Insurance Claim Services

File Your Roofing Insurance Claim With Us Today

Storm damage to your roof is enough of a headache. Once you add in the stress of working with your insurance company to make a claim, your blood pressure may skyrocket. Fortunately, a roofing contractor like Bennett Roofing & Restoration can provide assistance and advice throughout the process.

If you'd like the best outcome for your roof replacement or other damage claims, establish a relationship with a trusted professional who will be on your side during this complicated and confusing process.

Choose To Work With Our Pros

Only some professional contractors are knowledgeable enough or have navigated the complexities of insurance claims to be able to help. You may have to dig a little to find the right company.

It's important to remember that established local contractors in an area where several families have had damage to their homes won't need to come looking for work. The best and most reputable companies will already have plenty of work.

Ask any professional you are considering whether they will be available to meet with your insurance adjuster onsite. Knowledgeable roofers know the importance of working directly with the insurance company and will make it a priority to help.

Getting your roof repaired or replaced the right way is your primary goal. A responsible roofing contractor like Bennett Roofing & Restoration will be on your side and will advocate for the best solution to your issues. We'll work to help you get the correct value assigned to your roofing insurance claim.

What to Know About Working With Your Insurance Company

Moving quickly to identify your roofing professional and contacting your insurance company with information about your property damage is essential. The first step your insurance company will take is assigning a claim representative to your case. That representative schedules an adjuster to visit your property and assess the damage. Your roofer must also attend to ensure all the damages are correctly recorded.

Your roofer can also help inform the adjuster of any local building codes. Refrain from assuming that your adjuster will know this; many adjusters are out of the area and may need to be updated on current regulations. Once the adjuster has assessed the damage, your insurer will create an estimate that reflects your policy type and necessary repairs.

Make Sure You Review Your Claim Estimate

Ask your roofer to review the insurance estimate for inaccuracies. Adjusters typically use software that automatically assigns coverage values. If your adjuster missed or misunderstood anything, your assessment may not be accurate. Incorrect measurements can also invalidate your claim.

Your contractor is the best person to catch any problems that may cause "under-scoping," which is an issue that prevents you from getting the money you're entitled to under your policy.

The best time to get estimates changed is before any work begins. Your claim representative should be able to answer any questions and make changes if necessary. Some insurance companies can be challenging to work with, which is where your contractor can help with explaining what to ask for and deciphering the language used by the insurer. Your roofer can also file a supplemental to demonstrate why specific materials or work are needed to restore your roof.

Once you understand and are comfortable with the estimate, your roofing contractor can prepare a contract outlining the repair or replacement covered by the insurer. Signing the agreement means that you're responsible for paying the contractor, even if the insurance company does not cover everything, so make sure you have read it carefully and understand the scope of the work.

Frequently Asked Questions About the Insurance Process

As a homeowner, you most likely have specific questions about your insurance policies and how those function under particular circumstances. Here are some of the questions we often hear and the insights we can share.

How Does My Policy Type Impact My Coverage?

You may have two main types of coverage on your roof: RCV, replacement cost value, and ACV, actual cash value.

RCV is the most traditional type of coverage and does not factor in any depreciation. Even if your damaged roof was five years old, the insurer pays you enough to make your house right again — that would be the current cost of replacing the roof, minus any deductible.

The second type, ACV, means that your insurance company takes you the amount needed to repair or replace your roof, then subtracts your deductible and any depreciation you have because your roof is older to determine your payout.

What is recoverable depreciation?

With a replacement cost value (RCV) policy, you get depreciation — but how it works can be confusing.

Your insurance company will quickly give you the cash value or what your roof is worth after depreciation. To get the amount of the recoverable depreciation, you'll have to submit proof that the roof replacement or repairs were completed. In other words, you'll receive two checks from your insurance company; one will be the actual value of your roof, and the other will be the difference between the cost to fix it and the value.

To get the recoverable depreciation, you will likely have to submit a copy of your roofing contractor's invoice to your claim representative. The invoice can indicate any payments you've already made, but it has to show that the total payments and any remaining balance equal the replacement cost value (RCV). This prevents dishonest homeowners from inflating the bill or having their contractors do less than complete repairs and pocket the difference.

What are supplementals?

A supplemental (sometimes called a supplement) is a charge that needs to be added to your claim because something has been discovered after work began on your roof. Sometimes this is a mistake that the adjuster made that isn't found right away; other times, it may be due to problems with the roof that were only found once a portion was removed.

Filing for supplemental coverage may be needed because not enough materials or materials of lesser quality than what you're replacing were approved by the insurance adjuster. Adjusters may leave some items off their estimates, like pipe jacks, HVAC caps, or ridge caps. Depending on your insurance company's policies, getting these included will likely require a supplemental to prove that the items are necessary. 

In most cases, preparing this supplement requires your roofing company to create documentation — including paperwork, photos, or video — and submit it to your insurance company. It's essential to work with a roofing company that understands the process of submitting supplementals and can adequately document the requests for changes.

Bennett Roofing & Restoration is here to answer all your questions about emergency roof repairs or replacement, including how to get started with the insurance process. Contact us for an assessment of your damage and to get started on fixing your roof.