September 28, 2010
Q & A on Hail damage:
Q: A hail storm went through my neighborhood. Most of my neighbors have gotten new roofs. I received a denial letter along with a check for $300 to repair damaged fascia. What’s the deal? Should I call a roofer? A lawyer? The state insurance commissioner? What gives?
A: First, just because your neighbors are getting new roofs doesn’t mean it’s an entirely due to hail. It can be the age and condition of the roof. For example, your neighbor may have a 25 year old roof with one hail strike. The shingle may not be made any more. That can be grounds for replacement of a whole roof.
If you have a new roof, with only one hail strike, it also can be grounds for not having the roof replaced. Furthermore, there could be wind damage, which is an entirely different animal.
It can be very difficult to see hail damage. Generally, you are looking for missing granules and gouges in the shingle. If you see a little round spot with granules missing, it may be hail, but you need to look at what the granules surrounding the hole are doing. If the granules are coming up above the surface of the surface of the shingle, it’s called a blister, and is not hail related.
There can also be building code requirements, such as what’s called a 25% rule*. Finally, insurance companies have different standards. Some companies want 16+ hail strikes per 10X10 area, others want less. Next, the quality of the shingle can make a big difference. A 3-tab vs. a laminate shingle can make a huge difference in hail damage. Finally, shingles are rated for some quantity of hail damage. The thing many insurance companies are concerned about is when the hail actually pierces the matte of the shingle. Many insurance companies do not care that some of the granules were rubbed off (although some do). These standards have been developed by a company called Haag engineering.
If you’re really motivated, look at the metal items on your roof, the furnace caps, turret vents, and even the AC fins. These items ALWAYS dent before the shingles. By looking at these items, you can get an idea as to the size of the hail. If the dents are only pea sized up to marble sized, and your roof is in good condition, it’s quite possible you do not have a lot of hail damage; although you may, depending on your shingle type, age and quantity of hail. If looking at your own property, and not your neighbors, you actually have hail damage; nicely ask for the adjuster to come back out. If that doesn’t work, offer to send in photographs of the damage to your vents, and examples of where hail strikes have actually pierced your shingles.Finally, if they still won’t send someone, grab your policy and look for a section called Appraisal. It explains what to do if you and the insurance company disagree. Sending letters to the state insurance commissioner generally doesn’t help unless you’ve exhausted all options in your insurance policy.
*25% Rule deals with older lower-valued structures; generally, if work would not exceed 25 percent of the structure’s value, then a contractor and building officials could negotiate what work was required to comply with the local code. For work that would cost between 25 and 50 percent of the value of the structure, the contractor had to meet building codes for all planned work. If the planned work exceeded 50 percent, then the contractor had to bring the entire building into compliance with the current building code.
How much time do I have, after making a claim, to have the work done
I don’t think there is a hard and fast rule as far as how soon. However delaying the repairs is not going to be very helpful:
If you need more $$, the insurer has already closed the file getiing additional money is going to be tough.
If another storm rolls through, the insurer has grounds for denial of coverage due to unrepaired damage.
Finally, you’re bound to spend the money when you should do the right thing and get the damage fixed.
Good luck bro.
How long after a hail storm do I have to make a claim? It has been about 110 days since the storm. I am pretty sure I have damage but it has taken me a long time to get estimates due to everyone getting new roofs. Is it too late to make a claim with Farmers?
Tom,
To get the most correct answer, you’ll have to read your policy. There should be a clause that addressed how long you have to get this done.
On most policies I’ve seen, it’s one year but again read your policy (or ask your agent) to know for sure. Don’t wait too long.
We just recently noticed some minor hail damage to our roof and vinyl siding. As part of our seasonal winterizing check list we had assessed our home last fall and didn’t personally see any damage then. The last major hail storm was 4/22/08. It is now 8/29/08. Would we even be credible to now ask our insurance agent to send an assessor out to file a claim for both the roof and the siding damage? Would we even be able to file a claim on not knowing for sure that the damage occurred from this particular incident? And how likely is it that this handful of little pea-small marble sized holes in the siding are hail related? Does that actually happen?
You can always ask your insurance agent; that’s what they’re for!!
Like I said in the earlier answer, to get the most correct answer on how long you have to file a claim, read your policy. Most policies are 1 year from time of damage.
Unless your siding is very old and your house gets peppered frequently by shotgun blasts, what else could cause the damage? Like I said earlier, examine any exposed metal trim pieces; if they’re damaged also, it was probably hail damage. What do your neighbors have to say? Have any of them experieced hail damage or is it just you?
Good luck.
Thank you for your site, I am always looking for good sites about insurance.
It seems like in most cases the claims department will tell you that you have to file the claim in a reasonable amount of time. “Reasonable” means different things to different people, but I would file a claim as soon as possible. Think about this, what happens if you wait and than it rains and the rain leaks through your roof and damages things inside your home. Your insurance company may not cover that since you knew about the bad roof and didn’t do anything about it. It’s always best to call your agent and ask him/her what the rules are.
Great site, always nice to see that some people do have great interest in this subject.
We have a claim for hail damage and the adjuster has been out. We have had 3 roof companies come out and the quotes are higher than the amount the adjuster gave us. We have not sign any contracts or checks. How do go about getting this roof replaced without having to take $ out of pocket. The roofers will come down but still we will have pay at least $2000. We have been with our company for almost 20 years. What should we do?
Most adjusters use industry standard computerized cost estimators. In my area, the numbers the adjustors come up with are sufficient to cover damage.
If the numbers are far apart, then your contractors and adjusters are probably not quoting the same work.
Here’s what I’d do: Contact the contractor you really want to use and tell him you want to use him and tell him what’s going on. Ask if he’ll meet with the adjustor.
