We help our customers with hundreds of home insurance claims per year. Insurance companies are in business to make money. Impact Roofing will step in from the beginning to make sure that you are represented with experience and an aggressive stance at getting the most out of your home insurance claim. Home insurance claim restoration is an evolving industry. Insurance companies (State Farm, Erie, Allstate, Nationwide) get better and better at increasing revenues and saving money. When your home is damaged, your insurance claim will cover the cost of repairing the damage, and many times, will replace the entire roof or siding. Here are some of the initial complaints we hear and the solutions for each:
Common Complaints About Insurance Claims
And How to Fix Them
A quick Look at Insurance Claim Issues
Too many Insurance Meetings
There are one-to-three home owner’s insurance meetings during the claim’s process. We know you are busy and may not have time to pursue the process thoroughly. This is why Impact Roofing will represent our customers for the entire process, from working with your insurance company (e.g., Allstate, State Farm, Erie, Traveler’s, Met-Life, and any major home insurance policy carrier) to funding and completing the project.
We will assign an insurance claim specialist to you at no cost. We simply want to earn your business in the end.
Not Enough Coverage For The Home
Most policies have plenty of coverage, but there are specific types of home insurance claim policies that do not cover the full-replacement cost. They lack the full-replacement payout and can significantly change the outcome of a moderately-sized claim. The age of your home’s exterior will determine how much effect the variables will play in the end-result of getting your project covered.
For example: You may have a $200,000 policy. If it lacks the full-replacement benefit (found on the Declarations page of your policy), then the amount will rarely matter, even in a small $10,000 to $20,000 dollar claim.
Although we rarely run into major issues, Impact Roofing will consult with you about your policy regarding claims at no cost. We only hope to earn your business by being helpful and informative.
A Full Denial Of A Home Insurance Claim
If you have filed a claim and have been denied, the reasons are often due to the amount of damage or type of damage found during the insurance company’s initial inspection. Please feel free to email us or call us for a free assessment. We have helped hundreds of customers turn their full-denial into a partial- or full-replacement. There are no strings attached for the consultation. We only hope to earn your business in the end. Here are some basic things you should know if you have experienced a denial of a home insurance claim:
- You have access to a second opinion. This may be completed by having a 3rd-party, such as Impact Roofing and Construction, perform an assessment. You may also ask the insurance company to perform a second inspection.
- Your second inspection should be done by a different insurance adjuster. Another set of eyes on the problems may yield a better outcome for you.
- If you feel that the insurance representative isn’t giving you his or her full attention or hasn’t been thorough, and they aren’t giving you another chance to investigate the problem, there are other options. The Bureau of Insurance for your state accepts complaints from anyone holding an insurance policy. They set ethical standards for insurance companies and underwriters. But, be sure you have all of the facts on your side before pursuing a formal complaint.
Partial Denial
The Job Estimate Is Smaller Than The Deductible
- If the repairs to a home’s exterior cost only a few hundred dollars, yet someone has a deductible of $1,000, then the claim is unnecessary, but the insurance-claim itself is still on your record.
- Fix: Have a reputable contractor represent you from the beginning. Sometimes claims are unnecessary. Although we would like for you get a new roof or siding for only your insurance deductible, we would rather see you file a claim when necessary. Save it for when you have some serious damage and get your claim approved. (Note: Sometimes claims are what we call “potential home-claim approvals.” The approval has a 50/50 chance of success. We will still support you if you wish, but the more information you have before filing, the better chance you have at approval.) Each insurance company has their own standards. Let us give you the information you need to file a claim properly from the beginning.
There Is Damage, But Not The Type of Damage Covered By The Policy
- The insurance company sends out an insurance adjuster for the initial inspection. The damage may or may not be derived from wind or hail. The cause of damage is debatable. Insurance companies may believe your roof is simply damaged from normal wear and tear.
- Fix: Again, having us represent you from the initial call will help decrease the chance of this disagreement. We will represent you from the first inspection to any subsequent home insurance claim inspections or disagreements. Sometimes the adjuster just has a busy day and fails to inspect your property thoroughly. If you have had this kind of denial, we will consult with you for free, and we may even request a second follow-up inspection of your home. (Note: There are many variables that make difficult the ability to observe the damage. Hail hits look similar to other normal wear and tear called “blisters.” Wind damage can be hard to discern on certain slopes that are darker in color, due to algae build up. Having us perform a deep inspection of your property, along with submitting photos, could re-open your claim and allow for full-coverage. This is a common occurrence.)
Other Complaints And Issues For Home Insurance Claims
High Deductibles
Deductibles should be your only out-of-pocket expense. A true insurance restoration company works closely with home insurance claims adjusters to cover the entire job under your deductible. Some home owners’ insurance claims may not cover small aspects of the replacement, such as the pipe boots or any rotted wood. Impact Roofing will cover many of the extra costs that insurance companies don’t always cover.
Also, in today’s highly connected world, insurance companies work closely with mortgage companies, and the new process of the past decade makes it more difficult for contractors to cover some deductibles. Keeping some of the money for your deductible may be possible. However, other money given for the restoration project must go towards the project, or else fraud could occur.
Impact Roofing has found other ways that can legally add value to your project and pocket without causing any issues with the claims process and payout. We will give you the most out of your claim and reduce your out-of-pocket expense as much as possible. Send us a message to find out what we can do for you and your home owner’s insurance claim.
Cheap Materials
Insurance companies will only replace the types of materials that were damaged. This means if you want to pay for upgraded materials, you may do so out-of-pocket. Today, some contractors will install these basic materials without mentioning a word to the customer about upgrading.
Reputable contractors will offer a retail upgrade for higher-cost materials. In roofing, this is usually an upgrade to architectural shingles. Impact Roofing will always upgrade your materials at no cost to you. Yes, even though insurance companies will only cover the cost of basic materials. Fortunately, the cost of architectural shingles has come down, relative to the cost of standard 3-tab materials. Many contractors don’t want this to be known, but here at Impact, we believe in transparency. Although there is a real cost to us, the benefit to you and your home is tremendous.
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