May 01, 2008
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