Call the adjuster and tell him your difficulties as well; give him the name of the contractor and ask him to call and set up a meeting.
With both in the same place looking at the same damage, they should agree on what need to be done and how much it costs.
If they still can’t agree you’ll need to bump this up to the adjustors boss and see if they can resolve this. If that doesn’t solve the problem, you’ll need to consult your policy and find out how they resolve disputes.
Good luck. Whan you’re done, feel free to write about it and I’ll post it.
I have a commercial building in Texas with a standing seam metal roof. The metal roof has dings caused by hail. The insurance adjuster is saying that the damage is only cosmetic and will not affect the structural integrity of the metal roof. Claim denied.
However, I know if I was to sell the building, the value of the building would be less due to the dings on the metal roof (similar to selling a car with hail damage). Would this demonstrate I was damaged due to the hail dings? Would the insurance company then be require to replace the roof and bring be back to where I was prior to the storm?
Thanks
We have hail damage and want to claim it. We are currently in the process of switching to a new policy and new company. How will this affect us now (claiming right away on a new policy) or in the future with regards to dropping us or raising our rates?
Well, the company that pays the claim will be the company that had a policy in force WHEN THE DAMAGE OCCURED (the date of the hail storm).
If your old company pays the claim, then how your new company handles the new information is entirely up to their underwriting guidelines. They could:
Surcharge for a claims history.
Deny coverage for undisclosed information.
Ignore the information and issue the policy as quoted.
If the new company pays then what they do is up to their company policy.
A lot depends on the timing of the claim and the issuing date of the policy as well as state law where you live.
You COULD consult your agent, she may be helpful. Good luck.
RUDY,
Sorry I didn’t get back to you on your metal siding question.
Lately, I’ve seen endorsements (updates to a base policy) that deal with metal buildings and metal roofs. The endorsement will explain coverage for the metal; if the damage is cosmetic, no coverage. If the damage causes the material to leak water, it’s covered.
SO, first things first, read your policy; look towards the end of the policy to see if there are any extra pages attached explaining the coverage of metal exteriors.
If there is no special language for metal, you could file a claim for coverage.
Good luck.
Rudy, Texas doesnt have a cosmetic damage only, unless it is written, your right, the dings cause the building to lose value, your policy is to insure that your property is in pre hail condition, call for a reinspect, they will send another adjuster, because that one will be fired by now.. have a roofer that you want to use meet with the adjuster.
I have a roof about to be replaced but need to know if due to the hail damage and me not knowing how severe my damage was and continued to deal with a leaky roof for quite some time which in fact caused most of my insulation to mold or rot should the ins. co cover the cost of new insulation as well as the new decking that all has to be replaced due to severe water damage which made it warped and weak. I cannot afford to pay for it myself but absolutely need it replaced if we are to stay warm this winter. If the adjuster has agreed to pay for new decking along with the new roof why would it be to much to ask for replacement of the insulation as well?
Robin, They should pay, get a company that will do all the work, have them work with your insurance to get anything done.. also, if it is a total deck replacement, look into radiant barrier decking, it will cost a little, save a lot.. is there any interior damage from the water? If so, they should replace sheetrock repaint ect.. let the constuction company handle it..they know what they paid for and what they should have paid for..good luck
We had hail damage recently and it put holes in our siding. Adjuster came out and said we would get 50 ft worth of siding and said they could match our siding (house’s siding is 13 years old). The guy rubbed our siding before taking a sample. Our siding is dirty and could use a cleaning, but is it legitimate to do that sort of thing when matching siding?? The siding that we got back installed sticks out. I would have been cool with it if they just did 1 or 2 sides of our house…but they just replaced pieces instead. Most/all people in our neighborhood got whole new siding on their house (theirs were built about the same time).
Hi,
We live in an area of NC where we have had hail and wind damage. The quandry that I am in is that when I talked w/ neighbors that have had their roofs replaced, the date that they came up with is May of 2008. We have changed insurance companies in Dec. of 2008. So, which company do I call to put in a claim. The roofer came by and said that we do indeed have hail and wind damage.
Thank you very much and I look forward to your answer.
Anna,
The company that had the policy in force when the hail storm occured. Thanks
I filed a claim for hail damage in 2006. The adjuster came out to the house, and found no roof damage, but damage to the siding and gutters. 4 months later, a friend who is an adjuster looked at the roof, and said that it needed to be replaced. I called the insurance company, and was told they wouldn’t re-open the case until I had a licensed contractor say their was damage. I had a contractor come out and write an estiamte for the roof.
Then, I got busy, and let things slide. Roof never got looked at again by the appraiser for the insurance company. A year passed, and we switched insurance companies, mainly because of the frustration of the first issue. Now I am selling my house, and of course the inspection turns up roof damage, and I need a new roof. I contacted the first insurance company again, and they claim that too much time has passed, and I should talk to my current insurance company. But I don’t believe that we had hail during the time we were insured with them. What do I do?
There is specific wording in an insurance contract regarding the length of time to perfect a claim. If you went over that time without getting an extension from the company, you are probably out of luck. Your new company will certainly check weather reports for hail in your area during your policy period, so I don’t believe that will work either - and the previous adjuster knew that.
just switched HOI companies. was due a refund of over $700. will they send it to me or to the mortgage company? i escrow. what do insurance companies typically do?
Mike, you are not out of luck, they came out and denied the roof, they should have bought it, you claimed it in the timeframe, let them tell you of a storm that hit after they inspected it…if like you say there was not another storm, then it had to be the storm in question…BUT whoever is collecting your premiums, is responsible and should pay your claim regardless, they should have sent their inspector out to look, before they insured you. Get a roofer you want to use, they will help you thru the process… Mark
We had roof damage from a storm a few years ago. We had several shingles fall off the house and found them in the yard. I called the insurance company to tell them the storm had broken the roof seal and several shingles were gone. He said they would not replace a roof for that kind of damage. He told me to call back when a tree went through the house or there was actually significant damage. It’s a few years later, we are still with the same insurance agency and the roof is continually getting worse. More shingles falling off and the side shingles sometimes flutter. What do we do?
