Anyone had hail damaged roof??

[Jerry Olexa]

A few weeks ago, our area was hit by a severe hail storm and much damage ensued. Many homes in the area have already been re-roofed and others are approved for the work . Unfortunately, in my case, an adjuster was sent to my home to survey the damage. He approved: repairs on my garage doors (deep dents in the wood), window screens and plant damage But he saw no roof damage!! I protested and he agreed to have it relooked by an independent consulting firm/engineer. My agency later informed me that I should go ahead and get bids for the roof repair. Since then, I have had several licensed contractors inspect the roof and each has certified the hail damage in writing. My meeting w the engineer is next week and I plan to ask one of the contractors to accompany me to help identify the roof damages .Any of you experienced anything like this?? Am I on the right track? The roof replacement cost is considerable. I've been with this insurance company about 25 years (both home and cars) and have never had a claim till this. Amazing how you are viewed differently when a claim is submitted...LMK your thoughts/ideas... This is an important meeting..Thanks:confused:

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Jerry......I have been with the same insurance company (autos and house)since 1976 though at times I thought they were more expensive than other companies based on what friends told me they were paying for similar coverages. I have submitted very few claims during that period of time. I've been with my local agent since 1983. Though we had a rocky initial meeting....me over the phone in anger.....We've since become friends and occasionally elk hunt, fish and camp together. The one or two times I've submitted a claim it was on his recommendation that I do so as I was ignorant to the fact that my insurance covered an incident and just mentioned it to him in passing. I'd be talking with you agent. Let him or her know that you've gotten several estimates and written roof replacement recommendations from contractors. The agent sees the benefit of your insurance premiums.....the adjuster doesn't directly see those payments. If the independent firm is truly independent I suspect they'll agree with the other contractors. Let us know how things go! Good luck!

[Joe Mioux]

Jerry:

Stand your ground. Insurance companies negotiate. I have had a couple claims over the past 20 years, one hail damage to a roof and the other a stolen car.

My roof damage occured in 1996, the roof was 18 years old, the adjuster approved the new roof. My car, which is actually more pertinent to your situation, was an '82 Cutlass stolen in '84, insurance wanted to give me $1000 less than replacement, we negotiated and I got a fair settlement.

If you have authoritative backup for your position, the ins co will negotiate.

BTW, my house was with SF and my car was with CC. Being from Illinois, I think you know these two companies which are headquarted in Bloomington.

Joe

[Dennis Peacock]

Jerry,

I too have been through the same kind of thing when we lived in Alabama. Hail damage to a roof is something you don't want to let alone. You may need to talk to your agent about it...again if necessary as well as standing your ground. There's no rhymn or reason whey all other roofs get replaced all around you and you are the only one not getting replaced. Stand firm!!!

[Ron Jones near Indy]

I had hail damage to a 17 year old roof in '89. Insurance paid for tear off and new roof. They dropped me at the next renewal date--they stopped homeowners coverage in Indiana at that time (really big hail storm caused millions in damages). I used one of the roofers suggested by the adjuster. Roofer said it would be $450 more than the adjuster approved. One call to my agent and the money was approved. I have been with one agency since '77, but with 3 or 4 different companies. Contact your agent and ask they be at the inspection. If my agent didn't work for me, I'd find a new one.

[Ken Garlock]

OK gents, help me out. :confused:

What constitutes hail damage?

How do I know if I have it?

Is it or is it not cosmetic damage?

It seems to me that if you get damage on a roof from hail, less than a baseball in size, you probably have a cheap roof to start with. :rolleyes:

I have owned 2 homes in Ohio and two In Texas. I don't think I would know it if I saw it.

Where am I going wrong?

[Ron Jones near Indy]

What I had was much more than cosmetic damage. Shingles were broken and/or had dents which were deep enough to cause a break in the surface of the shingle. My gutters were not damaged. My next door neighbor, about 150 feet to the north, had gutters that looked like dimples on golf balls and no roof damage. My gutters were heavy gauge al. while his were very thin.

[Ray Thompson]

OK gents, help me out. :confused:

What constitutes hail damage?
Dented to the point of breakage to shingles. Sometimes not even dented but scouring the aggregate off.

How do I know if I have it?
You need an experienced eye to evaluate possible damage.

Is it or is it not cosmetic damage?
Not necessarily, most times you cannot see any damage from the ground.

It seems to me that if you get damage on a roof from hail, less than a baseball in size, you probably have a cheap roof to start with. :rolleyes:
Nope, hail is non-discriminatory, it gets cheap and expensive.

I have owned 2 homes in Ohio and two In Texas. I don't think I would know it if I saw it.
I wouldn't either but an experienced roofer will know. (My Amish guys have taught me a lot)

Where am I going wrong?
Moving from the midwest to the south:o

The problem with roofing is that most homeowners know very little about what constitutes roofing damage, that is where the scam artists come in and blow a little smoke and make off with your hard earned money.

