when filing insurance claims; these forms ask homeowners to list out what was damaged and how much coverage they need for repairs or replacements to their roofs. You may also need to include other information such as your insurance policy number, name, address, insurance company contact information, etc.
4 . File insurance claims by mailing in insurance claim forms to insurance companies. If you have trouble filling out insurance claim forms, don’t worry; insurance claims adjusters are available via phone or email to help homeowners fill out insurance claim forms. Once the insurance company receives insurance claim forms back from homeowners, insurance claims adjusters will investigate roof damages and file insurance claims for roof repair or replacement on behalf of homeowners.
Important Insurance Claim Process Notes
When filing insurance claims for roof repairs or replacements due to storm damage, it is important that homeowners remember these things:
- Roofs are expensive to replace after a major storm has damaged them, so be prepared for your insurance company to not pay full price upfront when filing an insurance claim. Insurance companies typically deduct some profit margin into their reimbursements; this profit margin allows insurance companies to continue operating and keep insurance prices low for homeowners.
- The actual insurance adjuster rarely shows up in person when filing insurance claims with homeowners. Most insurance companies send an inspector instead of a desk jockey from the insurance company. Most insurance claims adjusters research insurance claims from the office, so it’s important that roof insurance claim forms are filled out accurately and completely.
- You’ll likely need to acquire bids from local roofing contractors for the repair or replacement work at some point during the insurance claims process. Be sure to choose a reputable company, like Peak to Peak Roofing & Exteriors, that will make the repairs properly. There are many outside companies that swoop into areas recently hit by natural disasters that try to make a quick buck off of desperate and vulnerable residents. Choose a local roofing contractor to avoid this scam.
- It takes insurance companies some time to investigate damages and file roof insurance claims on homeowners’ behalves. While the process of filing insurance claims may seem slow, insurance companies want to ensure accurate reimbursements so they spend as much time as necessary investigating insurance claims before reimbursing homeowners for repairs or replacements.
What Does Filing an Insurance Claim Look Like?
Filing insurance claims is not as scary as most people think; insurance companies want homeowners to file insurance claims because they offer financial support during difficult times. If you need help filing insurance claims, don’t hesitate to ask friends and family members with insurance knowledge for assistance or contact local insurance agencies for assistance.
Remember: You’re not alone! If you need assistance or further guidance on the roof insurance claim process, reach out to the experienced roofers at Peak to Peak Roofing & Exteriors in Denver. Roof insurance claim filing isn’t so scary and difficult with a reputable team of knowledgeable experts by your side. The roofing contractors at Peak to Peak provide quality workmanship that is unmatched. They’ll work cooperatively with your roofing insurance company to fix your damaged roof or complete a roof replacement quickly and efficiently.