We had a hailstorm of golfball size. My houe was pounded the worst because of the position it sits within our court. All my neighbors are getting complete roofs and siding. My adjuster is offering my 1/2 a roof and 1/2 the house sided. Said that Itel matched siding up. My questions are as follows:
1> 2 years ago I had Hurrican Ike damage to the roof. They only offered me 1/2 a roof back then. I didn’t want to mismatch my roof so I only had it repaired and patched. Can the insurance company hold back 1/2 a roof now because I didn’t totally replace the 1/2 roof two years ago? They are saying they are deducting this amount. My contractor stated hail damage is different than wind damage and thinks they should give me funds for a complete roof.
2> Just how accurate are Itel matches? This is one of those companies that put a piece of your siding through their “lab” and spit out the manufacturer’s name and if the product is available. I am having a hard time believing my 26 year old aluminum siding is still available.
Thanks!
2 storms 2 insurers: If I sustained total-loss damage in a hail storm under one insurance carrier, then experienced hail damage from a second storm while under another insurance carrier, and before the roof was repaired from the first storm, can I recover from both insurance companies?
Separate storms, separate claims. You can recover from both companies.
Hello
I recently replaced my roof. We had a hail storm. That left 10 strikes on the roof. Adjuster said not enough damage and would not buy the roof. I’m told hail will void the shingle warranty. Does the insurance company have to replace the roof to pre-storm condition…. with shingle warranty intact? Only one year old
Can hail damage a slate roof???
Yes, slate can be damaged, get a company that does slate roofs to inspect it, don’t get just anybody. They should come inspect it for free.. Thanks Mark C
Rich, they do have to get you to prehail condition, problem is the damage needs to be alit more than your deductible. If a new roof has 10 hits, what us the rest like, screens, garage door, gutters, metal on the roof, fence. Have a bbb roofing company come out to check your property, including the roof, if they think it should be replaced, call them back out and have your roofing contractor meet the adjuster.
Had alot of hail damage to my 10 yrs old roof, 20+ yrs old alum. siding, window screens, and gutters. What is the average amount most insurance companies give for such damage? Bc contractors have given us some prices on how much to replace it all and it is a BIG number.
My husband and I purchased a home in April 2010, full knowing that it needed a new roof. We set aside $ and deducted it from our offer price. The house is 50 years old, and the roof has either never been replaced or was replaced once, over 25 years ago. Inspector could not determine. I am now getting quotes and the roofers are demanding that I file an insurance claim for the hail damage, which has probably been there for years. I know that an adjuster would laugh at such a claim (there were a couple of minor hailstorms this year, but nothing that would cause all the damage to the roof). Should I file a claim anyway? The roofers are insisting I do this.
Demanded???? Sounds like you need new roofers!!! You could file a claim, all they can say is no!! Little hail will tear an old roof up.
Tlw, doesn’t matter how old everything is, as long as you have replacement cost insurance, it should only cost you your deductible, unless you upgrade..
Is there any way to repair shingles without replacing them? It seems a shame to reshingle my house for 24 dents when the shingles are only 20 months old. The repair would have to satify insurance companies, since I have my house for sale and the new owners would want roof coverage. Is there a good tar I could fill the dents with and press in asphalt granules? (Plenty of them in the gutter)
Lindy, the short answer is no. They will only buy your roof if there are so many hits per square, say 7 x 40 squares = 280 hits.. Insurance will give you UP TO the repair cost, so if you spend 50 bucks on some tar, and a few hours filling dents, they will pay you 50 bucks……
Oh, and if they already paid you more, they will want there money back.. you only get out of them what the repair cost.. this isnt their first rodeo either, they will know if you try to do something hinky, call a good roofing company, see if he can do it for the insurance money! Thats what its for..
Roof had hail damage the sumer before this and replaced with 30 year shingles with ice and water seal over entire plywood. Hit by hail again. I was told ice and water shield might be hard to remove. Can a second layer of ice and water shield be put on if original layer is damaged taking off the shingles?
should i feel obligated in showing or telling my contrator (who wrote my estimate)
the claims check i received from my insurance company. i only ask because i know they inflate the cost of the estimate they submate to the insurance comp. and it seems anytime insurance is involved they inflate there rates.
Bought my home in September 2009. Did not notice any hail damage. Had a leak in August 2010 and all my roofers tell me I have a lot of hail damage up there. Will my insurance company reject my claim since I don’t know for sure when this damage happened?
Recently filed a hail claim on my roof and now after an inexperienced adjustor (his words), and engineer and hours of phone conversations the ins co. “investigator” is telling me that the engineers state that the damage is not hail but “man made damage to look like hail”. They are denying my hail claim but say that if I claim “vandalism” and file a police report they will cover it? What stance should I take on this? File the report get it paid for and move-on? Get a lawyer? Punt? Please Help!!!
We have a claim that is a year old and our insurance company told us that we are running out of time to get it done. I have a 2% deductable ($2540 to be exact) and I just don’t have that laying around after not working for 13 weeks due to a layoff.
Is there anyway to reduce my cost on this without committing insurance fraud (one contractor actually suggested I HAD to do this!) I sent him packing. This is my first house and my first problem…I feel like a fish out of water!! I am clueless on what my options are. Any advice?
Call a public adjuster.
