If a big storm has recently come through your neighborhood and left you with a leaky roof then it’s time to file an insurance claim.
If you’ve been paying dutifully for your insurance since owning your home, then filing a claim shouldn’t be a problem at all. But that doesn’t mean that you won’t have a few questions.
We’re here to help guide you through the process of filing a roofing insurance claim. There can definitely be a lot to it and it’s important that you dot all your “i”s and cross all your “t”s so that you get the right payment amount from insurance. Here’s how to file a roof claim with your homeowner’s insurance.
1. Get a Roof Inspection
Before going too far down the road of your insurance claim, you’ll need to have a roof inspection. Many insurance companies are going to require at least an inspection before they’ll start the claims process. This is required for insurance to pay for your roof.
Many times insurance companies will also send out their own adjuster to ensure that the construction company you used was honest during their inspection.
Roof inspections should also be something that you do every 5-10 years to ensure that your roof is in good condition. If you’re faithful in getting regular roof inspections you’ll be able to show those to your insurance company to prove that there wasn’t any previous damage before the storm rolled through.
Know Your Roof’s Age
Knowing your roof’s age is a bit of a side note after getting an inspection but it is very important that you do know how old your roof is. For instance, if your roof is already nearing the end of its life then you won’t be getting as much from your insurance company when you do file a claim.
On the other hand, if your roof is brand new then you’re going to get a much higher payout and your insurance company might even cover the total cost of repairing or replacing your roof.
2. File Your Claim
After you’ve gotten a roof inspection your contractor will likely have given you an estimate as to how much your roof replacement or repair will cost. With that estimate, you’ll be ready to file a claim with your local insurance agent. If you’re still feeling unsure of how to file the claim, be honest with your contractor.
At Red Canyon, we offer to help all of our customers file their insurance claims. We have a lot of experience working with insurance companies and we’re happy to assist you during the insurance claims process.
3. Choose Your Roofing Contractor
If your contractor helps you file your insurance claim then you’ll likely want to stick with them. It’s a really kind gesture for a contracting company to help you with that. The least you can do is give them your business. But, if you’re still on the hunt for a contractor here are few different things to consider.
- Is the contractor local and do they have a good reputation?
- Are they properly insured to do work in your area?
- Do they have experience? Have they been in business for at least 5 years?
These are just a few of the important criteria that your roofing contractor should meet before you sign a contract with them to work on your house. If you’re not careful, it’s very possible that a contractor could take advantage of you or charge you more than they should.
4. Send Insurance the Certificate of Completion
After your roof is completed you’ll be able to send your insurance company a certificate of completion. This step is very crucial. If you fail to provide your insurance company with the proper certificate of completion they won’t be able to honor your next roofing insurance claim.
Be sure to snap a few pictures of the newly finished or newly repaired roof and send them over with the certificate.
And that’s your roofing insurance claims 101! If you’re in the greater Denver or Boulder, Colorado area then we’d love to help you get your insurance claim file. Reach out to Red Canyon Roofing today to get started! We’re Colorado’s storm damage pros!