Roof damage insurance can go a long way to helping you deal with damage to your roof. This can be one of life’s most stressful events. It can literally make your home uninhabitable (or your workplace unusable). Even if it doesn’t, you still need it fixed as quickly as possible. With that in mind, here is a quick guide to what you should know about roof damage insurance.
It’s worth paying for a quality roof insurance policy
This goes for anything important in life and roof damage insurance is certainly important. You want the best overall value for money. That isn’t necessarily going to mean the policy with the lowest headline price tag. In addition to seeing what’s included in the policy (and what isn’t), look at the company behind it.
Check out their process for making claims. Do you think it will be easy to navigate even when you’re stressed? See if you can find reviews from customers who’ve had to make claims. How were they treated?
You need to understand what roof damage you’re covered for
Again, this goes for any form of insurance. In the context of roof insurance, there are two key points you need to check. Firstly, you need to know what damage is and isn’t covered. Secondly, you need to know what causes of damage are and aren’t covered.
Be as specific as necessary for your situation. For example, if you live in a location prone to tornadoes check if storm cover includes tornados. As always, get everything in writing even if phone calls are recorded.
The condition of your roof matters with roof insurance
In simple terms, the point of insurance is to cover expenses you wouldn’t have expected to have paid. If your roof is in pristine condition, then your insurer may pick up the full cost of any roof damage. They may even pick up the full cost of roof replacement.
If, however, your roof is in less than pristine condition, then your insurer will usually pay the balance between the full cost of the repair and what you would have been expected to pay yourself to have your roof put into that condition.
As a rule of thumb, the newer your roof is, the easier it will be to convince your insurer that it is in pristine condition. Make sure you keep any paperwork relating to your roof so that, if necessary, you can prove its age to your insurer.
It’s also a good idea to have your roof inspected once a year by a reputable roofing company. If they recommend any maintenance, then make sure that this is carried out promptly. Again, keep all the paperwork relating to this. It may help you in any future insurance claim.
It’s important to choose the right roofer
Before you can make an insurance claim, you need to know how much you’re claiming. Your insurer may have a process you need to follow to get that information. For example, they may have a local partner they will send to you.
If they don’t make sure you do your research on a roofer before you even ask for an estimate of costs. As with choosing an insurer, remember that overall value is more important than headline price. You do need the job done but you also need it to be done well.
For maximum roof claim convenience, look for a roofer with experience in dealing with roof damage insurance claims.
Call us at (541) 313-5944 if you’re in Bend, (503) 967-9590 if you’re from Portland, (541) 246-6860 if you’re in Eugene, (503) 468-7663 if you’re in Lake Oswego, or (503) 928-8750 if you’re from Beaverton. You can also fill out our convenient online form.
