- When I look at my roof, I don’t see any hail damage. What’s all the fuss about?
- How does my insurance company know I had large hail in my neighborhood?
- What about my siding?
- How do I know I’m dealing with a reputable and experienced company?
- Who do I call first to start a claim?
- What’s the relationship between Modern Remodeling, Inc. and the insurance company?
- What are “test squares”?
When I look at my roof, I don’t see any hail damage. What’s all the fuss about?
Hail damage can’t be seen very easily. The best thing to do is have your insurance adjuster actually go up on your roof and inspect it for damage. You usually will never see actual holes or indentations. Hail will drastically shorten the life of your roof. Imagine going up on your roof and hitting it a couple thousand times with a hammer. The effect is similar.
How does my insurance company know I had large hail in my neighborhood?
Insurance companies subscribe to different hail reporting and tracking services. These services can track the hail size, exact location it fell, time of day and the date. This helps the insurance companies decide the validity of hail claims. If you had damaging hail, they already know it.
What about my siding?
You should check your exterior walls closely, preferably when the sun is a little lower in the sky (morning or evening). This will make it easier to see the denting. Old aluminum siding will show the damage more than wood or vinyl unless the vinyl actually has holes in it.
How do I know I’m dealing with a reputable and experienced company?
“Storm chasers” will migrate to the different areas that storms damage. After the storm business dries up, they pick up and move to the next storm damaged area. It is important that you, as a consumer, have a company you can turn to if you have any warranty issues down the road, after the job is done. A great way to figure out how long the company has been in business, is by checking them out on the Better Business Bureau website in your area or by contacting the state’s board for contractors. Make sure that you ask for referrals. This can help you gauge the service that the company provides.
Who do I call first to start a claim?
You should first contact a roofing expert, preferably one who has experience in identifying hail damage (not just estimating roof replacements) and representing homeowners to their insurance company. Your second call should be to your insurance company since you don’t want to file a claim if there isn’t any damage. Once a claim has been filed (damage or no damage) it stays on your record as a filed claim. Once you have determined there is actual damage and have filed your claim, the insurance adjuster will contact you and evaluate the extent of the damage and what they will pay for. It is important that you have your contractor there to point out to the adjuster the damage that they saw to ensure a full and complete report and estimate from the insurance company. Remember, it is the insurance company that determines the scope (items that will be repaired or replaced) of work and not the contractor. It is for this reason you want to make sure the insurance company and your contractor are on the same page.
What’s the relationship between Modern Remodeling, Inc. and the insurance company?
We will work within the insurance company’s scope of repairs. Most adjusters do a good job pricing what the repairs will cost, but some don’t. If the adjuster must be contacted to discuss pricing or scope issues, we will be happy to do that for our clients. We successfully completed thousands of storm damage repairs from local hail and windstorms and have the experience needed to work on your behalf. In almost all cases, we will accept the insurance settlement plus your deductible as full payment. When you choose Modern Remodeling, Inc. to work with, it is equivalent to selecting an attorney. This situation is unique as there is no court. You want to ensure that your insurance company is properly identifying the scope of work needed to do the proper repairs and the correct line item pricing that corresponds to that particular repair. We have years of insurance restoration experience as we do most of the storm damage work that affect our area. We use the Haag Engineering standards on hail and wind damage, (the same standards insurance companies are supposed to use) which means that you’re represented by the most knowledgeable contractor in the area.
What are “test squares”?
“Test Squares” are what insurance companies use to identify a sampling of the damage that is being seen on your roof. This represents a 10 ft by 10 ft area or 100 square feet. Insurance companies are looking for 6-8 (depending on the insurance company) damaged shingles in that test square to justify totaling your roof. When we work with you, we will include a roof diagram as well as an estimate utilizing the same estimating software that the insurance companies use and provide that to the adjuster at your home. It is at this point that both parties will come to an agreement regarding measurements, scope and price. This expedites the process and helps in getting the work completed in a timely manner.
