If the insurance claim on your roof has been approved, the insurance company will provide the estimate for you. The insurance adjuster who inspected your home will decide the full scope of work to be completed. The adjuster will provide you with an itemized list that includes market rates for the work they believe to be necessary.
Karis Construction doesn’t provide an estimate because we won’t know the scope of the work to be completed for your insurance policy until the insurance company provides the itemized loss sheet. That way you can be sure whoever you choose for your contractor won’t be able to gouge you with a huge bill or try to sneak other “necessary fixes” on top of you.
We have what we call “insurance experts” on our team here at Karis Construction. Once we are able to review the itemized estimate from your insurance company we can then go to bat for you if we feel they missed something that should be covered by your claim. We will complete the work only for the amount insurance pays out and not a penny more.
According to the Indiana law code IC 24-5-11-10.5, waiving your insurance deductible is actually insurance fraud.
“Sec. 10.5. (a) A home improvement supplier shall not advertise, offer, or promise to pay or rebate any part of an insurance deductible to induce a person to enter into a home improvement contract or otherwise purchase goods or services from the home improvement supplier. “
We would prefer to see you (and us) avoid felony charges. Some companies may offer to pay your deductible in order to win your business, however it is illegal and may put you in a troubling position.
After the job is done, the contractor will send the insurance company an invoice showing the amount they charged you for the work completed. In most cases, the insurance company will pay out what it costs to do the repair, minus your deductible, and no more.
For example, your claim amount is $10,000 and your deductible is $1,000. Contractor ‘A’ can complete the work for $10,000 and contractor ‘B’ can complete the work for $7,000. In both cases you pay your deductible. For contractor ‘B’ insurance reviews the invoice and only pays out $6,000 ($1,000 deductible + $6,000 payment = $7,000).
So for the same out of pocket cost to you, you get a cheaper material, warranty, and in some cases labor, with contractor ‘B’ and insurance is happy to save the money.
Weather damage is classified as “An Act of God” and not the result of homeowner negligence, so thoughtfully most insurance companies will not raise premiums if this is your first claim. If there was another claim made in the last three years, then there is the potential of a premium increase.
Of course every person’s policy is different and there are many factors that go into answering this question, including your policy coverage, prior claim history, your loss type and how long you have been with your insurance.
However in general when a storm hits an area insurance premiums for that zip code will most likely increase as a whole if everyone is filing a storm damage claim. The best source for the answer is your local insurance agent, who would be happy to discuss your individual circumstances.
If you experienced a relatively severe storm recently then it would be in your best interest to schedule an inspection. If you choose a roofing company to inspect your home, please ask the contractor to take a video or photos showing you the damage. The photos should include blatantly clear evidence of damage and evidence that it is actually your home in the photos.
Aside from storm damage and active leaks in your roof here are three warning signs to lookout for in your current roof:
Your roof is 13-17 years or older
- In general asphalt shingles can expect to have a healthy lifespan of about 15-20 years. Metal and tile roofs can see healthy lifespans upwards of 40 years.
Your roof just doesn’t sparkle like it used to
- Of course this coincides with age but asphalt shingles contain granules that is part of the shingle’s strength. Overtime with rain, trees rubbing the roof, foot traffic on the roof, snow and ice, and various other factors these granules will become loose and erode away. A good way to check is to take a look inside your gutters for a sand like substance. With the granules slipping away the roof will become more susceptible to ice and water.
Shingles curling or cracking
- Shingles bake in the sun all day causing them to expand and then contract in the cooler temperatures of night. This expansion and contracting can cause your shingles to crack allowing water to creep in.
“Architectural” or “Dimensional” generally means the shingle has a three dimensional design and laminated construction. In other words – more than one thickness to provide enhanced strength and aesthetic appeal.
3-tab shingles have a single layer of thickness and in general provide a lesser warranty including a lower wind rating and lower impact resistance. However if you can live with a lesser warranty, a 3-tab shingle may be a good option for those looking for a cheaper avenue.
Shingles are just the first line of defense for your roof. Backing them up is the underlayment attached to your roof decking.
Traditional asphalt felt is made of organic material such as wood pulp, it’s heavy, can tear easily, and is prone to degradation from UV exposure.
Karis Construction chooses to use the Atlas© synthetic underlayment which has multiple benefits.
The underlayment is lighter, which helps our roofers install the rolls faster and easier, and benefits distributers as well. The synthetic material provides enhanced protection against water and mold growth. The synthetic material is stronger, tearing less frequently than traditional felt and includes a UV coating further protecting the underlayment and health of your roof.
An average residential roof can be completed in one day. Large and/or complex roofs can be completed in 2-3 days.
Karis Construction will have several walkthroughs after the completion of the project to triple check for debris, talk together about our labor warranty as well as the manufacturer’s warranty and answer any final questions you may have.