The rash of storms and hurricanes has left many insurance companies overloaded and some are placing the burden of estimating repair costs back on the policyholder.
We saw a lot of severe weather throughout 2017 and because of the volume of damage, we’ve noticed a shift in the way some insurance companies are working with their policyholders. When a claim is submitted to the insurance company, an adjuster typically would visit the property and prepare an estimate for what the repair or replacement will cost.
This is starting to shift. Many homeowners have told us that their insurance company directs them to get three bids and send them in for review. In these cases, the insurance company could choose the lowest bid. The danger with this is that just because a contractor came in with the lowest bid, doesn’t mean that they are the right contractor for the job. The homeowner should ask themselves how they would know if the lowest bidder would put a quality roof on their home. Just as important, the homeowner may not know if the full scope of damage is being addressed by the contractor or the insurance company if they do not receive a full adjuster’s report outlining the scope of the damage in detail.
The insurance company doesn’t know anything about the contractor, outside of the dollar amount on a piece of paper. It’s important that as the homeowner and policyholder to remember that you are the customer and you have the right to talk to your insurance company about which contractor to select. If you have done your due diligence, you will have gotten references and have a good feel for which contractor is going to be the right one for the job.
Don’t be afraid to ask. Insurance companies put a lot of weight into their customer satisfaction (C-SAT) scores. Resolving claims quickly and easily is important to them so they are likely going to be willing to work with you to find the right contractor to repair your roof.
Always choose a contractor that is licensed through the Roofing Contractor’s Association of Texas, and is certified by the manufacturers to install their specific products. Texas Traditions Roofing meets these criteria and we are happy to provide a free inspection and evaluation for your roof repair. Request your today.