When you’re a homeowner who wants to get as much value as you can from where you live, you need a game plan for repairs and replacements. Without a doubt, your roof is one of the most significant replacements that you’ll handle for your home.
Roughly 7% of homeowners re-roof their homes annually. It’s a replacement that affects your shelter, property, and property values.
If you’re interested in replacing your roof, you need to learn how to get insurance to pay for roof replacement. Here’s how you can make it happen.
Know What Kind of Policy You Have
After you’re hit by a storm, your roof pieces start to fall apart, or you just notice that it’s time for a roof replacement, start with your insurance policy. You pay homeowner’s insurance faithfully so that you can pay for the work that you need on your roof without it coming out of your pocket.
Learning about the basic categories of insurance will help. You might also have specific clauses in your homeowner’s insurance that dictate roof work.
Consider the type of policy you have and how this can dictate the roof replacement work that you get:
Guaranteed Cost Insurance
This is a type of homeowner’s insurance is comprehensive, and gives you the most likely chance to get your roof work paid for. It’s one of the best policies to have because it adds a buffer for inflation, and covers you for your roof replacement work regardless of the price tag.
You will appreciate having this policy since it goes well beyond the bare minimum, and will cover you from worst-case scenarios. Many of these policies also have clauses for roof replacements and other types of major upgrades.
Replacement Cost Insurance
When handling a replacement, this is one of the most common types of insurance that homeowners call upon. The policy covers the replacement of your home for the current dollar amount that it will cost.
Actual Cash Value Insurance
With this type of policy, you’re able to pay for the cost of your home and possessions, while also making provisions for depreciation. It will depend on the current value of the home based on the market, which means a lot of conditions come into play.
Survey and Document the Damage
Before you install a new roof, you need to take a proper accounting of the damage. In doing this, you will have a better idea about the cost of a new roof. Understanding this will give you a better chance of securing insurance for your replacement roof.
Start by taking notes on everything you know about your roof damage. This means documenting the date of the incident, the age of the roof, and a breakdown of where the heaviest damage occurred. Having this documentation allows you to not only file an accurate claim but also have a better understanding of what kind of work you’re facing.
The most important piece of documentation that you’ll find comes with taking quality photos and videos. Take photo and video content from as many angles as you can to show what kind of damage your roof has sustained and why it needs to be replaced.
Many people today are even flying drones overhead to capture the best possible content. Make sure to also take photo and video content from the inside of your home. The damage will often show in the form of discolored or cracked ceilings and attic damage.
Keep copies of your files in cloud storage and on multiple hard drives for safekeeping. You will then be able to pass this documentation on to a contractor that can take your case further.
Contact Your Insurance Company to Start a Claim
Once you have your ducks in a row, make sure that you touch base with your insurance company to get the claims process going. If this is a roofing emergency, your insurance professional may also advise you on ways to stop the damage in the meantime.
This could mean catching leaks or quickly saving belongings. The insurance company will also advise you on how to prepare your home for a roof replacement.
Your claim will be assigned to an agent that can handle it from the beginning. They’ll ask you a series of pertinent questions related to how the roof was damaged, how long you’ve had it, and other key factors. After conducting your initial interview and collecting your documentation, a claims adjuster will be sent out to the property.
After surveying the property and evaluating your plan, they’ll give you a dollar amount for how much the company will pay. Keep your claims number and understand the timetable that your agent lays out.
Get the Roof Inspected
Following the insurance conversation, you should also get an independent roofing professional to inspect your roof.
Bring in a contractor that can inspect your roof before moving forward. These roofing professionals will examine the structure and let you know what kind of work they advise.
Hiring a professional for an inspection also gives you an inside track on potentially hiring someone that can handle the installation. If you like the professionalism, timeliness, and advice of the roofer, it bodes well for having them do the rest of the work for you.
Seek multiple opinions if necessary to make sure you’re given the best chance at quality work with craftsmanship. Figure out how you want to handle your roofing installation and come up with a workable game plan.
Read through the contract diligently so that you understand it before signing. It’s best that you find roofing contractors that already work with the insurance company that the home is covered under. This streamlines the process and makes it easier for your claim to move forward. It’s also a clear sign that your insurance company trusts the contractor, which means you are more likely to get high-quality work.
