Hail Damaged Roofs And Insurance Claims

January 11, 2015 Uncategorized

Filing for an insurance claim on a hail damaged roof can quickly turn into a small nightmare if not handled correctly from the start.

By the time an insurance agent can make it out to inspect your home and property to do an assessment the tell tale signs of the storm can be totally gone. After all, hail is ice and ice melts. The next day after a hail storm the most direct form of evidence that it ever occurred (hail stones) have long since melted.

Being prepared for a visit from your insurance agent is important.

Document the storm and resulting damage

In our modern world it’s gotten very easy to pull out your cell phone and film the storm as it’s occurring. Immediately after the storm has passed through go outside and get some photos with your cell phone of the hail. Make sure that your home is visible in the picture and take several. Pick  some of the stones up and photograph them so there is a size reference for your agent to look at. Keep in mind that the insurance agent is not on your side. The fewer claims that his company receives the more profitable they will be. Document everything! Record the exact time and day that the storm occurred.

Have Your Roof Inspected Before the Insurance Agent Arrives

Almost all Roofing Contractors do free roof inspections. All a home owner needs to do is Google free roof inspections along with their city name. Google will pull back a whole page of companies that will be more than glad to come to your home and inspect your roof. Ask them to take close up pictures of any damage and email the photos to you. Or you can have them just download them to your home computer while they are there. Also ask for a detailed estimate to fix your roof. Have at least 3 roofing contractors inspect your roof and get detailed written estimates on repairing the damage or replacing the entire roof.

Unseen Hail Damage and Why You Need A Professional Inspection

Don’t just walk out into your yard after a big hail storm and look up at your roof to inspect it your self. The likely hood that you will be able to see hair line cracks in your shingles is almost impossible.

A professional roofing contractor will actually go up onto your roof and inspect it closely. They will document what they find and educate you as to how you should move forward with an insurance claim.

Sometimes a damaged roof won’t leak for a few months or maybe even a year. Be sensible and have a pro do a free inspection.