WOT...I need to replace the roof on my house
- Thread starter kannibul
- Start date
Bob Savage
Well-known member
What if there was a small meteor storm that beat my roof up? I checked it this morning and the entire roof is fine except for the pieces at the top crest/gable and side edges. If it's regular wear and tear it should all be worn evenly so I can only suspect there was a meteor storm sometime in the last 8 years that was about the size of my roof. I don't see anything about meteor storms not being covered in my policy.
kannibul
New member
Bob Savage":eoi9bm3x said:
I guess I must have also not mentioned that it affected a 20 mile area around my house, and everyone had their roof replaced since then?
Two companies (one an insurance person from the company I was going to switch to, the second being another company that gave me an estimate) and both said the roof is damaged and requires replacement....not worn out...
Bob Savage
Well-known member
kannibul":3ttayx89 said:
I'm with you, home slice. I'm going to talk to my neighbors that have damaged roofs too, because I'll bet they don't know anything about the meteor shower.
kannibul
New member
Bob Savage":3bakc9hg said:
Sorry, misunderstood. Too often we seem to be at odds on things - lol.
I imagine there's a limitation on how long ago an event occurred that you can file a claim. I was told 2 years from date of occurrance but maybe it's different elsewhere.
The other thing to think about is if it'll be more than your deductible...or if it'd be cheaper to just DIY it and not report a claim.
In my case, I can't...and I'm under a short deadline...
kannibul
New member
OK, so here's an update.
Insurance company is cutting me a check, based on the replacement value minus depreciation (50%) of my roof according to them.
The odd part is that I've yet to get a quote from any roofing company that is as low as what the insurance company is saying should be my replacement cost (depreciation and the amount I receive from insurance is a based on this replacement cost amount...so if they (insurance) "lowballs" the replacement cost number, then they pay out less for the claim...)
I guess this is where I should go back to the insurance company and say they need to cut me a bigger check based on my bids?
Insurance company is cutting me a check, based on the replacement value minus depreciation (50%) of my roof according to them.
The odd part is that I've yet to get a quote from any roofing company that is as low as what the insurance company is saying should be my replacement cost (depreciation and the amount I receive from insurance is a based on this replacement cost amount...so if they (insurance) "lowballs" the replacement cost number, then they pay out less for the claim...)
I guess this is where I should go back to the insurance company and say they need to cut me a bigger check based on my bids?
Strat+Marshall
Active member
Insurance is a scam, if you haven't figured that out you need more than a bigger check. 
kannibul
New member
Strat+Marshall":1ibjuu01 said:Insurance is a scam, if you haven't figured that out you need more than a bigger check.
yeah, though unfortunately the terms of my mortgage requires insurance, and living in Tornado Alley without homeowners insurance would be incredibly stupid...
stratotone
Active member
Ned Flanders doesn't believe in insurance, he says it's a legalized form of gambling! 
Glad they paid at least something Jeff, but I wonder what it's going to do to your insurance rates.
Pete
Glad they paid at least something Jeff, but I wonder what it's going to do to your insurance rates.
Pete
JTyson
Well-known member
+1, they will rape you now, then do it again laterstratotone":1vvhg2l9 said:Ned Flanders doesn't believe in insurance, he says it's a legalized form of gambling!
Glad they paid at least something Jeff, but I wonder what it's going to do to your insurance rates.
Pete
What are you gonna do? We are at their (lack of) mercy 
JTyson
Well-known member
After the last bad hurricane, I saw a ton of roofs being put on and the guys were not even peeling off the clear strips so the shingles could bond togetherStrat+Marshall":2ppq2fv4 said:jaybird":2ppq2fv4 said:
Yeah, I just bought a POS house and I am in the process of figuring out what moisture damage is active and what is old. The roof is fairly new but I am starting to think they did a half-assed job.
kannibul
New member
stratotone":1d29zu4o said:Ned Flanders doesn't believe in insurance, he says it's a legalized form of gambling!
Glad they paid at least something Jeff, but I wonder what it's going to do to your insurance rates.
Pete
It's considered catastrophic damage, and is considered differently than say a dog bite...this, according to the insurance company that I was planning to switch to (and still will...) - thre's no increase in risk from a roof failing due to a hail storm. one of those "shit happens" bits. Even then, my insurance will go up when I switch to another company, but, in the end I'm still saving enough on my auto and motorcycle policies to more than make up the difference. In addition my current insurance said there would be a large increase (as there was on the auto policy) come renewal. If I'm paying more, and can't switch insurance companies because my roof is shit, then I might as well file the claim...now it just seems they are low-balling the replacement value (by using their own calculations on what it will cost to replace it vs reality)(which is not correct) and then giving me 50% by the type of policy I have (which is correct).
