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• After you file a claim with your home or business insurance provider, an adjuster will visit your home or business and inspect the damage. 

• He or she will decide how much the insurance company will pay toward your claim. Often, you’ll get an advance against the total amount your provider is paying (this is found in the ACV Column of your adjustment). 

• This ACV payment allows you to start the repairs to your roof, but it does not represent the total payment. The total estimated amount is found in the RCV Column of your adjustment. (I say estimated because adjusters do not have x-ray vision. If you discover more damage, you or your contractor need to document the additional damage and submit this documentation to your adjuster.) 

• Your adjuster will then work with your contractor to update your claim. This provision provides great peace of mind for any home or business owner. You will not have to worry about additional or hidden costs from the contractor, as the insurance company adjusts the claim when additional covered damage is found.

• Research an honest, licensed roofing contractor. Some indications of their integrity can be that they are HAAG-Certified and if they have great (and real, check the reviewers!) reviews on Google, Facebook, etc. But the most effective way to verify a contractor is to call the local Supply House where the contractor purchases materials, and the manufacture of the shingles the contractor is planning to install. Check to see if they are Certified by the manufacturer.

• Work with the project manager and the contractor. Permitting them to speak about the project freely with your insurance carrier will allow a quicker repair or replacement.

• You can help speed the process along if you regularly follow up with the adjuster once the work is done.

This is known as a “lose-lose” scenario. Everybody loses, and here’s why: 

Imagine the adjuster your insurance carrier sent out estimates $13,000 to replace your roof, and you have a $1,000 deductible.

Let’s say you find a contractor who can do it for $10,000. Then this contractor does everything listed on the estimate. When the roofer is finished, they will send proof to the adjuster that they did everything the adjuster listed on the estimate, and the insurance company will then send you $9,000. You would then take the $9,000 you received from the insurance company, add your $1,000 to it, and pay your contractor the $10,000 that the contractor estimated.

Seems practical? There are actually a few reasons it’s not.

In this scenario, all the parties lost. The roofer made less money and most likely skimped on quality and cut corners to give the low “bid.” For the low price, you most likely do not have a warranty from the manufacturer or the roofer. So, when the roof leaks in the next few years, the insurance company will have to pay out more money to repair the damages to the inside of your home. 

It cost more in the long run, and then you lose as a homeowner because you have to pay a roofer to fix or replace the roof (again) that should have been done right the first time.

For more information, visit  https://sladeroof.com/insurance-claim/

Definition: A deductible is the amount of money a policyholder must pay out-of-pocket toward damages or a loss before their insurance company will pay the remainder for a claim.

Your deductible will be taken out of the claim money you receive from your insurance company. For instance, if your insurance adjuster is estimating a replacement cost value of $1,500 for your claim and your deductible is $500, you’ll receive $1,000. You will then take the $1,000 you received from the insurance company add your $500 to it and pay your contractor the $1,500 that the insurance company estimated.

Insurance companies try to take into account the changes that will happen in the future that may affect what a building needs, and they’ve set up a sort of provisional coverage that may be added onto policies to protect your assets further. Dave Moore Insurance explains this coverage very well:

“Building Ordinance or Law insurance coverage is a common property insurance endorsement that reimburses property owners for cost associated with demolishing, repairing, rebuilding, or constructing a structure if a covered loss prompts additional changes due to laws or regulations. Usually, these ordinances or laws are associated with local building codes, which require the property to be up to current specifications.”

Here’s their link to read more about this particular coverage and how it can benefit your home insurance protection:

https://www.davemooreinsurance.com/news-and-resources/what-is-building-ordinance-or-law-coverage/

Roofing codes will allow one time of covering over a roof that has existing damage. However, it’s a bad idea. Putting a new product over old problems is a recipe for disaster. This would be like placing a newspaper over dog poop. It was a bad idea the first time it was thought of, it was a bad idea the second time, and it’s still a bad idea.