I was recently in a accedent. The insurance company told me to wash the car and take it in to the shop so they could see all the damage. I decided to claim hail damage as well due to when I washed the car I noticed a lot of dents so I told them about it and let the know the car has been in 3 hail storms in the past 2 years some I drove in and some park at home. I did not have the dates off the top of my head for the last one so i said a few months ago I and I was unsure. I did not think anything about it. Now my company is saying none of its hail that its all man made and are making me feel like I am some bad guy here. They have had my car for like 2 weeks now what do you think I can expect?
I have an old house with steel siding and 3 layers of asphalt on the roof, all OLD. There was a hail storm in July of 2009 and my siding has obvious divots all over it. Problem is i have not made a claim yet. (i did call my insurance agent within the 1 year window but an adjuster never called me and i didn’t follow up. I now have a roofing siding contractor who says that it won’t be a problem filing a claim and having the insurance company fix my siding and roof despite the fact that it was a year and a half ago. My insurance co. is Farmers and i’ve been with them for about 10 years. Will the length of time be an issue considering i’ve been with them for so long?
We called our insurance company & filed a claim for hail damage on our shingle roof. The insur. co sent a roofer out to quote it & that roofer said we had significant damage worth $30K. Our insurance co sent us a letter saying they authorized payment for replacement of the roof. Soon after we received the letter, our insurance co called us to say they did not receive enough pictures so they are sending their inspector engineer out to see it. He looked at our roof & it sounds like he is going to deny us the money to replace or fix it. We have since discovered water damage on our bedroom ceiling & need it to be inspected as well to see if it is from the roof damage. Anyway, the leaking source must be fixed. We are waiting for the engineer’s decision but he would not look at our damaged ceiling & said we need to do another claim. Should we call the ceiling damage claim in now or wait for his decision? What do you suggest we do if they decide not to pay for our roof replacement?
last year we had a hail storm on 4/6/10 in south elgin, il where i live. my neighbor filed a claim and got 100% of her roof and siding covered worth around $19,000. however, the insurance inspector, who was a 3rd party, did not do a thorough exam and approved the hail claim quickly. when it came time for my exam less than a week or so later, they were very thorough and even had an engineers report done. as i recall, it stated i had some minor wind damage, but no substantial hail damage and of course it was under my 1k deductible, so i would have to pay for that section to get fixed. it is coming up on a year since the storm and i wanted to know what my recourse is as i think that i only have a certain time to file or refile my claim. personally, i don’t think it is fair to approve one neighbor, and not another. especially when our houses are right next to each other and our roofs have the same pitch. what are your suggestions. We have had several recommendations from roofers to replace our roof as it is 17 years old and our siding does have dents and i am not happy to walk away after my neighbor, got all that work done for only her $500 deductible. thanks. any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Joseph, get the contractor your going tho use to write up the damage and call doir a re inspection.Mark
Hi, we had a hail storm in Powder Springs, GA last night. Who do you suggest I contact first, my insurance company or a roofer?
We had hail on 3-20-11, pea sized and then some. I have an old roof just bought the house last June. I was advised by a family member to check for hail damage, I called local roofing co. to evaluate and tell me if claim warranted. They said yes I had evidence of hail damage and should file claim. They met insurance adjuster at my home and I got a call from the adjuster today that there is no damage to roof but old hail damage is evident on vent covers, they are denying claim. If they admitted old damage was present in the same breath as no damage what is your advice?
Had originally posted a note back on 4/2/11 to which Mark responded regarding a hail damage claim in South Elgin, IL back on 4/6/10. I never saw a response to that note until today and it is now over a year since the hail storm, do I have any recourse? Also, the original contractor, or storm chaser as I call him, disappeared as soon as they denied the claim. I had another roofer who is reputable give me a quote for a new roof and said he really did see any hail damage when he inspected it last fall. Is there anything I can do to get the insurance company to pay for a new roof and/or siding at this point?
we had storm damage from a F1 tornado in Texas a 3 weeks ago this sunday. I submitted a claim the next morning. I have still not heard from my adjuster. I called the insurance company and the lady was very rude. she basically said if we do not have a hole in the roof, we are in the back of the line. is 3+ weeks a normal wait time? our neighbors have all recieved new roofs already.
Robert, read your policy, it might have two years, but since they came out and said no hail, than if they come out and find hail, I guess they missed it, or were WRONG.. either way, they will pay.. very important to have the contractor their to meet the adjuster…
Robert, not really normal, they have 2 days to accept the claim, and 5 business days to set up a time.. unless you and the adjuster couldnt come up with a time…. who are you using to do the work.. have them contact and have them meet the adjuster for you.. I live in fate, tx.. if you need me to help you..
Hi! We had a large hail storm in 2006 and at that time our insurance said we had no hail damage while 3 roofing companies said we needed a new roof. Our insurance agent sent out a third party roof inspector with no ties to them or to a roofing company. He spent a long time on the roof, took lots of pictures and I felt did a good inspection. His report said the roof had some damage but not enough to warrant a new roof. So 5 years ago we were left with some damage but not enough to need a new roof.
Fast forward to now. Our house is on the market and we have an offer. The buyer’s inspector said we had hail damage (which we knew) and that we needed a new roof. the buyers want a new roof put on.
We feel we are stuck. We have had the roof investigated by the best, unbiased opinion but the home inspector wrote this up. We are going to bring out the 3rd party roofer again to see if he feels we need a new roof. We want to do what is right but if he says the roof is fine, what do we do? Should we call the home inspector with the results in hopes he will re-evaluate?
We can’t afford a $6000 roof when we are already losing a lot on this house. Thanks!
I had an adjuster come out and find damage, he told me it would be 3 to 5 days before I heard anything. It is now going on three weeks and the company is telling me that they will now have to wait another 2 weeks for satelite images to confirm the measurments. Is this normal?