If a large tree fell on your house, wouldn't you file a claim?
stratotone
Active member
kannibul":36u9mvhf said:stratotone":36u9mvhf said:Ned Flanders doesn't believe in insurance, he says it's a legalized form of gambling!
Glad they paid at least something Jeff, but I wonder what it's going to do to your insurance rates.
Pete
It's considered catastrophic damage, and is considered differently than say a dog bite...this, according to the insurance company that I was planning to switch to (and still will...) - thre's no increase in risk from a roof failing due to a hail storm. one of those "shit happens" bits. Even then, my insurance will go up when I switch to another company, but, in the end I'm still saving enough on my auto and motorcycle policies to more than make up the difference. In addition my current insurance said there would be a large increase (as there was on the auto policy) come renewal. If I'm paying more, and can't switch insurance companies because my roof is shit, then I might as well file the claim...now it just seems they are low-balling the replacement value (by using their own calculations on what it will cost to replace it vs reality)(which is not correct) and then giving me 50% by the type of policy I have (which is correct).
If a large tree fell on your house, wouldn't you file a claim?
I'm not saying that Jeff, just that I'd be amazed if somehow magically your rates didn't go up. Most insurance companies don't care if you file a claim for a "shit happens" bit, they look at how much you pay and how much THEY had to pay out.
Insurance is a business, not a "wow, this guy really did need to file a claim so we'll make sure and keep his rates low" scenario. If you really believe them when they say that, then I have several bridges to sell you, cheap.
Any time I've filed claims on any insurance, I look at how much my insurance could go up and if it's really in my best interest to file. Yes, insurance is there for a reason, but it's amazing how they can jack your rates.
Pete
kannibul
New member
stratotone":12ai8c8j said:kannibul":12ai8c8j said:stratotone":12ai8c8j said:Ned Flanders doesn't believe in insurance, he says it's a legalized form of gambling!
Glad they paid at least something Jeff, but I wonder what it's going to do to your insurance rates.
Pete
It's considered catastrophic damage, and is considered differently than say a dog bite...this, according to the insurance company that I was planning to switch to (and still will...) - thre's no increase in risk from a roof failing due to a hail storm. one of those "shit happens" bits. Even then, my insurance will go up when I switch to another company, but, in the end I'm still saving enough on my auto and motorcycle policies to more than make up the difference. In addition my current insurance said there would be a large increase (as there was on the auto policy) come renewal. If I'm paying more, and can't switch insurance companies because my roof is shit, then I might as well file the claim...now it just seems they are low-balling the replacement value (by using their own calculations on what it will cost to replace it vs reality)(which is not correct) and then giving me 50% by the type of policy I have (which is correct).
If a large tree fell on your house, wouldn't you file a claim?
I'm not saying that Jeff, just that I'd be amazed if somehow magically your rates didn't go up. Most insurance companies don't care if you file a claim for a "shit happens" bit, they look at how much you pay and how much THEY had to pay out.
Insurance is a business, not a "wow, this guy really did need to file a claim so we'll make sure and keep his rates low" scenario. If you really believe them when they say that, then I have several bridges to sell you, cheap.
Any time I've filed claims on any insurance, I look at how much my insurance could go up and if it's really in my best interest to file. Yes, insurance is there for a reason, but it's amazing how they can jack your rates.
Pete
OK, I misunderstood your previous post...I know my rates are going up regardless if I filed a claim or not, because of the amount of damage in the area...everyone's house around me ended up with a claim (and a new roof). That bumps my house up a few risk points. It doesn't change that my roof is totalled, and it's not just one person saying it, so far it's 3, and that's not including the evidence of the surrounding houses.
My auto insurance went up $582/yr with my (now previous, same as my homeowners insurance) carrier, for no reason of my own doing. Their explaination: A rate increase.
I called around and found a better deal on car insurance. Only $2/mo more than what I was paying previously - no brainer switch, given it's also slightly better on the policy limits...bonus. $564/yr back to me.
I also found out that my house insurance is poorly written overall - not just the roof, but for replacement cost of $142K, when I bought my house 5 years ago for $124K. Even zillow.com lists my house for $148K now...and every place I've called says that for replacement cost, estimate $100/sqft. That means I should have $175K rebuild cost...so I went through everything and found that the people I was switching to, were also the most reasonable on house insurance, even though it's higher annually than my current carrier by around $350/yr. My auto policy would also drop another $276/yr and be less per month than what I was paying before. The next result is that I'll be paying more than what I was paying before the increases/switches, but it'll still be cheaper than if I had just accepted it...and I get better coverages.
