What is considered a roof damage?

Question

I had an appraisal show up from insurance to check on my roof for hail damage. He said that my roof does not have much hail damage and only some loose shingles. I had a conctractor checked on my roof today and he said that my roof should be replaced because of wind damage itself. You can lift most shingles with your hand with minimum effort, so I'm guessing when there are heavy rain and strong wind... it could blow my shingles off from the roof again or damage the roof under the loose shingles.

Should the insurance replace my roof for wind damage even though there are no visible hail damage?

My roof is only 5 years old.

Answer 1

Hail damage is little dents, or big holes, depending on the size of the hail. Think, really heavy golf balls hitting the roof.

How old is your roof? It's pretty unusual to be able to lift shingles with your hand - usually after one summer the tar kinda sticks 'em together, regardless of the rain. Sounds more like it wasn't fastened down right in the first place. Either that, or the roofing contractor is pulling a fast one. If your roof is old, and wearing out, though, the shingles will be buckling & pulling up . . I'm wondering if this is the case? But it wouldn't be individual shingles.

Wind and hail are two seperate events. Usually when there's a storm big enough to give wind damage to your house, the insurance company gets multiple wind claims. Did any of your neighbors have any wind damage?

Something else to ask about . . .do you have replacement cost on your house, or actual cash value, and how old is the roof? The normal lifespan of an asphalt shingle roof, depending on the part of the country you are in, is 15 - 20 years. If your roof is at the older end of that range, it's possible you're just due to replace it, from wearing out.

If I were you, I'd get at LEAST two more roofing contractors out there and get their opinion and estimates. Something to watch out for, is the contractor that goes in and says, oh, yes, your homeowners policy will pay for this. Then they fix your roof . . . your claim is denied for whatever reason (usually because it's just an old roof, and wore out, in my experience) then the contractor demands payment anyway . . .slaps a mechanic's lein on your house, or offers you "financing" at 25% interest or something horrendous like that. . .

Answer 2

usually if you can lift most shingles by hand, and they are not ripped and broken, its a result of age and wont be covered. many carriers say that if your shingles were sealing correctly, and the wind was strong enough to rip up the seals on the shingles, they would have ripped the whole shingle off. if you dont have visible hail damage....your just stuck with an old roof. you might need a new roof..but it doesnt mean its due to a covered loss, and in that case insurance wont pay

Answer 3

I had this problem with wind damage (a tornado came thru) on my roof. The insurance company said that the roof was older and would not replace it due to wind damage. If you have a receipt of when your roof was done, I would use this as a bargaining point.

Answer 4

I am a contractor and most insurance companies don't quibble about replacing a roof because of all the other damage that can be done by a bad roof. You may have to get 2-3 roof contractors to give you written statements as to the extent of damage, their recommendations, and estimates. Then submit these to your insurance company.

Answer 5

The answer is it depends. I am not joking [ full disclosure I am an insurance lawyer] The first thing that it depends on it your particular policy. You have to read it. Secondly, you have to interpret it i.e. how are the important terms defined in the definitions section. Lastly, you have to gather the facts to [ i.e. evidence] that supports your claim and your interpretation of the relevant policy.
Another problem is that the insurance policy does not pay to prevent damage, it pays for damage incurred.

You could try to argue to get a premium reduction if you don't have any luck getting your claim paid.

You can also hire a lawyer who specializes in fighting over insurance coverage to file a DJ - Declaratory Action - to get the courts to declare that this loss is covered under your insurance policy. i.e. the recent suit to get some insurers to cover Hurricane Katrina losses.

Good Luck!!

Answer 6

Roofing hail damage in an insurance claim. These differences of opinion exist from roofing contractor-to-roofing contractor, adjuster-to-adjuster, between contractors and adjusters, or between insurance companies and pretty much everyone involved in the hail restoration business.

Answer 7

You would need to contact the adjuster who denied the claim & ask if you will need to file an additional claim. In addition, make a phone call to your insurance agent & ask him / her to follow up on it. That is what you pay them for.

If you have an on-line insurance company, you will have to call their claims line phone number & ask the operator. Most HOMEOWNERS Insurance policies will pay for wind damage as long as it was caused by one incident.

If the damage was caused over a long period of time, you could be denied payment, as it would be considered a maintenance issue. As the property owner / policyholder, it is your responsibilty to maintain your home & to avoid preventable damage.

Answer 8

if you prove them that this happen after heavy wind. if this is normal wear and tear, they will not replace for you.