HOUSTON – Filing claims, meeting with adjusters and getting repair estimates. It’s what thousands of Houston homeowners are doing trying to fix damage caused by Hurricane Beryl. Some of you are asking about the process. KPRC 2′s Amy Davis has what you need to know to make sure you are getting what you need from your insurance company.
Tips for ensuring your roofing repairs match your insurance payout
Maybe you are still considering filing a claim with your insurance company or perhaps you have already filed. Before you take the next step, you need to make sure you understand what your insurance policy will pay for.
Jennifer Hernandez of JC&C Roofing brought in some insurance settlement letters from different carrier to show us what many of them are offering after customers file claims.
After Hurricane Beryl, Hernandez says more insurance companies are offering to pay for only partial roof replacement or repair. They are less likely to repair your entire roof unless you push for that. That’s why it’s important to really read through the settlement offer you receive from your insurance company.
Take a look at this insurance proposal from Allstate. It lists exactly how many shingles it will pay for at $5 per shingle.
Hernandez says you shouldn’t accept the insurance offer until you know that any roofing company you plan to hire can do the repairs for the price your insurance company is offering.
“Insurance company will issue an itemized first replacement cost or partial roof replacement costs. You have to know how many pipes are in your roof. And are those, pipes or bands of flashings, or a wall flashing junctions or anything? It’s being included in that replacement record. And if they can be reused, a lot of the time we deal with that where they ask that the insurance company don’t itemize and don’t include it, because they are assuming that it can be reused on the roof. And that’s not the case,” Hernandez explains.
What to know about roof shingle price offer from insurance company after a storm
On the flip side, Hernandez says you shouldn’t sign any contract with a roofer that does not specify what type of roof and shingles you are getting for the agreed price. Also, important if you are filing a claim, check your declarations page.
Your deductible may be higher if your damage was caused by a hurricane or a named storm.
This Geico policy is a good example.
You can see this homeowner has a 1% deductible for damage caused by wind, hail or anything other than a hurricane. But the hurricane deductible is a whopping 5%.
RELATED: Amy spells out 13 things you should ask before hiring a roofer
The roofing industry is not regulated or licensed, so you really need to watch out.
The Texas Department of Insurance also has a helpful checklist of what to ask before hiring contractors after a storm.
Both Christian and Jennifer Hernandez from JC and C Roofing joined Amy Davis for an episode of Ask Amy.