We have had two contractors out to inspect our house after a hail storm, both said some damage bout 60 to 70% of roof. The adjuster is coming out tomorrow and we have a contractor coming as well. They have been throwing around the word “Deprecation” my roof is more the 10years old. However I have a “Replacement Cost” Insurance policy. How does this work?
One thing most people forget is that insurance companies are continually fighting fraud. It’s an amazing part of your insurance premium. Not to suggest this post involves that. However, insurance companies are investigating claims and making a determination whether those claims are real and covered under the policy. Insurance adjusters usually just follow the policy and make recommendations based on that.
Last year our entire town had a hail storm that damaged nearly everyone’s roof- including ours..we filed a claim then had a roofer check the damage- he said yes- you will need a new roof. Later they sent an insurance adjuster to check our roof and he reported that we had no damage. I called another roofing company and they said the same thing we had damage to the shingles and needed a new roof- the insurance company sent out another adjuster- he said the same thing-no damage…and our neighbors on both sides of us have gotten a new roof-the one home 50 feet away has a slate roof and that has been replaced. Over 400 homes have gotten new roofs in our town and we are wanting to be treated fairly-how can you fight the insurance company-they seem to be holding all the cards-will contacting a lawyer make a difference-will they help someone in this matter?? What advice can someone give me…Thanks…
My wife’s car recently suffered hail damage.
We have received a settlement check from our insurance company. Are we obliged to have the repairs done or can we use the check for other purposes?
I have a cash value policy that does not pay the full replacement cost of a new roof. My home is for sale and the insurance adjuster has indicated hail damage requiring total roof replacement. The roof is only 7 yrs old, 20 yr.composition shingle. I had a friend in the roofing business look at it and he said there is only minimal damage and would not need a total tear off, just repair. I also had a home inspector look at it who agreed. the inspector declined to write up an official report but said if it were him, he wouldn’t not replace the whole thing. I have a gap of $1200 between the lowest bid and what the insurer paid me to get this huge job done. Insurer refuses to pay a dime more based on the type of policy it is (written on a vacant home, cash value only). My realtor is concerned with insurability and losing another good offer on the home (we already lost one due to this mess), but I also don’t want to dish out $1200 or more for work that needn’t be done, or only needs minimal repair. My bottom line question is: how can I determine the actual condition of the roof from an independent inspector that will alleviate the concerns of another buyer or insurer?
We don’t have roof cert companies in my area, just general home inspectors. A previous buyer had an inspection done which said, “some evidence of hail damage, recommend further investigation.” I have no idea what that means…but he didn’t recommend total tear off. Any suggestions or thoughts on this predicament? Thank you!
I have a wood stove with a metal chimney going outside the house. We had golfball sized hail and now the chimney is quite dimpled. Is the chimney covered by insurance. It looks bad.
Is it possible to tell how old hail damage is? We had a hail storm on 5/25/11 and an insurance adjuster came out and said that - yes, we had a lot of hail damage - but it wasn’t from a recent occurrence. How can he tell? And what do I do every time it hails? Do I go up on the roof and circle all the old hail marks - so when another hail storm hits, proves that it’s recent? I’m confused.
I’m looking for the replacement on siding and roofing regarding an association which has a commercial policy. They said they do not have to replace the siding with the same thing - they can use any color etc. Help!
Laurel, good point, hire a good contractor, who has a BBB rating of A+, and let them deal with the insurance company..simple but works, make sure they are willing from the start..
Karen yes it should be on the claim, make suer your contractor knows you want to replace it..
Amy, they have to use like material, and color, but very vague on wheather they have to replace all due to color.. hire a good contractor to work with you and them..
Bill, in Texas, as long as you own the car outright, you can do what you want.. but they never give you enough to get it fixed, but have to IF you get it fixed… If their is a lienholder, they will put it in both names, then you must get it fixed..
Linda, just mention a Lawyer, and you might wake them up, but easier is to get a Contractor willing to help you get a re-inspect and get it bought…
Also Laurel, how long have you been with the insurance company? Tell the adjuster you want storm dates for your area, if he says the hail is old, how old?? Call your agent, tell them you want another adjuster to come out, hire a Contractor to meet.. we do it for free in Texas.. if you let us do the roof when we get it bought..
Had a huge hail storm a few months back, with several neighbors telling me they were getting new roofs, covered by insurance (our housing development is 22 years old). After my insurer turned down my claim, I asked for a second appraisal and was turned down again. I’ve since switched insurers, but am now seeing and hearing of more neighbors getting insurance-covered roofs. I seriously doubt that I somehow have “magic shingles” that have resisted the damage every one else got, especially the nextdoor neighbor who had the same builder and same exact shingle that I have. If an independent appraiser says I have hail damage, can I still make a claim against my old insurer? I’m assuming I’m not permitted to make another claim with my new one.
Thank you Mark. We’ve had this insurance company since 2009. My issue is, after the 5/25 hail storm all of our neighbors started getting checks to replace their roofs for the hail. On 6/11 I contacted a home inspector to do a full inspection on our home because we started to see water in the basement….and frankly, at my age I wanted to find all issues in my home and repair them while we have the funds to do so and before I retire. My husband is 73. So when we received the home inspection 6/12 with report of damage and pictures of 3 large hail damage areas…that headed me to our insurance policy and my agent. The adjuster came out on 6/14. On 6/21 we had a worse hail storm I contacted the adjuster and he contacted a forensic engineer who came out last week. I asked the eng how he can tell the difference between old and and new hail damage - he said he hasn’t found a carbon dating system for hail damage yet. And when I mentioned that’s what the adjuster said - he quieted down and said he’d give his report to the adjuster. This leads me to believe there’s no way to determine the age of hail. Yesterday I received email from the adjuster as follows:
“His observations and conclusions confirmed my original assessment and there were no new damages from the storm that occured after my inspection.
