Home Owners Insurance Claims

Working with your Insurance Company

Experiencing damage to your home can be a stressful, unsettling, and confusing experience.  The process of repairing it can take time and require a great deal of patience.  During catastrophic weather events, the process can turn from an inconvenience into a burden.  This information is to help you make informed decisions and save yourself time, money, and additional stress.

INSURANCE CLAIMS AND COVERAGE

During large-scale severe weather events, insurance companies are known to hire inexperienced adjusters to help them process the large volume of claims they receive.  These adjusters are not experienced roofing professionals and often do not recognize or correctly identify damage to your roof.  These inaccuracies will affect your claim and could leave you short of the amount necessary to restore your roof to its pre-loss condition.


Our trained and experienced roofing professionals will give you an accurate assessment of your roof’s condition.  They are knowledgeable of the best products used in the roofing industry today as well as the installation requirements necessary to meet manufacturer specifications and building code/permit requirements.

Working with your Insurance Company

Experiencing damage to your home can be a stressful, unsettling, and confusing experience.  The process of repairing it can take time and require a great deal of patience.  During catastrophic weather events, the process can turn from an inconvenience into a burden.  This information is to help you make informed decisions and save yourself time, money, and additional stress.

Insurance Claims and Coverage

During large-scale severe weather events, insurance companies are known to hire inexperienced adjusters to help them process the large volume of claims they receive.  These adjusters are not experienced roofing professionals and often do not recognize or correctly identify damage to your roof.  These inaccuracies will affect your claim and could leave you short of the amount necessary to restore your roof to its pre-loss condition.


Our trained and experienced roofing professionals will give you an accurate assessment of your roof’s condition.  They are knowledgeable of the best products used in the roofing industry today as well as the installation requirements necessary to meet manufacturer specifications and building code/permit requirements.

Home Owners Insurance Terms

Replacement Cost Value (RCV)

RCV is the amount your insurance company will give you to bring your home back to its pre-loss condition. This is the total value of your claim.  We will work closely with your carrier to ensure your RCV is accurate and complete.

Actual Case Value (ACV)

The ACV is equal to your RCV minus your deductible and depreciation.  The ACV is often the first check you will receive from your insurance company, so you have some funds to start the repair process.  


“Storm chasers” prey on homeowners hit hard during natural disasters, so never give your ACV check to a contractor who does not have an established reputation within your community.  It could very well be the last time you see them and your money.

Deductible

You are responsible for the deductible portion of your insurance claim, and it can range from $250 up to 2% of your home’s value. They are typically the homeowner’s only out of pocket cost unless there are upgrades or an unforeseen issue that insurance may not cover. 


Texas House Bill 2102:

It is a violation of Texas law for a person or business paid wholly or partly from proceeds of a property insurance claim to knowingly allow the policyholder to fail to pay, or assist the policyholder 's failure to pay, the applicable insurance deductible." Sec. A707. 005.


Depreciation

Depreciation is the portion of the claim withheld for age, condition, and normal “wear and tear”.  “Recoverable” depreciation is retained by the insurance until the loss has been repaired and you have presented the final bills to the carrier for reimbursement.


Be mindful that with recoverable depreciation, you either use it or lose it.  The insurance will not pay out any recoverable depreciation that is not spent.  We can work with you to use any excess funds to upgrade your roofing products and accessories -- maximizing what you get for your money.


We can also assist in processing supplements for any work that may not have been correctly estimated initially or was unforeseen. Many items that are unforeseen are rotten decking, which is not usually known until all of the old roofing is removed. Once all work is complete we will present the insurance company with all the details to ensure that all work is covered. In some cases, insurance companies may not cover rotten wood but they would cover extra shingles needed to complete the job. 


All supplement amounts depend on the policy and the insurance company. Our team of insurance claim professionals are on your side to ensure that the insurance company pays for all items needed to complete your roof.


A Little Advice

Beware of any contractor who:

  • Provides you with an inaccurate invoice to give your insurance company.  On a recoverable depreciation policy, you or your contractor could unknowingly commit fraud by representing to your insurance company that the cost of repairs was higher than the actual final cost.



  • Claims they can cover your deductible.  In order to replace your roof for so little, the contractor would need to severely cut corners that would result in poor quality work.


  • Offers to give you money back after you pay them the entire claim amount.  This is a common strategy used by fly by night roofers and storm chasers to take advantage of homeowners.

We can assure you, it is cheaper in the long run to hire a reputable company and have the work done right the first time.  If you hire the cheapest contractor and pay with an insurance claim, you could end up hiring a second contractor to repair the shoddy work and that work will be 100% out of pocket.

Insurance Claim Process

Insurance Claim Process

Here are a few tips to help you understand how to work with your insurance company through the claims process:

STEP 1

If you suspect damage has occurred to your roof, contact us to schedule a free on-site inspection.  During a large-scale weather event, contact us as soon as possible because we will get very busy very fast.

STEP 2

Take pictures to document the damage prior to any repairs but do not make any permanent repairs until the adjuster has inspected the damaged area.

STEP 3

If damage is found, contact your insurance agent to request an inspection so an adjuster can be assigned and evaluate the loss.  The claims adjuster should visit your home in a timely manner to perform an inspection.

STEP 4

Your insurance agent can authorize any temporary repairs necessary to prevent further damage to your property.  In order to reimburse you correctly, your insurance company will usually require receipts for any emergency repairs you have done.

STEP 5

Once the inspection is complete, you will receive a claim sheet outlining the scope of damage and the funds being made available for the repairs, less your deductible.

STEP 6

Notify us that your insurance inspection has been completed and we can move forward with the buying process of choosing new roofing materials and discuss any other options available should the insurance claim not cover the full cost of any upgrades you make to your roofing choices.

STEP 7

We will then schedule your roof replacement, documenting the entire process to ensure your insurance company that your roof was replaced and it was replaced correctly.

STEP 8

Once all the work is complete we will gather all the information and submit an itemized list of every action completed with photos. At this time we will supplement any extra item that was needed to complete the roof. For example, there may have been some rotten decking that needed to be replaced, we will submit this to the insurance company. Not all companies cover this cost but we always attempt to get it covered by the insurance company. This time can take weeks as insurance companies get inundated with claims.

STEP 9

Once the insurance company has approved all supplements and confirmed the amount we submit for the claim then the insurance company will release the final amount to you. You then will pay us for the full amount.

*Note: all carriers have their own method of processing claims. This is a general guideline.

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