Filing a homeowners claim for storm damage ?

[teachermom2834]

We had a bad hailstorm in our town last week. It has been declared a catastrophic event. Pretty much everyone will need new roofs, gutters, siding repairs.

 

Our quiet neighborhood is busy with contractors canvassing for business. I know to do my research and be careful who I hire. Some of the contractors (not all) have mentioned wanting to be present when the insurance adjuster comes to make sure adjustor doesn't miss anything and to get everyone on the same page.

 

Thoughts? If I have a contractor chosen should he be here when adjustor comes? Is that how it is done?

 

I need a new roof and gutters for sure. The siding will be a grey area as far as if it needs to be replaced or repaired or just painted. Any advice on handling the process?

[prairiewindmomma]

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Edited March 28, 2017 by kbeal

[Seasider]

If it's covered by insurance, call a trustworthy local business that comes with recommendations from people you know. If they're honest, the insurance award should cover the necessary services.

[MEmama]

We had to replace a roof and a shattered window once after a hailstorm. We called our insurance company which sent an claims adjustor out right away. He gave us an estimate and we were able to find a roofer (and window repair) ho quoted us within that range. It was a huge storm; most of our neighbourhood had new roofs after that.

 

I don't know that it makes any difference if they work together or not. An honest repair company will know what insurance will cover and how much.

[bethben]

We did each separately when we had hail damage. The adjuster was amazingly thorough. Then, we hired a company we knew already. I live in a larger city and almost a year out, we still have some repairs to do. The suppliers ran out of roof shingles multiple times and now there a backlog of siding for those that need it. A huge mess!

 

 

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[Lanny]

I would try to get bids from 3 reputable contractors who are based in or near where you live. Not just someone who flocks to your area, after a disaster.  I would never have thought about having a Contractor present when I am meeting with an Insurance Adjuster and assume the Insurance Adjuster would be put off by that.  If it were more serious, a major house fire, or a house destroyed by a Tornado, for examples, I have a friend in FL who is, and I cannot remember his title as I type this, someone who intervenes on the part of the Homeowner (at their expense) to help them file the claim and work with the insurance company, so they don't get the shaft.

 

My only experience with Hail Damage was to my car that was parked at DFW Airport in TX. When I returned from my trip, at first, I thought it had been vandalized.  There had been a major hail storm. My car (and homeowners) insurance was with State Farm Mutual and when I went to their location, they were extremely fair with the settlement.  Your damage, to your house, is much worse than what I had and I would GO SLOW on this. Avoid out of town contractors like the plague...  GL

[Carrie12345]

I can't give a fair answer because, even though dh technically isn't in construction, he is in disaster recovery, working closely with insurance companies, and was able to get a lot more covered than we expected after Sandy.

 

That said, I never trust ambulance chasers, so to speak.  EVER.

[JudoMom]

The way it worked for us most recently was:

1. Insurance adjuster came out and told us what they'd cover.
2.  We had 3 roofing companies come out, and they told us that the way the insurance wanted the roof done (partial replacement) was impossible and we needed a whole roof (we also needed gutters and skylights).  We decided on a company based on references and our impression.
3.  Roofing company and a new insurance adjuster came out.  We ended up getting a whole new roof, more money for fence damage, and some other things.

I don't remember how it worked the previous times (I live in a hail prone area).

[theelfqueen]

 

I think we've had 5 new roofs for Hail. We always get a quote from the insurance adjustors then have our roofer out. They give us a quote. If it is higher we submit the quote to the insurer.

 

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[theelfqueen]

Getting a new garage door this week for Hail damage too

 

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[vonfirmath]

The time we had storm damage, a roofer knocked on our door that day -- but he was on the way home and noticed our roof damage and our fence down. He actually lived on our street. We went with him and were perfectly happy with how it worked out.  He quoted he would replace the roof and the fence we needed replace for what insurance was willing to pay (So all we would owe was our deductible)  Then when we decided to upgrade our roof, we paid that premium as well. (The upcharge)

 

We actually got our roof done faster because they had a cancellation and was going to use the material they already had (so a free upgrade to the fence material, basically) if we were willing to for them to come right away.  We said "Come over"

 

The insurance adjuster came out after we had our written bid from them and just looked at it and okayed the bid.

 

Unfortunately, I never got a clear receipt from them.  Or maybe those are not given in this kind of situation.

 

Edited March 28, 2017 by vonfirmath

[G5052]

In general, I'd keep them separate if you have a good insurance company.

 

I've heard stories of the contractor jacking up the price based on what the insurance company said when actually the work could be done more efficiently for less $$$. 

 

We have a contractor who does roofing, siding, doors, and windows who has done tens of thousands of work for us over the years. He NEVER wants to be there when the insurance adjuster is there. He considers himself an expert on fixing damage and wants to be efficient and cost-effective. After he does his own evaluation, and then asks to see what insurance said. If there's a major disconnect, he will actually work directly with the insurance company.