Once we receive his written report and service invoice, we will close the file.”
Now what do I do? Just because the FE didn’t find anything from the 6/21 hail storm - what about the 5/24 storm and the “old hail damage” issue?
Sorry typo….I meant to end with the 5/25 storm and the “old hail damage” issue?
Hello InsuranceYak, last night a severe t-storm made some damages to my roof, fence, and windows. There’s a huge hole on the top of my roof and its now leaking water through some of the vents. Inside our house on the ceilings you can see large wet spots too, some are dripping water. We called our insurance company and an inspector came to see our house, he said he would contact his people to fix these things. Right now I’m just wondering if we should let him contact his people to fix our house or find people ourselves? Because won’t insurance company always want to pay the least? I really would like to see my house fixed completely and not just a temp. fix provided by the insurance company persons. Should I be worried about this? and if so, what should I do?
Thank you!!!!
Amanda,
Sorry for your damage. You need a temporary fix ASAP. Your adjuster probably knows people in the industry who can get you buttoned up until a permanant fix can be done. Depending on your company, they will probably pay for this and the company they hire will bill them directly. Take care of this because if you don’t your house could get further damage. After you get a temp fix, start looking for a reputable contractor who can do your permanent fix. Good luck, let me know if you want to write about your experience.
We recently had a wind and hail storm that came through ND on July 10. I sustained damage to my steel windows around the frame. Some areas of my big picture window that paint is gone. My adjuster was just here and said that some insurance companies claim that hail can not do that. It did do that and I have replacement insurance and do you think they will cover this. Most of my windows have dings or paint splatter on them. Another adjuster is coming tomorrow. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Another problem is that I have steel siding and now I am noticing small gray spots all over the siding. My contractor thinks it may be primer coming to a head. The adjuster claims oxidation. Is this for a fact or a story.
I heard there was so bad damage too. I too am fighting for settlement in North Dakota.
Good Luck
Had wind/hail damage to my roof 12/2009. Received a “Actual Cash Value-Deductible” check. Life happened and the money had to be used for other things. Been patching as I go to stop any additional damage. I’ve been putting the money back together to get back on track. Looking back at the letter that came with the check I see where they gave me 180 days to ask for the difference between the ACV-deductible and the full cost of repair/replacement. Obviously I blew way past this. I believe I am able to digest the cost of the repairs now if I know that the check for the difference is coming once I’m done. How should I proceed? Can I or am I SOL?
TYIA,
John
John, most insurance companys willl work with you, find a great contractor and explain it to them, they should help you get it done..
My contractor and adjuster appraise my roof of hail damage..a check was cut..i had to send the check to my mortgage company.I just had a brand new roof put on back in September of 2010.now there is damage but its not enough for a brand new roof..i told my mortgage company of this..and i was not going to replace the roof at this time..and told them to release my check back to me..and they keep giving me the run around about replacing the roof..do i actually have to get the roof done or can i recieve the cash value and replace the roof on my on terms.
Question, we had a tornado go through our neighborhood March 23rd it took out a lot of house and they were only 3 down from mine, we had a lot of hail and strong winds took out at least 7 trees in my yard. Everyone around has been having ppl look for hail damage on there roof, I did and there is and insurance is going to replace roof and gutters, but where the gutters where damaged they have been overflowing and now my back door and inside floor of my home has damage, but adjuster said that was caused by outside water so it is not covered, if the storm did not damage my gutters there would not be a problem what do I do??
I live in Alabama. I have a vinyl fence that suffered what I would call severe hail damage. It left holes the size of half to silver dollars. My insurance company said if the fence wasn’t knocked down, the would not cover any of it. I’ve had a second opinion from the same company. I’ve since changed companies, but other agents are telling me I should have had my fence covered. I’ve been told Alabama doesn’t have a cosmetic endorsement clause, like Texas does, and therefore my fence should have been covered. Any idea if this is true and if so, how would I go about re-opening or getting a settlement since I am no longer with the insurance company?
Thanks!
I live in the Kansas City area. In April and July we had significant hail storm. After the July storm I noticed an abnormal amount of gravel on the driveway and sidewalks. I had 2 of the top area contractors inspect my roof and exterior after the July storm. They both found significant damage to screns, paint, gutters, and the roof. The State Farm adjuster ame out after a month of hounding them. They found very little damage and offered $2000 to cover the water marks on the ceilings and obvious exterior damage. But they found no damage on the roof even though the roof vents are nearly flattened and the roof jacks are severly dented. After complaining they sent a second adjuster. He found more damage, but still nothing on the roof of any significance. What are my options?
My story almost mirrors Doug Hills experience with State Farm. A hailstorm moved through Knoxville, TN in April. I thought we got lucky, but I found large amounts of aggregate in the gutters, enough to clog the downspouts and now we have several water-damage leaks(7 upstairs, 1 downstairs). The insurance company has sent out 2 adjustors. The first one said all my metal (ridge vents, exhaust ducts) were beat up, but saw NO hail damage. I got 3 roofing companies out and the 3rd one met with the second adjustor. The adjustor agreed to pay for 47 SHINGLES (not squares) to be replaced (some math of 2 hits/square on a 23 square roof). The inconsistency of NO damage to 47 shingles has me aggravated. Talking to the claims office, they refused to send out a 3rd adjustor and considered the ROOF part closed. What are my options now for the roof? Thank you in advance!
I want to know why insurance companies pay for hail damage on 20 year+ old roofs.
Isn”t it time to replace the roof anyway? Don’t these types of claims drive insurance premiums up? And, if you make this type of claim, do they drop your policy the next year?
