The right kind of approach to your insurance claim should take the weight off your back. Professionals who are familiar with the wind and warmth of the Twin Cities can be strong advocates for you to insurance adjusters.
These 6 tips will give you an edge when you file your homeowner’s roofing insurance claim in Minneapolis and St. Paul.
Key Takeaways
- Take a clear photo and video record of any damage to your roof.
- Read through your insurance coverage.
- Contract only professionals to estimate your repair or replacement costs.
- Update your insurance company as soon as you have the details you need.
- Keep things organized.
Run with These 6 Homeowner Insurance Claiming Tips in the Twin Cities
Insurance claims will never be the easiest thing on earth. However, with the right approach one step at a time, you can successfully complete a claim. In the Twin Cities, in particular, having an experienced professional to help you estimate damages related to high humidity and windy rains can be crucial.
Here are 6 roofing insurance tips to keep in mind as you prepare to claim coverage through your policy.
1. Document Every Piece of Evidence On Your Roof
Strong winds, frequent rains, and summers that are heating up every year can take their toll on your roofs. When preparing for a repair or replacement, go ahead and document every part of your roof.
Look for more obvious signs of damage, such as balding shingles or cracked sections. Because of the rains, check for mossy areas, pooling water, or even signs of mold or water leaks. High winds may lead to gutter damage, which may in turn lead to structural issues that a roofing repair or replacement can fix.
Here are some tips to get the documentation you need:
- Document before you make any kinds of repairs, even temporary ones. If you absolutely need to cover an area, use a heavy tarpaulin.
- Use the clearest camera you have, and take photos and videos from multiple angles. Both wide and close-up shots will show the location of the damage and its extent.
- Have some kind of timestamp on the file to prove when the photo was taken for higher credibility.
- Keep all the documentation digitally in a cloud and physically for easier presentation to the adjuster and contractor.
- Have any temporary repairs documented both before and after, and keep all the receipts.
What comes next?
2. Carefully Understand Your Policy Coverage
Your policy coverage is what gives you your right to an insurance claim. Carefully review what you have in your coverage.
What can your policy tell you?
Firstly, what your deductible is.
If the amount of your cash-out is higher than the repair cost, no need to go through the insurance claim process.
Secondly, if your coverage gives you a payout at “replacement cost” or “actual cash value.”
Replacement cost pays you whatever you spend for repairs or replacement (of course, limited by your coverage). Actual cash value is paid out depending on the value of what you lost or need repaired.
Equally important is what is excluded from the policy. Generally, floods and earthquakes are not included in Minnesota homeowner insurance policies.
Have a good idea of what your policy covers before reaching out to a contractor or your insurance company.
3. Have Roof Replacement or Repair Estimates from Registered Contractors
Make sure any professionals or contractors you get in touch with are locals who have a good understanding of how the weather conditions affect your roof. They will know what storm or weather damage to check for, and if a deeper assessment is needed.
If you have roofing insurance, you may already have maintenance checks covered.
Make sure you have the latest maintenance report with you when you meet the contractor for assessment. This makes it easy to pinpoint the latest damage.
Present any documentation you have to the contractor, and let them make an assessment. Ideally, they should be there when the insurance adjuster comes. Make sure they are ready to send a representative on that day.
Have all repair estimates in before you contact your insurance company.
4. Begin to File Your Claim with the Insurance Company
Contact your insurance company as soon as you have detailed repair estimates.
Sooner is better than later, especially since there is sometimes a time limit. Also, if the repairs become urgent over time, it may be considered negligent to delay the claim.
The company will send an insurance adjuster to review your policy and look over the damage you are making a claim for. They will come to your home for this.
What you need to prepare:
- Digital and printed documentation of the damage
- Receipts for any temporary repairs
- Your copy of the insurance policy
- Repair or replacement estimates from your contractor
Make sure a representative from your roofing contractor is there as well. They can advocate for you with the adjuster, especially if the estimate is lower than their projections.
Remember: Make no permanent repairs until you know your coverage has been approved. Otherwise, the claim may be denied.
5. Organize All of Your Documents
Make sure you stay organized throughout the entire process.
Use either digital or paper folders, clearly labeled, to keep your documents organized. Have a system for filing anything new.
Chronologically is the best way, especially if there are regular updates.
What to keep:
- Your insurance policy and any endorsements or adjustments made over the years;
- Any previous claims, whether approved or denied;
- Any receipts or records of previous roof maintenance, repair, or replacement;
- Documentation over the years, especially related to specific repairs;
- Records related to calls and correspondence with professional contractors;
- Records related to calls and correspondence with insurance adjusters;
- Any digital drive needed to back up all of your details.
The faster you can answer any questions either by your adjuster or your contractor, the better your chances of getting fair treatment from the insurance company.
Organization is key to approvals.
6. Simplify Everything for Yourself
It can be a very long process, especially if you need a full roof replacement or if there was structural damage to your Twin Cities home. Make every effort to keep things simple for yourself throughout the whole process.
The key to simplification, unfortunately, is to stay as detailed as you can, especially at the start. Have indexes for your digital files, if you need to, or even for your physical files.
Save online records at once into digital files. Put your digital files both on physical drives and accessible in the cloud. Make sure your Minneapolis or St. Paul insurance claim is very simple to file through these steps.
Have a schedule to follow up with your adjuster and company instead of panic-calling whenever you remember. Have a once-a-week check-in and let your company know about it.
Stay calm, avoid stress, and keep going.
Let Krech Exteriors Help You Get Your Roofing Insurance Claim Through In Minneapolis and St. Paul
Over 35 years of experience qualifies Krech Exteriors to make a professional assessment of your roofing repair or replacement needs. We can also communicate with your insurance adjuster and clarify or affirm the roofing needs of your Twin Cities home. We can help you get through this roofing insurance claim. Contact us today at (651) 694-9334 or through our contact form, and let us get you through that insurance claim.