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Anita Ainsworth
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Roof insurance claim advice

Anita Ainsworth
Posted

Hi, apologises if this is the wrong forum to request advice on insurance claims. Following the recent storms in the US my Davenport property sustained roof, window and interior water damage.  I contacted the insurance company and was sent a cheque for a 1/3rd of the repair estimate . I believed I paid for the best premium available on offer, nearly $4000 per annum so was extremely disappointed by the offer. My question,  if I don’t pay in the cheque but pay for the work to be done privately would this still be classed as an insurance claim? Sorry may seem an oblivious question to most but due to being based in UK and having communication probs with insurance co. I thought I would seek independent advice. 
Also advice would be welcomed on the cost of replacing a shingle roof measuring 53ft x 58ft completed by  a reliable trustworthy roofer permitted to carry out work in Florida. 
thank you very much. 

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Greg Scott
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  • Rental Property Investor
  • SE Michigan
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Greg Scott
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  • Rental Property Investor
  • SE Michigan
Replied

Contact a Public Adjuster, not your insurance carrier's adjuster.

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John Mocker#1 Insurance Contributor
  • Insurance Agent
  • Norwalk, CT
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John Mocker#1 Insurance Contributor
  • Insurance Agent
  • Norwalk, CT
Replied

Anita,

Sometimes the company will advance a portion of the loss and then pay the remainder once there is proof that the loss is completed.  Check to see if this is the case.  The other thing to check is if your policy only provide the Actual Cash value on the roof.  Actual Cash value is defined at the Replacement Cost less Depreciation.  That could also be what is causing the lower payment.

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Chris Seveney
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  • Investor
  • Virginia
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Chris Seveney
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  • Virginia
Replied

@Anita Ainsworth

What was the deductible? You were probably shorted because you had a high deductible

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Anita Ainsworth
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Anita Ainsworth
Replied

Thank you for your time and responses, I will be sure to check the points raised.

Thank you

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John Morgan
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  • Rental Property Investor
  • Grand Prairie, TX
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John Morgan
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  • Rental Property Investor
  • Grand Prairie, TX
Replied

@Anita Ainsworth

Contact any roofer. They work with insurance companies and will take care of it all. The insurance company will send you some $ upfront then pay you one last check when they get the completion certificate. Some insurance companies come in low but your roofer will make sure they pony up for whatever it takes to get it up to code. Then your insurance cost for next year will most likely go down because you have a new roof and won’t have any roofing claims for years due to storms most likely. This claim won’t hurt you.

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Jerry V.
  • Contractor
  • Richardson, TX
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Jerry V.
  • Contractor
  • Richardson, TX
Replied

(from a Roofer!)  Ok, MOST of your initial concerns, can be answered by ... KNOWING how your policy is structured and set up.  We (as Roofers, contractors) can only "guess" what is happening and all.  Many times, especially since you are not local, you tell an agent or broker (go through a Broker!) that, "I want full coverage, but low payments"  sooo... they set you up with with full payout, but a high delectable!  Or, you get very low payments over time, then find out that you only have a Cash Value policy, and will only get the 1st check/payment of the full sum.  SOOoooo many things are dependent on how it is setup.

Commonly, if the Ins Co is giving you $20K for the loss (IF they approve the payout, then you must do the repairs! (more options to this, but we'll keep it simple)) So $20K, minus $5K deductible = $15K towards the Loss.  They'll usually send you the paperwork and around $7,500.  Once the work is completed, submit the Invoices and they'll release the other $7.500 (or whatever is approved) to you.  That last portion is the Recoverable Depreciation which is normally given.  IF you have a Cash only policy, then you won't get that 2nd check!

You can of course, get a PA (public adjuster) to inflate the $ you get from the Ins company.  If your not local, or don't know the processes.. this may be a good option.  (I/we don't like them, but they serve a purpose)  Get bids from ESTABLISHED Roofers, carpenters, etc... and get the work done!  If you don't have a prop mgr here to do this for you, unfortunately you may have to get a GC to do all the different fields of work for you. (since you can't manage it yourself).

There's a LOT more to all this of course, but so I don't wear out the keyboard, I'll stop for now.  If you have specific questions that I can help with, let me know!

Jerry w/ J's Roofing   Richardson, Texas

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Patricia Steiner
  • Real Estate Broker
  • Hyde Park Tampa, FL
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Patricia Steiner
  • Real Estate Broker
  • Hyde Park Tampa, FL
Replied

It's important that you know this:  once you report an issue at the property, it's a claim. Even if you make the repairs yourself out-of-pocket, once you report the issue it becomes a claim - and it stays reported as such on the property for 7 or more years.  A client of mine recently went through this and didn't even submit a claim - just reported the issue and then advised that she would pay the repairs out-of-pocket.  The property is located in Florida and she was cancelled immediately - although she has perfect credit and has no claim history.  

There are many factors that go into determining what your reimbursement will be.  Your insurance agent can walk you through the policy coverage so at least you understand why it wasn't what you expected (and rarely is it).

Cost of shingle roof repair. Most roofers can give you an estimate over the phone/online because they measure the roof line via a satellite service.  Call three roofers in your area to get quotes and to determine how soon the work could be completed.  Most roofers in my market are already booked through February.

Hope this helps...

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Anita Ainsworth
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Anita Ainsworth
Replied

Thank you, the information/advice was very helpful and has provided some clarification for me. 

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Anita Ainsworth
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Anita Ainsworth
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Thank you so much everyone, I’m so glad I used the site, the information I have received has been extremely helpful. Thank you and Happy New you to you all.