In many cases, upgrading to impact-rated shingles with a lifetime warranty cost only a few hundred extra dollars added to your claim. So, yes, when you’re spending $12,000 on an average roof, spending 2% more to extend the life of that roof for another 20 years is an amazing deal. Throw in the wind warranty and hail resistance, and it’s a no brainer.

Please refer to question, "What if I find a contractor who can do the job for less money?".

This is known as a “lose-lose” scenario. Everybody loses, and here’s why: 

Imagine the adjuster your insurance carrier sent out estimates $13,000 to replace your roof, and you have a $1,000 deductible.

Let’s say you find a contractor who can do it for $10,000. Then this contractor does everything listed on the estimate. When the roofer is finished, they will send proof to the adjuster that they did everything the adjuster listed on the estimate, and the insurance company will then send you $9,000. You would then take the $9,000 you received from the insurance company, add your $1,000 to it, and pay your contractor the $10,000 that the contractor estimated.

Seems practical? There are actually a few reasons it’s not.

In this scenario, all the parties lost. The roofer made less money and most likely skimped on quality and cut corners to give the low “bid.” For the low price, you most likely do not have a warranty from the manufacturer or the roofer. So, when the roof leaks in the next few years, the insurance company will have to pay out more money to repair the damages to the inside of your home. 

It cost more in the long run, and then you lose as a homeowner because you have to pay a roofer to fix or replace the roof (again) that should have been done right the first time.

For more information, visit  https://sladeroof.com/insurance-claim/

Bid: An offer (at a certain price) for something, especially at an auction.  

Estimate: To roughly calculate or judge the value, number, quantity, or extent of something.

Getting a roof properly repaired is never a “bidding” situation. That results in sacrificing long-term quality for the short-term price. A roofing claim is always based on an estimate, as roofers and adjusters do not have x-ray vision.

Any leftover roofing materials from a project belong to the contractor. Selling, keeping, or disposing of the leftover product is considered theft.

Great questions! Simply put: HAAG-Certified Inspectors are tested professionals who possess the resources to assess roof damage with confidence, and they understand what documentation the insurance company needs to make your insurance claim go smoothly. 

It’s common sense: building materials don’t last forever. Throughout a product’s life cycle, its ability to keep you dry and insulated can be affected in a variety of ways. The natural process of weathering and aging can be accelerated by a number of factors:

• problems during manufacturing

• design issues or errors during installation

• the damaging effects of hail and wind or other non-natural (mechanical) forces

While these issues are very different in origin, on the surface, they can look quite similar. Determining the actual cause of a problem with confidence requires advanced knowledge and thorough investigation techniques.

This is why Haag Certification is so valuable. Haag-Certified Inspectors are not beginners in the field. They are adjusters, estimators, home inspectors, roofing contractors, consultants, and other industry pros who have fine-tuned their inspection skills to find damage where it exists.

Not only must students meet prerequisites to attend, but they receive three days of direct and intensive training from seasoned Haag Engineers. (Haag’s course developers and teachers draw on HAAG’s long history as a leader in the field of forensic engineering. Course instructors have over 300 years of combined field experience and have authored numerous industry-leading reports and researched studies on damage assessment.)

To earn their designation as HAAG- Certified Inspectors, students must prove an in-depth understanding of advanced damage assessment techniques and philosophies by passing a comprehensive final exam.

Students maintain active status as Certified Inspectors by requalifying through testing on an annual basis. Simply put once more: HAAG-Certified Inspectors are tested professionals who possess the resources to assess damage with confidence.

Check our team of HAAG Certified Inspectors Tyler Slade, Dallin Slade, Dee Armstrong, Prem Mall, and Addisen Johnsen at www.HaagCertifiedInspector.com today!

Example 1

Private Pay

When you hire a roofer, 50%  of payment is due before work starts, and the balance is due when work is completed. You pay the contractor out of your savings.

