Insurance adjusters often minimize payouts by classifying storm damage as “wear and tear”. This hides the fact that “recoverable depreciation” is only paid after the work is completed and invoiced. They may not even volunteer information on matching laws, supplements for hidden damages or even the strict timelines required to claim full replacement costs. So, what does all this mean?
Many policies pay the actual cash value, or ACV, replacement cost minus depreciation, upfront. When you replace your roof, you must then submit final invoices to recover that money that is withheld for depreciation. This is usually not explained clearly.
If you are replacing only part of your roof, the matching law requires replacing the entire roof for “uniformity”, if an exact match cannot be made. Insurance adjusters don’t explain this law very well during roofing claims.
Insurance adjusters often rush through the initial review of the damage to the roof. Often missing damage and underquoting costs. As a homeowner and policy owner, you can “supplement” the claim to get more money. To do this the contractor must submit proof of necessary extra costs.
Did you know there is often a limited window (typically 6-12 months) to complete repairs on your roof and submit final invoices to get your depreciation money back? This timeline expectation is often not explained during the insurance adjuster’s review.
To help you avoid many of these hassles, have your roofing contract present when your insurance adjuster is there. When the two work together, hassles and miscommunication is often missed. Reducing the problems of filing claims after the fact.
If you need an experienced local roofing contractor to help you work with your insurance adjuster on your roof repair or replacement, call DownUnder Roofing today. We are local to Kansas City and have experience working with insurance companies. Down Under Roofing has a proven track record and is licensed and insured. Contact the team today to see how we can help you with your gutter and roofing needs.
