Well here in Louisville we had a High Wind event yesterday with winds of 30 to 40 MPH sustained and gusts to 75 MPH. I have some roof damage in that some of the shingles blew off. It is not down to the wood just the shingles blew off with the black tar paper still covering it. My question is that the roof is 18 years old and my policy has the...full value of roof... in the policy...Should I file a claim first..I have Liberty Mutual..or contact a roofer first. I know that the age of the roof will decrease the amount...any opinions on how to handle this???
Roof damage
- Thread starter hrv
- Start date
Personally, I would get an estimate to fix it to see if I wanted to turn it in or not.
Insurance should be reserved for catastrophic losses. Sure, they'll pay the bill, and get it back out of you the following years to some extent.
Insurance should be reserved for catastrophic losses. Sure, they'll pay the bill, and get it back out of you the following years to some extent.
In Colorado my parents have been finding that unfortunately roofers have been way overpricing roofing materials and labor costs yet the insurance forks out the money. I'd contact the insurance company and then start looking. Not sure how many were affected but many a fly-by night company pop up after roof damage.
This was a widespread wind event here in the midwest so I am sure there are a lot of people with roof issues...
18 years is not that old for a roof. I have replaced damaged or missing shingles myself once in a while for years. Keep in mind, if you have turned in fairly recent claims before, the frequent claims is what gets policy holders in trouble with a cancellation. I have a high deductable to keep rates down so I do not turn in small claims, I fix them myself. I would get a couple roofers up there to examine the roof before the adjuster comes out. The damage may not meet your deductable and only amount to a few hundred dollars..
Do not settle for a lazy roofer or even an adjuster using a drone to examine your roof. They need to get up there to properly evaluate the whole rooftop up close.
Thanks for your reply. I was looking at my policy and I have the actual cash value...so they would depreciate the roof for the years...so I dont think I would get that much..I have a 2000.00 ded.
I've seen insurance companies pay for the entire thing, even with many years on the roof. I would call them and ask how they are currently handling claims like this.
20-22 years the the limit for a dimensional asphalt shingle roof in southern Illinois (which is not far and not that different of a climate from Louisville, KY). 18 years is when we start thinking about a new one. I was one of the last people to replace my roof in my subdivision, and it was well past its prime at 23 years... even though it was rated as a '50 year' shingle when it was installed.
A couple of moderate hail storms (which are typical in the midwest) over the span of 20 years, will rapidly age a roof. Add to that hail, the fact that we get it all.... Heat, cold and wind. One good hail storm will finish any asphalt shingle roof off, regardless of age. My boss is now on her second roof in less than 10 years.
My roof was the first insurance claim on my house in 23 years. I have replacement cost coverage, so it was covered at 100%. We'd had a widespread hail storm come through the previous summer, so lots of roofs of all ages were being replaced.
Starting about 5 years prior to the roof claim, my homeowner's insurance premium had been increasing by around 20% each year, with zero claims ever. I originally was not planning on claiming the roof on my insurance... but the insurance company had already been increasing my premium as if they were expecting a claim. So I decided to give them one.
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Before you contact a roofer, choose what shingle brand you want and enter your zip code and look for contractors. They will often list 2 tiers of roofing companies. Choose the best.
And consider if your willing to pay more for better shingles. There are shingles for fighting algae streaking and shingles that contain a rubber polymer to resist hail damage for an Oklahoman.
And consider if your willing to pay more for better shingles. There are shingles for fighting algae streaking and shingles that contain a rubber polymer to resist hail damage for an Oklahoman.
I’d call the insurance company. My house is 20yrs old. Replaced the entire roof due to wind damage in 2018 and insurance paid for it all. Yes they did raise my rates. However my in laws had their rates raised because other houses in the neighborhood, not theirs, had roof damage one year. The amount of roofs damaged that year brought up the overall risk calculation of the neighborhood. So they had to pay more in insurance the next year for other people’s roof.
Bottom line is they will raise the price if it suits them. My two cents, use insurance when you need it. That’s what insurance for.
Bottom line is they will raise the price if it suits them. My two cents, use insurance when you need it. That’s what insurance for.
Start with a roofer you trust (good luck here) to decide whether to file a claim or not. And yes, they need to actually get up on the roof. Based on your policy description, high deductible and acv, and roof age, you may be on the hook for most everything plus have a claim on your policy. Get an estimate for repair if possible and full replacement and work from there.
The price of everything in the aggregates and commodities markets are highly unstable. It’s gotten a little better but it’s still not what anyone would consider normal. It’s tougher on the smaller contractors that have less volume and buying power. And Residential is all small contractors. They will price up a job and by the time they close the deal the price of material could’ve gone up. Then they get stuck with the adjustment. So what people are doing now is over pricing to cover any price adjustments. Worst case it’s covered, best case they just pocket the difference. It sucks, but I can’t really say I blame them. They have to keep the bills paid and lights on too.
It’s not lazy. It’s just the way that it is. If anyone thinks it’s easy they should try to predict the price of gas in two weeks within 2% and see how close they are. Then do that every two week for a year. I bet they’ll be wrong more times then they are right. Now imagine your mortgage payment hinges on that prediction.
Too many variables determine shingle life. To say 20-22 years is the limit is an incorrect statement. Attic ventillation, shingle color and type, climate (mostly hail) etc. are all factors. My roof is 28 years old and is just begining to lose gravel. They are not brittle, curled or damaged. The shingles are the old three tab, were the best at that time. I am in Northern Ohio and now planning on a tear off.
We live in Iowa and get lots of hail from severe weather. We have had a new roof twice in 13 years of living in this house. If we suspect something we call the insurance company to have an adjuster look and let us know. We then work with a contractor to get it repaired. I will say my insurance has not gone up much at all. It went up more with my sons speeding ticket than the hail damage...
Just my $0.02
Just my $0.02
I think I explained my reasoning sufficiently, and it is not incorrect for this area. Thanks for responding.
I wish I had that but I have the roof actual value and I think when they deduct the depreciation for 18 years on a 1200 square foot house and my 2000.00 ded it wont be that much..plus it will show a claim on my record..
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