VS

Insurance Claim

Insurance payments are due when you receive payment from the insurance company. The adjuster decides the scope of the work and price the roofer will be paid.

Example 2

Private Pay

When additional damage is found aka multiple layers of roofing, damaged decking, additional requirements by city code officials… Your contractor will update the estimate and you may be over budget on your project.

VS

Insurance Claim

When additional damage is found (such as multiple layers of roofing, damaged decking, additional requirements by city code officials), your contractor will send documentation of additional damage found to your adjuster. Your adjuster will adjust the claim to cover these additional damages, providing they are properly documented.

Actual Cash Value (ACV) isn’t equivalent to replacement cost value (RCV). ACV is calculated by subtracting depreciation from the estimated replacement cost value. The depreciation amount is calculated based on the expected “useful life” of the home, and then that depreciation percentage is multiplied by the RCV to get the ACV. 

Here’s an example: Bill purchased a 30yr roof for $10,000 Fifteen years ago. The roof is damaged in a hail storm. Bill has a $1,000 deductible. His insurance adjuster tells him that the roof had a calculated “useful life” of 30 years, and that  A similar roof today costs $13,500. The destroyed property had 50% (15 years) of its life remaining. The ACV = ($13,500) X (50%”The expected useful life remaining”) answer $6,750. If Bill does not have replacement cost coverage RCV then all Bill would receive in this scenario is $5,750. (ACV-deductible) If Bill had Replacement  cost coverage he likely would have received $12,500 (RCV - Deductible)

Any of our project Managers or your insurance agent can help you.

Yes, There is always a difference. Unless you are the kind of person that would rather have a microwave burrito rather than one one from a restaurant. What I am saying is there is always a difference, they may look the same but they are not the same. This is why there is a difference in price, However, If insurance is paying for an authentic burrito from a high quality restaurant and you would rather have a microwave burrito, then have at it.

• The missing funds could be your deductible. (For example, the cost to fix your roof is $10,000, and your deductible is $1,000, then they would send $9,000. Because $1,000 of the cost is paid by you.)

• It could be that you do not have replacement cost coverage on your policy. This is a good time to call your agent and verify all these things. If you bought insurance online and you do not have an agent, now is an excellent time to hire one. We recommend hiring based on the agent and their services and policies, not on the initial price for the policy.

• It could be that you do not have Code Coverage (aka ordinance or law coverage).

• What you are most likely looking at is the first check the insurance company will send. This is known as the ACV (actual cash value). If you have Replacement Cost Coverage on your homeowner’s policy, your insurance carrier will send you a second check once you prove that the work has been done. The ACV is sent so that you can get started. Insurance companies do not send all of the money upfront because some people would take the money without getting the work done, trying to profit from the claim.

Insurance deductibles are part of the agreement between policyholders and insurance companies that help to ensure accountability in the event of an accident or claim. Asking a repairman to “cover the deductible” by increasing an estimate or bill is considered fraud. For more details, please feel free to visit this Homeowner’s Insurance Fraud outline.

Insurance is not a get-rich-quick scheme in the event of an accident or claim. There aren't roundabout, "thrifty " ways of getting reimbursed by an insurance company for a roofing claim while pocketing most of the checks you receive. 

In short, insurance is meant to restore you to the state you were in prior to an accident. No insurance company on earth is going to rebuild your home bigger or better than it was before a claim. They will all put it back together with "like, kind and quality" materials. In the claim process, trying to save money in the short-term (either for yourself or for the insurance company) is often devastatingly expensive in the long run.

For more information go to  https://sladeroof.com/insurance-claim/

Waiting for prices to “drop” for roofing supplies is not recommended for a multitude of reasons:

• The insurance company adjusts with inflation, so you don’t have to worry about it. Your deductible will always be the same.

• There is a window of time after an accident or damage occurs in which you need to have your roof repairs done in order to get a full replacement.

• Getting your roof fixed quickly ensures that you do not have further damage from leaking.