Anyone with hail damage should contact a “public insurance adjuste”. They work for you. Google for them in your area.
they will review your insurance company adjusters work and your roof and determine next steps. They’ll review your policy and work with you to then provide direction to file your claim. Good luck.
I had filed for hail damage last year for hail storm that occurred in Aug 2009. The inspector came and said that there is no hail damage on the vinyl sidings and little on the roof vents and gave an esitmate of about $300 which is below the $1000 deductible.
After a few months when the sun moved during early fall, I could clearly see visible dents on the front of my house.
I took photographs of the damage and emailed it to the VP of the insurance company who asked the agent to take a look again.
He came with a 3rd party expert and basically the expert also said that I don’t have hail damage. The marks I had were mechanical marks. First of, what are mechanical marks and how come they appear along the 2nd storey of my sidings. There are no trees close to it or any such thing that could have caused such dents.
What is my next course of action? How can I get a expert opinion on my own? Please advice.
I am in Knoxville, Tn and am having the same issue with State Farm Ins. Co. as John F and Doug Hall.
It seems State Farm will do ANYTHING to keep from adepquately compensating the poliy holder for roof damage!
I have had it with State Farm and meeting with their adjusters and my contractors etc etc.
I am getting a Public Adjuster, as recommended here and go from there. This time I plan on persuing this matter. (in 2008 I filed a claim for hail damage to my roof and got the same runaround from State Farm and I just let it go.)
I would NOT recommend anyone use State Farm Insurance for their Homeowner coverages!
I live in Oklahoma. Ins. adj. came out while roofing contractor & my husband were here. I have a check with our names on it & the mtg co. My question is I dont have an estimate from the roofing co. I dont want any over runs is this normal? My husband signed the contract without my knowledge. My husband told me to get mtg co to sign & then he would turn check over to roofing co. Is this the normal practice? Or is it pay 1/2 now 1/2 when complete?I just dont want to end up wishing I would have done my homework.
We have had three hail storms in our neighborhood. All the houses on my small court and all over my subdivision are getting new roofs approved when they make a claim on their insurance. I have AAA insurance and they have approved several houses on my street. Two of them are right next to mine. All the houses were built by the same builder and are the same model. The claims adjuster before coming out to my house started disputing the claim even before seeing my roof. He brought over a independent roof expert company who said even though I have severly dented vents I have heat blisters and not hail damage to the shingles. The house and roof are 12 years old. We have had three roofing companies examine our house and they all said we have hail damage. We didn’t agree with the assessment so now AAA is bringing in an engineering company Donan out to look at my roof. I feel that a decision is already made that they are going to deny the roof. I have had several roofing companies tell me that my neighbors roof didn’t look any worse than mine and they got approved in no time. I want to know what are my rights as I feel AAA had made a decision from the first time I spoke to the claims adjuster on the phone. They were disputing hail damage before even seeing my roof. I feel them bringing over an independent engineering company is just to deny the claim. That too they are making us wait 10 days before the eng company can even make it out to our house. The claims adjuster and his roof expert initially spent 30 minutes on my roof. If it’s already damaged (I say hail and they say heat blisters) should they be trampling all over my roof? What if they made additional damage to my roof. What are my rights? I feel they are singling me out. We are in the process of composing an email and sending it to the claims department management with a timeline of events. They have been rude and playing games from the beginning. Do I have the right to ask for a reassessment by another claims adjuster and start over. The guy from Donan sounded very rude on the phone when he called to make an appointment. He said I only have this time available 10 days from now and thats it. Seems to me they have been coached and their findings have already been predetermined. Can I ask for another claims adjuster or do I take legal action?
If there is money left over after a ins covered roofing job do i return the money to the ins co or keep it?
DP, Robyn Eva and S. Google: Public Insurance Adjuster in your area. As I mentioned previously - they work for you. Some charges vary. Or - a home inspector. Might as well have them do a thorough inspection for $300 (amazing what mine found - thank goodness) Make sure they have contracting experience. Have them take pictures of every area of the roof in sequence…circling any hail with chalk before taking the picture. Good luck.
Is there a difference between a Public Insurance Adjuster and an Independent Home Inspector?
I have a Westwood insurance co. I called for a claim regarding my roof after a local certified roofer came to assessed the damaged after a recent hail occured in my neighborhood and assured me I don’t have to pay anything out of pocket. More than 50% of the entire neighborhood have their roof replaced. However, I found out from my ins. carrier I am responsible to pay $8000.00 (eight thous) before they pay the remaining amount since my coverage states” I have $1000.00 deductible except windstorm hail deductible of 2% applies.” I need your professional advice what’s the best thing to do. I could opt out not to do anything for now or just wait for the adjuster to come. Thank you.
I am looking for a new insurance company and I haven’t repaired my roof from the past hailstorm. Will my new insurance company pull a report showing a claim paid out but never repaired?
I am the CEO of “Claims Plus Restoration”. I am a licensed Realtor, contractor and All-Lines Adjuster. I am also a certified “Alcoa Master Contractor”.
I have found the comments, questions & answers here very interesting. I would like to add my professional opinion to this site with the goal to educate people as to the Storm Restoration business.
First off; one comment here made by a homeowner is incorrect. The homeowner comments that roofers come into a storm area and raise their prices to take advantage of people. (Prior to our company focusing on hail & wind damage claims work, our pricing was substantially higher). Insurance companies DO NOT pay the current market rates that need to be charged. People demand their contractors be insured, licensed and competent, and the insurance companies pay rates that only fly-by-night contractors can work for. (Then why do contractors do it)? Because in a storm situation, a well managed company with costs measures under tight control can earn a living by the volume of work being done.
Second; Insurance Adjusters receive little to NO TRAINING. If someone comes into this business with a background in roofing, engineering, or has been trained by Haag, then and only then are they qualified to give their “OPINION”.