Learn About the Different Types of Roofs
You now have paperwork stating that your insurance company will honor your claim, along with a roofing professional’s opinion about the best way to replace your roof. What now? The best thing to do for your home is to figure out what roofing material you’d like to get for the replacement.
Each roofing material type will affect your home differently. Some will offer more durability from physical damage but less water resistance. Others are excellent soundproofing but not as great from a thermal conditioning standpoint.
Look at the overall picture of your roof material and you’ll have an easier time stocking up on what you need.
Here are some of the different types of roofing materials available, along with how much they typically cost:
Wood Roofing
Wood shingles are the roofing materials that you need to shop for if you want a certain artistic and elegant appearance. These roof materials aren’t used by as many homeowners, which can make your home stand out. Cedar is one of the most common types of lumber that companies use for roofing materials.
It will deliver lots of style points but doesn’t hold up against the elements nearly as well as other roofing materials. For example, wood shingles don’t hold up as well against water damage and have poor fire resistance compared to other roof types.
However, because they look so amazing, wood shingles are an excellent material for luxury homes. This roofing material might cost you between about $4.50 per square foot and $14 per square foot.
Metal Roofing
Metal roofing is also another excellent option to explore when it’s time to replace yours. Your contractor can use a variety of metal options, such as aluminum, zinc, and steel. It’s one of the most versatile types of roofing on the market that comes in a variety of styles.
Seam metal roofing is one of the more common types. It involves cleanly cut seams that are aligned in a neat row. These seams are typically made from aluminum, which is 100% recyclable. It’s an excellent type of roofing because it’s durable and built in an interlocking way that blocks moisture and leaks.
Metal roofs are also durable against various weather conditions. This includes holding up against snow storms, fires, and falling objects. Metal shingle roofing offers many of the same benefits, but is designed in a way that is more aesthetically pleasing. The shingles are crafted to look like a variety of other roofing types, so that the casual eye may not even immediately know that it’s metal.
Seam metal roofing can cost you between roughly $10 per square foot and $16 per square foot. Metal shingles range between approximately $8 per square foot and $16 per square foot.
Concrete Tile Roofing
Concrete tile roofing is a material that is among the most durable that you’ll find. This is a type of roofing that will generally last as many as 50 years. It’s one of the heaviest forms of roofing that you can invest in and is also among the most durable.
Though it is made from concrete, manufacturers style it in a way that is also aesthetically pleasing. It can be easily stained and painted in any color that you’d like, which matches your home’s exterior. It offers plenty of curb appeal while also protecting your house.
A concrete tile roof will generally cost between about $10 per square foot and more than $20 per square foot.
Find a Quality Roofing Professional
Aside from the cost estimates and inspections, you need to double-check that your roofer is as credible as possible. The Better Business Bureau (BBB) is an excellent place to start. You can use the BBB to look up the grade, highlights, and complaints that a roofing company has sustained. Find your roofer’s social media and consumer reviews as well to see if others have good things to say.
You may also touch base with other homeowners you know that have had to replace their roofs. They can give you first-hand experience on how it went so that you can decide whether a certain roofer is worth the hire.
Choosing the right roofing professional will dramatically help you get the outcome that you need from the new installation.
Oversee the Work to the Finish
Take a look at the roofing work contract and that of your insurance claim. Make sure everything is on the same page and that the insurance company is paying what you expect. Find out which specific point person you’ll need to get in touch with if there are any snags in the process.
The contract should include things like the date of the work, the contractor’s arrival window, and the estimated time of completion. Make sure that you have provisions in the meantime since replacing a roof can dislocate you from the home for a few days. Check with your insurance company to see if it will also pay for this temporary relocation.
Once the work is complete, keep some documents and thoroughly read through the work completion order before signing it.
Understand How to Get Insurance to Pay for Roof Replacement
If you know how to get insurance to pay for roof replacement, you spare yourself the trouble of having to come up with the funds. This is more than possible for many homeowners since there are a variety of insurance plans that will pay for your roof work.
Start with these words of advice so that you have no question about how to proceed in getting this taken care of.
DeG Contracting has everything that you need to get started with your next roofing project. Use our site to get in touch, or give us a call at (636)928-7663.
