When it comes to homeowners insurance, you should not only have a good policy, but you also need to understand it and how it can help. And often, homeowners end up paying for roof repairs out of pocket as they don’t understand how to ensure insurance will cover it.
If you want to get your insurance company to pay for a new roof, keep reading! Everything you need to know is right here.
The most foolproof way to get insurance to pay for a new roof is to take time-stamped pictures of the damage. As well, you need to understand your policy, consult with a professional for an inspection, hire a well-respected contractor, and keep in contact with your insurance company throughout the process.
How Important Is Insurance?
Insurance is incredibly important as having a policy will protect your home and personal belongings, as well as cover many inevitable and surprising issues that you encounter as a homeowner.
Whether you purchase an older home or even a brand-new building, the truth is that there will be problems over the years that can be extremely expensive to fix.
Homeowners without insurance can end up paying thousands upon thousands of dollars for repairs to their homes that insurance policies may have completely covered.
That being said, some homeowners didn’t read or fully understand the insurance policy they opted for, which results in paying a high monthly fee without sufficient coverage.
When you decide to purchase insurance for your home, and you absolutely should, it is vital that you read the policy completely to fully understand what it is offering before you sign.
If you were smart and already have homeowners insurance and you are having problems with your roof, don’t worry. We are going to find out right now how to ensure your insurance company will pay for your new roof.
Foolproof Way To Getting Insurance To Pay For Your New Roof
Most homeowners become completely overwhelmed when they need to contact their insurance company with a claim for their home.
And while the process can be frustrating, there are a few things that you can do to make it easier on yourself, as well as guarantee that if your policy covers a new roof, they will actually pay for it!
Know your policy
One of the best things you can do as a responsible homeowner is to know and understand your insurance policy (even before something happens!)
However, if you didn’t take the time to learn your insurance policy and your roof has recently collapsed or experienced a big issue, don’t worry. You still have time to read and dissect your insurance policy.
Realistically, you should try to completely understand your coverage before you make a claim for a new roof as it will make the process run a whole lot smoother, and you are far more likely to get what you need from the insurance representative.
In most homeowner insurance policies, there are two categories of roof coverage: repair and replacement.
Repair Coverage
If your policy states that it offers repair coverage for roofing, it usually means that the company will only cover a percentage of the costs of replacing a roof.
Therefore, you should expect to pay a bit out of pocket when the time comes to get a new roof for your home.
Replacement Coverage
On the other hand, if your policy clearly states that you have replacement coverage, it is highly likely that your insurance will pay for a complete roof replacement if it’s necessary.
It’s important to note that usually, both of these options have a time limit! So when you read your policy, ensure you know how long you have after the damage occurs to file the claim.
Document the damages
Now, documenting the damages to your roof is the most essential step to ensuring your insurance will pay for your new roof.
It should come as no surprise that you can’t just request a new roof without proof. Therefore, whenever damage occurs, you should immediately take as many photos and videos of the outside and inside of the home to clearly show all the damage to the roof.
If you want to go above and beyond as a great homeowner, you should also try to have photos of your roof and home when it’s fully functioning and without any damages so that you can clearly show the before and after of the incident.
If the destruction was caused by a hurricane or storm, it’s also important that you provide articles or news documentation of the event to support your claim.
At the end of the day, the more detailed you are with your documentation, the more likely the insurance company is to pay for your new roof.
So if you can’t access the roof to take photos, you should call a professional roofing service or inspector to get up to those hard-to-reach places to photograph and assess the damage.
Get a roof inspection
Even if you can take the photos yourself, you will still need to get a roof inspection in order to file a complete claim and get your insurance company to pay for your new roof.
Sometimes, the insurance company will send someone from their staff to inspect the damages to the roof. And in this case, you won’t need to pay out of pocket for the inspection.
However, even if your insurance company will not pay for the inspection, you still absolutely need one, and the cost of the inspection will surely be worth the payout for your new roof!
It is absolutely essential that you do not do anything to fix your roof before the inspector from the insurance company arrives, as it may reduce the amount of coverage you receive for the damages.
Once you have the roof inspection completed, the claim can go forward, and it will be time to assess how much the repairs will cost.
Hire a well-respected roof contractor
When hiring a roofing contractor, of course, it is important to choose someone who will do a great job. However, it’s not just about their skill set.
In order to ensure your insurance claim gets you the most possible coverage for your new roof, you should make sure you hire a well-respected roof contractor.
And the reason why is that if the contractor you choose does not present a proposal for the work that is affordable or uses the right materials, the insurance company could deny the claim.
Also, even if the claim does go through the first time around, if the contractor does not install or repair the roof correctly, you could face problems with future claims.
For many homeowners, finding a respected and trusted contractor can be extremely overwhelming. Therefore, you should do your research before committing to a certain person or company.
You want to look for a contractor who not only has experience with the problem your roof is facing but also knows how to deal with insurance claims and has fantastic reviews from previous clients.
Be conscious of scammers
Next, you need to be conscious of potential scammers. Unfortunately, some people prey on those who have been affected by storms or various natural disasters.
And they will canvass neighborhoods, look for homes with damages, and promise new roofs for no additional cost in exchange for personal information.
It is essential that before you give your information to anyone in regard to your home or insurance, you check that they are a legitimate company.
To do so, you can and should ask to see their liability insurance paperwork, business license, and company name and address.
Once you have this information, you need to do your own research to ensure they are who they say they are and that they have great reviews from previous clients before going ahead.
Protect your roof against future damage
It’s also extremely important that when you finally do go ahead with the repairs or replacement on your roof that it is done correctly to protect your roof against further damage.
Often, insurance companies won’t answer the same claim twice in a short period of time. So if the roof is damaged again in the near future, you might just be out of luck.
That is why you need to not only choose a respected contractor who will do the job right the first time but also put plans in place during the repairs or replacement that help protect your roof so that the same thing won’t happen again!
For example, if a large tree in your yard crashed into your roof during a storm, you should opt to remove any other large trees that could fall onto the roof if there is another one.
You can also opt to use stronger or storm-resistant materials when repairing or replacing your roof so that the insurance company sees you are doing everything you can to protect your home from damages.
Stay in contact with your insurance company
Finally, you need to make sure that you stay in contact with your insurance company throughout the entire claim and repair process.
The reason why this is such an important step is that often, insurance claims end up null and void if you do not follow the policy explicitly.
As well, when you stay in contact with your insurance agency, you can follow the necessary steps to a T, including having the insurance inspector assess the damages, filing the claim, and hiring the contractor.
When you do so, it’s highly likely that you will save quite a bit of money throughout the process, as you won’t make a mistake and have to pay out of pocket!
Conclusion
If you want your insurance company to pay for your new roof, there are several things you can do to get the most out of your coverage.
The most important things to remember are that you absolutely need to understand your coverage, photograph, and document the damage, get an inspection, hire a respected contractor, and stay in contact with your insurance company throughout the claim.
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And now you know how to get insurance to pay for roof replacement, which can save you a whole lot of money!
Ruben has a diverse background in the home services industry, with experience running a construction company, a kitchen and bath showroom, and a moving and relocation company. This breadth of experience has provided him with a wealth of knowledge and expertise in various areas of home improvement in general and specifically in the heating and plumbing niche.