We Specialize In Roofing Insurance Claims

• Has your roof been damaged by wind, hail, or a fallen tree?
• Have you or are you considering opening an insurance claim on the damage?
• If you have opened an insurance claim, has your roofing claim been reduced or denied?
• Are you not sure what to do?  What to accept? Or who to trust with making sure your insurance claim is handled properly?

Here’s a few steps listed below to help you understand the insurance claim process.

1. Have a professional roofing inspector inspect your roof if there’s any doubt as to its damage.
2. If there is sufficient damage call your insurance company and file a claim. They will ask you some basic questions and ask for a date when the damage occurred.
3. If you need a roofing tarp/s installed to protect your roof get pre-approval from your insurance company.  We call it emergency tarp service.
4. After you file the claim your insurance company will assign your claim to a staff adjuster or a sub-contracted claim adjuster. They will call you to schedule a time to come out and assess your roofing damage.
5. When the adjuster comes out, be sure to point out all damage including any interior leak damage. At this point, the adjuster will simply just deny the claim due to lack of damage or they will write up what we call a scope of loss. A scope of loss report can be for a roofing repair or roofing replacement.
6. This is where it can get interesting. Just because they deny the claim, DOES NOT mean they are correct.  And, just because they approve the claim, DOES NOT mean they are giving you the correct amount of money. Their software (Xactimate or other) can lag behind on material and labor costs. They may also be missing key components that can impact the final approval amount.
7. For smaller claims, you will have to decide if it’s worth moving forward, depending on your deductible amount.  Most homeowners have a $1,000 deductible and some can even be more or a percentage of the claim amount.
8. If you accept the claim and the amount awarded minus your deductible then your insurance company will most likely depreciate your roof.  This just means you will get a partial payment upfront and the remainder (or the depreciated amount) will be released after the work has been completed. A certification of completion will be sent to your insurance company to release that depreciation amount.
9. Claims can also be supplemented.  An example of this would be when the work is started, let’s say your roofer discovers there are 2-layers of shingles and your insurance only paid to remove 1-layer.  At this time, document the second layer with pictures and have your contractor supplement your insurance company to pay the additional cost.  There’s a process to follow to do this properly. Ask your assigned insurance adjuster how to properly submit for supplements. 
10. Keep in mind, just because your insurance company denies your claim, it DOES NOT mean they are correct, or have your best interests in mind.  Get professional help and representation in this situation.  Many roofing claims, are approved upon staying in the game and fighting through the insurance claim process. 

FINAL THOUGHTS

If any roofing company tells you that your roof should be approved, yet your insurance company has denied it once, twice, and maybe even three times, then you would typically still have the right to take the claim into an appraisal process. In short, appraisal is typically two independent parties looking at the roof with or without a final judge (a roofing professional) to decide the final outcome of the claim.

So, in a nutshell, they will either agree with your insurance company or they will agree with you. This process should only be considered in very specific situations, but usually the outcome is favorable to the homeowner or property owner.

We hope you have found this information helpful and wish you the best with your insurance roofing claim process.

Phoenix Pro Roofing