But, the roof failed inspection, so I can't finish it off until it's fixed. Hello claim. Hello check. Hello roofing companies giving me quotes. Hello fight w/ insurance to say their estimate is wrong and they need to increase their baseline and cut me a supplimental check...
The only other claim I've ever filed is my motorcycle accident. I'm assuming the process is the same...insurnace lowballs you, you get pricing that says otherwise, they relent because they want to close the claim and move on and not have it escalated...ideally...
kannibul
New member
tweed":2jn8ygio said:
Time is only a factor if it's outside the claim limitations. If they had a 30 day window, well I'd be SOL. They have a 2yr limit. I waited. Actually, I forgot about it...it wasn't until my insurance renewed and there was a huge increase, that I decided I needed to look at switching carriers, and that's when I found out that my roof was totalled. Lucky me, I guess if you want to look at it that way, that it was still within the claimable time period.
Death by Uberschall
Active member
STOP!!! Don't do anything else right now, I can help.kannibul":31j08rde said:
WOW, sorry I missed this thread, but I can help you. This is what I do for a living.
I'm a Haag certified roofing inspector/estimator and I can help you. I and the companies I work for come in after the storms and repairs roofs. We have offices in Huntsville, AL and Atlanta, GA areas because it seems to be storm central. We work directly with the insurance companies on the home owners behalf, because they can b.s. you, but they can't b.s. us.
In case I missed it, what insurance company are you with?
Here's how it works for most insurance companies:
They come out and inspect the damage.
If there is damage that they are willing to cover, they cut you a check based on your policies provisions. But they don't give you all the money up front. In most cases they give you cost of replacement, minus depreciation. It will always be lower than you actually have coming to you. They do this on purpose for two reasons; 1) they don't want to hand you a $10k check for you to blow the money on new guitars and amps, they have to protect the mortgage company and themselves, 2) they hope you will find somebody to do it at the amount of the first check, then they save money. But the reality is that you won't find a licensed and insured roofer who can do it for that low balled check. Also your home owners policy states you must use licensed and insured contractors or your home owners insurance will not cover injury of anybody on your property doing the work. You are the only person who can do repairs to your home and be covered without those requirements. What we do is create our own estimate using Xactimate software. This is the industry standard that is accepted by most insurance companies. Think of it as the Motor Manual you see in automotive repair shops that tell them what it cost to repair your car. Xactimate is the same thing for contractors and 99% of insurance companies accept it.
One thing that would have helped you in the beginning would to have been signed up on a Contingency Contract with a roofer before the adjuster showed up. Then the insurance company wouldn't have held back the depreciation because you would have been contracted to have the roof replaced once the insurance company agreed to pay for it.
What we do is negotiate your claim with your insurance company, on your behalf, using our estimate. Once we come to a finalized agreement with your insurance company, they cut you a 2nd check to make up the difference, but they normally don't release the 2nd check until the work is done and we invoice them. At that point you give us the 1st check and your deductible (which I may be able to help you with depending on what we can settle the roof replacement for) as a down payment/deposit to do the work. We do the work, you then pay us the balance due once you receive your final check from the insurance company. But you as the home owner will always have control of the final funds until the work is completed. Stay away from any roofer that will not start the work for the amount of the first check, 50% or less of the total. If they require more than that to do the work, find somebody else. My company can handle all the leg work from handling the claim with your insurance to doing the work. All you do is sit back and watch it happen.
Death by Uberschall
Active member
Do not do this and submit them to your insurance company. They will go with the lowest bidder, no matter what!!jaybird":2ex9ow8d said:
A reputable roofer will do great work at market prices and guarantee their work. You want to find a roofer you trust to do the work and go with them. The insurance company will pay the bill if it's based on fair market prices, no matter who does it. Trust me on this, I do it all day long, it's my job. I can get you the roof you deserve and your insurance company will pay for it.
Death by Uberschall
Active member
JTyson":enu85lem said:After the last bad hurricane, I saw a ton of roofs being put on and the guys were not even peeling off the clear strips so the shingles could bond together
The clear plastic is not made to come off. If you look at the back of a shingle it will even say that on the plastic strip. It's for manufacturing and shipping purposes while they are stacked on top of each other. Once you stagger them out across a roof, they will seal down as designed.