Ray

[Don Henthorn Smithville, TX]

I had my roof replaced about fifteen years ago. I didn't know I had hail damage because I have an old two story Victorian with a steep roof. I can't remember what brought it to my attention, but the insurance company didn't blink an eye. They just told me to have it replaced. I did pay the extra for upgraded shingles.

[Jerry Olexa]

What constitutes hail damage on a roof is almost a science. I really had trouble dealing w it and evaluating it. I learned that they can be granules in your gutters, dimpled soft metal (vents, flashings as well as downspouts), the telltale "hits" on the shingles where the hail hits and partially penetrates, broken seals on your skylights, impact on your A/C units, fins, blades as well as just simple damage anywhere like garage doors, window screens, windows, trim etc etc. I thought I knew a little about construction and had some common sense (not much) but it doesn't help you w hail damage! My particular adjuster may have been a generalist and like most people, not have a knowledge of roof hail etc. Anyway we shall see.....Thanks already for your thoughts and inputs. I need to learn a lot before the big meeting next week. Thanks Guys...

[Jerry Olexa]

[QUOTE=Ken Garlock]OK gents, help me out. :confused:


It seems to me that if you get damage on a roof from hail, less than a baseball in size, you probably have a cheap roof to start with. :rolleyes:

Ken, not necessarily. I have 30 yr architectural grade shingles and the hail was lot less than a baseball but I have damage. You really need to get up on the roof to spot the hits accurately. I'll try to get you a picture. It also depends on the wind and the velocity of the hail (they tell me). Without this storm, I would've had at least 10 more years of shingle life.:mad:

[Ken Garlock]

Yes, Jerry, I would like to see some pictures of the damage if you get an opportunity and do not endanger your self getting them.

As an aside, when we built in 2002 I had Malarkey 50 year shingles put on. They are qualified as level 4 wind resistance, and type 1 fire resistant. (I think it got the right, anyway it is the top rating in each category.) My insurance company, USAA, gave me a 30% discount on my home owner insurance because of the top-of-the-line roofing. In turn, I had to sign a waver stating I agreed that they would not cover cosmetic damage.

So, in view of the above, I was curious to know what hail damage amounted to, and if I had given up too much with the waver. For $600 a year, I stand a lot of cosmetic damage. ;)

[Mike Forsman]

OK gents, help me out. :confused:

What constitutes hail damage?

How do I know if I have it?

Is it or is it not cosmetic damage?

It seems to me that if you get damage on a roof from hail, less than a baseball in size, you probably have a cheap roof to start with. :rolleyes:

I have owned 2 homes in Ohio and two In Texas. I don't think I would know it if I saw it.

Where am I going wrong?

Ken,

I live near you in the Sachse/Wylie area. About 2 years ago, we had a hail storm come through. The hail from this storm was bigger than an quarter size but smaller than golf ball size. The result from this as a total of the roof on my home which had 30 year shingles (home was only 1 year old at the time). We also had damage to gutters, fence, 4 broken windows, 10 damaged screens, and very large dents in 3 cars. It was not a roofing company that determined the damage, but the insurance adjuster. While I had trouble spotting the damage, the adjuster had no trouble pointing out what was damaged.

Jerry,

Continue to work this. Sometimes a call or letter to the insurance agent can help.

[Jerry Olexa]

Ken,

I live near you in the Sachse/Wylie area. About 2 years ago, we had a hail storm come through. The hail from this storm was bigger than an quarter size but smaller than golf ball size. The result from this as a total of the roof on my home which had 30 year shingles (home was only 1 year old at the time). We also had damage to gutters, fence, 4 broken windows, 10 damaged screens, and very large dents in 3 cars. It was not a roofing company that determined the damage, but the insurance adjuster. While I had trouble spotting the damage, the adjuster had no trouble pointing out what was damaged.

Jerry,

Continue to work this. Sometimes a call or letter to the insurance agent can help.
Mike, sounds like you had a "good" adjuster. I've already talked with the agency and they are helping. They told me to go ahead and get bids on the roof. We'll see. Thanks Jerry

[Jeff Sudmeier]

Jerry,

If you have that many bids that say that there is hail damage, you should have pretty good luck with your claim. I have repaired hail damaged roofs, it can be a REAL pain to replace only the shingles that are damaged :)

[Donnie Raines]

Hail damage on a roof, if present, is rather obvious(frankly)(Plus the roofer would like nothing more then an insuance paid roof.....). You will see round section's of the granulaes(I assume we are talking about a shingle roof) missing. So if the roof was tan, the circles would have a black color to it for they would have penetrated the granules and the backer of the shingle would be exposed. Also, if your roof was ageing, you would see actual cracks on the shingles....maybe even some shingles broke in half.

Remeber, an insurance company is governed by state law....and the rules are very strict. A company can not(legally) decline a legitmate claim. Also remember, if a company paid out evry claim that came through your rates would be so high!!!!!!

Also Jerry, it is not unusual for a few homes in the same area to have damge while others do not. You could have damage on certain items but not on others......I see it alllllllll the time.