Thirdly (JASON); YES, all insurance companies share you’re claim history. And this data base is forever.
Fourth (MARIA); Your policy basically says, “Don’t file a roof claim, you are NOT covered. I own a beach house in Mt Pleasant, SC and this homes policy has a deductable and a % which when I ran the numbers, proved to me that my roof replacement cost is $12,000 and the policy would hold back $16,300. So my policy basically does not cover me from hail & wind damage. (I’m guessing that Maria lives near beach front or in a high risk area).
I hope that this information helps you in some way,
Kevin Stubbs
CEO
Claims Plus Restoration, LLC
I am the CEO of “Claims Plus Restoration”. I am a licensed Realtor, contractor and All-Lines Adjuster. I am also a certified “Alcoa Master Contractor”. Our company deals with filing insurance claims due to hail & wind damage:
ROBYN: Is there a difference between a Public Insurance Adjuster and an Independent Home Inspector?
A Public Adjuster works for THE HOMEOWNER. The Insurance Adjuster represents the insurance company and has their company’s best interests in mind when doing adjustments.
A Public Adjuster is well trained, goes through intense training and must be an apprentice for I believe 3 years working under a licensed Public Adjuster. They charge 10% to 20% of the total claims check; however they are great at getting you a fare & equitable settlement. Their fee may seem high, but you will receive great representation and the results should far outweigh their fees.
A Home Inspector is someone that you should hire prior to purchasing a house. They are two completely different professions.
I hope that this information helps you in some way,
S. Saini … 93
YES, you have the right to ask for another adjuster to come out. You will get better results if you have representation during this second visit. Not a roofer, but a professional in the business that knows insurance contracts, the correct papers to file and more importantly, the verbiage to use…
Eva Thurman … 92
So far your experience is normal for this kind of claim.
Getting an estimate from the roofers is a total waste of time as their estimate will be much higher than the insurance company check. The contracting companies in this industry typically work for the amount that the insurance company paid. This amount is far below the current market value for the work to be performed, however the contractors working in a storm area will do ok profit wise because of the volume of contracts that they will secure.
FYI… The USA experiences over 3000 hail storms annually. Even though the claims run into the Billions each year, it still only adds up too less than 7% of the claims paid annually.
No homeowner/policy holder can be singled out for a raised premium do to these type of claims. (Hail & Wind damage is in insurance language, an act of god). If you’re rates go up, then so will most everyone with that insurance company within a zip code.
i got i hail damage on my roof but the insurance say there is no damage but i got another house that they pay my for the roof and this roof look like new compare to the one they denaid ,what i do to get pay for my roof i have like 6 year with my insurance company and farmers no want to pay me wha i can do to get repalace for my roof
Ray Lopez,
I would contact a roofing contractor that you would like to use if the roof was to be replaced. The Better Business Bureau, friends and even agents are good ways to find reputable companies. Look for someone local, because if there is an issue, you want to be able to contact them. Have the contractor inspect the roof and to write an estimate to repair the damage he found. If the contractor says he has found hail damage, ask if he would be willing to meet with an adjuster with your insurance company. Fax a copy of the estimate to the insurance company and request a 2nd inspection. Most insurance companies will be glad to send another adjuster to meet with you and your contractor. Understand that some policies have time limits on open claims. Most are up to 2 years, but understand that if another storm occurs, the insurance company may request that you file another claim. Do not wait, at least get the 2nd inspection and put the roof on when the weather is warmer.
I made a claim for hail damage in 2006 but didnt repair the roof. there was another minor hail last year and my roof looks really bad. Can I make another claim or the insurance company can cancel my policy.
Thanks
Hire a “Public Adjuster”. Texas insurance carriers have the policy holders scared to stand up or argue for what is rightfully theirs. All of my clients wish they knew about me sooner. It is your right! Fight for your rights! 50% to 300% increase on the average claim I represent speaks for itself.
Ok,
Interesting to say the least. Here are some truths about filing claims after wind or hail.
1. Hire a contractor you trust prior to initiating the claim.
Claims are awarded primarily on damage due to catastrophies ( spur of the moment events) that affect your property
2. Claims are merely an opinion generated by an insuree and it is up to an Adjustor to validate or deny the customers claim
3. Adjusters Come in all shapes and sizes but bottom line is the damage will speak for itself.
4. By having a qualified contractor who deals with hail/ wind claims on site throughout the claims process you are likely to be less subject to tempemental claims adjustors.
5. Bottom line is claims are a matter of disputed fact. The Adjustor has to have the insurance companies best interest in mind
WHO HAS YOURS?
Dominic Rae
Nation wide claims relations and contracting
Dominicxrae@msn .com
Lemme know if I can help.
How how long does it take to report a small damage in a home for a claim? and how long does it take to send an inspector to check the damage?
If there is hail damage to your neighbor’s roof, it is likely that yours needs to be replaced as well. Not to mention gutter, screen, paint, AC fins, fence marks, windows fogged, patio or awnings dented, dog house roof, and many other items that often times get overlooked. Insurance companies have adjusters working hard to save money. Why not have someone who will have your best interest at heart and work harder. I KNOW, I spend 20 years working for pretty much all of the carriers, same routine and saying; “wear and tear” “Workmanship” “Installation problem” “Deterioration” “Predates the policy or storm” “defective material” Any of this sound familiar?
My home was damaged by a fire one side of the house needs resided, but the contractor or adjuster can not find a match, Im worried they are going to tell me that they will just have to put a diffrent siding on the one side, what can I expect to happen?
Thanks, Karl
If you live in Texas, you may contact my office. Otherwise, your insurance company owes to put you back to the pre-loss condition. Seems like it could be a easy fix with a PA. You would be surprised as to how much money is left on the table for each claim.