Roofing Facts: Separating Reality from Fiction
Roofing Facts: Separating Reality from Fiction
There are a lot of roofing misconceptions that have been regarded as fact and roofing facts regarded as fiction. We wanted to address some of the most popular ones we hear and hopefully set the record straight.
If I don’t file a claim, I can avoid my rates going up
This really depends on the insurance carrier you have. Some don’t take your claims history into account, while others do (and thus negatively affect your rate). Excessive filing within a short period of time, however, is detrimentally to your policy.
In general, however, most insurance carriers won’t hold filing for a catastrophe (or act of God) against a homeowner. By choosing not to file your claim, you’re allowing for the other policyholders to reap the benefits at your expense. Even still, your rates may still go up (usually after a large storm).
I don’t want to fix the cosmetic issues because I would be “taking advantage” of my insurance company
We hear of so many homeowners who get a little bit gun shy about including cosmetic issues on their claim. They want only to replace or repair things that have a functional purpose, and understandably so. Here’s the way we see it, though. When you have the opportunity to group cosmetic issues into a claim, you should. We’re not twisting the truth or taking advantage of your insurance company, we’re simply using every benefit you’re already owed.
Secondly, when you go to sell your home, some of these cosmetic issues may come up during the inspection and require a fix. If you don’t do it now, you’ll be paying for these fixes out-of-pocket.
I’m getting my new roof for free because my roofer just offered to cover the deductible
Many roofing contractors have used this as part of their sales pitch and what most homeowners don’t realize is that it is illegal to do so. A roofing company can’t “technically” offer to pay for your deductible. Most insurance companies will split the payout of an insurance claim into two checks. To become eligible for the second check, your insurance carrier will need sufficient proof that you incurred the cost of the deductible. In order for a roofer to “cover the deductible” it would require that they falsify an invoice which is committing insurance fraud.
This is quite a gray area and roofing companies that do this unfortunately have made it a norm in the industry. Though the intent is good, we would be concerned about the ethics and integrity of the company.
I don’t think that recent storm did any damage to my roof
You may be right or surprisingly wrong. We’ve inspected roofs before where only 2 shingles were missing. Upon further inspection, we saw that the roof had substantial damage and the entire roof needed to be replaced. Other times it was inconsequential damage. The nice thing about having a roofing contractor taking a look is that we will document any damage for future comparison.
In the worst case, you have a roofer inspect your roof and there is no actual damage. It will cost you nothing to get a second opinion.
Summary
We hope that these roofing facts help set the record straight for common misconceptions. If you ever have concerns with your roof and want a guide through the insurance process then call Mutual Roofing! We’re happy to be a second set of eyes and ears for you. To schedule your free inspection, call (402) 889-3381 or fill out our contact form!