Help with your Storm Damage Insurance Claim

Navigating the insurance claims process is a step-by-step process. Our trained professional staff is able to assist homeowners in assessing potential damage to the property and to offer insight into whether or not a claim should even be filed. Unlike some of our competition, we only recommend to a homeowner that a claim be filed if there is legitimate storm damage. We do not want a homeowner to present an unnecessary claim which may put their policy at risk.
Visually inspecting patio covers, screens or soft aluminum roof vents for dents or storm damage is also a good indicator that your roof may have sustained damage. If you find signs that wind or hail has damaged your property, take immediate steps to protect it from further damage. It is important to call us BEFORE you call your insurance company.
Roof Worx will respond immediately for emergency/temporary repairs making sure to cover broken windows or tarp a roof that is severely damaged to prevent interior water damage to the home. Our sales associate’s extensive training helps to visually identify hail damage to shingles in the form of divots, craters, or holes, as well as damage which can only be assessed through physically touching the shingles.

Our trained representatives can easily identify storm damage and can assist with storm dates, calling in claims to the insurance company and getting the process off to a great start. Roof Worx is well versed in this process and working with the customer service representatives from the various insurance companies.  It is best to call your claim in directly to the toll-free number that has a 24 hour service, rather than attempting to contact your agent directly.
We know the information that is required and will assist the homeowners with gathering all of the pertinent information prior to phoning the insurance company. Because we have previously surveyed your property for damage, we can also point out other areas of damage that you may want to advise your insurance company about such as damage to siding, out buildings, windows and screens. After the insurance company has been notified of your claim, it will be assigned to an outside property field adjuster.
You will be contacted by the adjuster, in most cases, to schedule an inspection time. You should allow only the insurance adjuster and your Roof Worx representative to get up on your roof.  Each time someone walks on your roof, more damage can occur.

A big part of the Roof Worx commitment is to meet with your insurance adjuster to reach an agreed scope of work.  Our certified HAAG inspectors are leaders in the industry.  Haag Engineering is a leader in forensic engineering to identify failure and damage to roofing materials.  With input from manufacturers, insurance professionals and roofing contractors, Haag Engineering has defined the standard for conducting roof inspections.
Our Haag inspectors meet with adjusters on a daily basis. It is at this meeting that we are able to not only discuss damages and agree on the scope of work, but also address any building code requirements which may be imposed by local building officials.  It is because our inspectors are well trained that we are well respected and have a good working relationship with the insurance industry. This advantage can save you costly time, frustration and ensure that your claim is awarded to you satisfactorily.   We make sure that the adjuster doesn’t overlook any damage that should be addressed by the insurance company to assure that you receive the best possible settlement from the insurance company to restore your property.
After completing the onsite inspection, the insurance adjuster will prepare an estimate of repair for the covered damages. This amount is referred to as the Replacement Cost Value or RCV.  After determining the replacement cost for the covered damages, the adjuster will also apply any policy provisions which may include depreciation and deductible.
Depreciation is a reduction in value from the replacement cost.  This reduction is based on age, condition, and expected life expectancy.  Depreciation is determined and calculated based on the age and condition of your roof.  For example, if your roof shingles have an expected life span of 30 years and the current age of your roof is 15 years, the insurance company will depreciate the replacement cost of a new roof by 50%.
Most homeowners have a deductible associated with their homeowner’s insurance policy, just as they have a deductible for their auto insurance policy.  These deductibles can be a flat rate of $500, $1,000 or more, or they can be a percentage deductible.  The percentage deductible is becoming more prevalent in homeowner’s and commercial policies for wind and hail damage and can be 1%-3% of the insurance amount you carry on your home or building.
The application of depreciation and policy deductible will reduce the amount of the initial insurance payment. The first payment made by an insurance company is referred to as the ACV payment or Actual Cash Value Payment.
The majority of homeowners’ insurance policies are replacement cost policies, so the withheld depreciation amount is recoverable from the insurance company as soon as an invoice to support the repair work is provided to them for review.
The insurance company, as well as your trained sales associate can explain this process in greater detail.  As you can see, this is one example of the complexities of an insurance claim and why you can rely on Roof Worx to guide you through each step of the process.

Once the initial estimate and ACV payment is made by the insurance company, the sales associate will meet with the homeowner or business owner, finalize any contract details, and secure a copy of the insurance paperwork.
Our Insurance Reconciliation Department reviews the insurance paperwork that was provided by the insurance company, as a part of your insurance claim settlement documents, to validate that the insurance company has addressed all of the necessary components to complete the required repairs.  This includes verification of the materials, quantities, as well as code required items.  Any discrepancies are noted and submitted back to the insurance company in the form of an estimate which details the necessary supplements we would like the insurance company to consider.  The Insurance Reconciliation Department is well versed in negotiating with the insurance company and develops a working relationship with many of the adjusters.  We are able to provide the insurance company with any required documentation to support the need for a supplement such as code requirement documents, photographs, etc. 
Although in most cases your job has already moved into our production department, we are hard at work consulting with the insurance company to make sure that they are extending coverage for all of the damages to your property to assure it is restored properly.  Because we are able to utilize technology that is the insurance industry standard, as well as our considerable knowledge of the insurance industry itself, you have the peace of mind knowing that we are advocating for you, the homeowner each step of the way.
The Insurance Reconciliation Department maintains close contact with the Production Department during your installation to be kept abreast of any potential issues which may arise during construction.  This constant communication assures that if a situation arises, we can keep your insurance company in the loop and apprised of potential supplemental items that may be incurred. By doing this, it minimizes any potential out-of-pocket exposure the homeowner may encounter.