[Steve Nelson]

Being in the insurance business the best way to determine how good your insurance carrier is how well they settle their claims, your state ins dept will have a list of which companies get the most complaints.(

[Donnie Raines]

Being in the insurance business the best way to determine how good your insurance carrier is how well they settle their claims, your state ins dept will have a list of which companies get the most complaints.(

Comapliants do to not paying a covered item is one thing. Complaints about an item that is not evident or not covered is another. Again, if a company dishs out money for every claim sumbitted(covered items are legit) then I do not want to be with that company. I want a company that pays legit claims and provides stable rates.

Jerry, by know means am I suggesting that you are not entitled to coverage. I simply stateing that there are many variables to the process. We don't like upset clients...no one does. But what is right it is right...and what is wrong is wrong. If you have damage the company will take care of it.

[Steve Nelson]

I agree Donnie, just pointing out that some companies perform better at customer service and satisfaction than others and would hope that everyone understands that not every complaint is justified and many are just rants...

[Jerry Olexa]

Big meeting Wed 10AM w the Roofing consultant (hired by the Ins co.) and myself to re-examine the roof. I asked my roofing contractor to attend! He took digital pics of the roof damage and its fairly compelling. Again we shall see. To my untrained eyes, its lots of grey areas and judgment but to several local roofers who examined, they say without hesitation"you have hail damage". I almost wish it would rain to prove the point. Very Dry period. Oh what the hail...;) Hope I'm smiling Thursday...:D

[Ron Jones near Indy]

I will be interested to hear their decision. Good luck!

[Jerry Olexa]

Comapliants do to not paying a covered item is one thing. Complaints about an item that is not evident or not covered is another. Again, if a company dishs out money (http://get-access.com/?go=money) for every claim sumbitted(covered items are legit) then I do not want to be with that company. I want a company that pays legit claims and provides stable rates.

Jerry (http://go-acct.com/?go=jerry), by know means am I suggesting that you are not entitled to coverage. I simply stateing that there are many variables to the process. We don't like upset clients...no one does. But what is right it is right...and what is wrong is wrong. If you have damage the company will take care of it.

Donnie thanks for your input! I'd like to ammend your statement above (based on this experience) that they should take care of it. We'll know better after tommorrow's meeting...Donnie are you an agent or an adjuster or? I know you're in the insurance (http://go-all.com/?go=insurance) field. My Ins company is based near where u live. Still loyal to the buckeye state....

[Donnie Raines]

[/i]

Donnie thanks for your input! I'd like to ammend your statement above (based on this experience) that they should take care of it. We'll know better after tommorrow's meeting...Donnie are you an agent or an adjuster or? I know you're in the insurance (http://go-all.com/?go=insurance) field. My Ins company is based near where u live. Still loyal to the buckeye state....


I Jerry,

I am an agent...but we are very much involved in the claims process with our company. Whenever we have a "trouble" situation(not many of those.....thank god) I find myself at the site of the issue....person home, buisness or whatever. We will meet with the adjusters to determine if coverage applies....simply because not every situation is as straight forward as others.

They will work with you....they have to by state regualtions(and that is true of any state). If you feel that you are getting the shaft contact the state insurance administrator and file a complaint. That is the last thing any comapny wants.....! ;) Again, so long as there is reasonable proof that there is a covered loss the state will act in your behalf.

[Jerry Olexa]

Thanks donnie...

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Good luck with your meeting today Jerry!

[Jim O'Dell]

At our previous house, after a big storm, 1995 I think, the Ins. Co. came to us saying there was hail damage. They wrote up an estimate to tear off 1 layer and replace. When the roofer got started, 2 day job, he said that there wans't anything to nail the new shingles to. The house originally had wood shingles, and the roofer said that they were mush. I called the adjuster back and he refused to re-deck the roof. I told him what the roofer said about not having a nailable surface, and he still refused. I asked him to come look at it, and that if he still thought that there was a nailable surface, I'd have the roofer do the job, and he finally gave in. I think just to shut me up. He took one look at what was underneath the old composite shingles and gave permission to redeck the roof. Sometimes it just takes getting them to come out and look at it with you. Jim

[Donnie Raines]

At our previous house, after a big storm, 1995 I think, the Ins. Co. came to us saying there was hail damage. They wrote up an estimate to tear off 1 layer and replace. When the roofer got started, 2 day job, he said that there wans't anything to nail the new shingles to. The house originally had wood shingles, and the roofer said that they were mush. I called the adjuster back and he refused to re-deck the roof. I told him what the roofer said about not having a nailable surface, and he still refused. I asked him to come look at it, and that if he still thought that there was a nailable surface, I'd have the roofer do the job, and he finally gave in. I think just to shut me up. He took one look at what was underneath the old composite shingles and gave permission to redeck the roof. Sometimes it just takes getting them to come out and look at it with you. Jim


You got lucky. The purpose of insurance is to make you whole again...not to create a profit for you. The decking was mushy not from the hail damage but from simple and wear and tear. They gave you a feebie.... :D

[Cecil Arnold]

FYI, if you ever have a problem with your insurance company, you might want to consult a "Public Adjustor." These are people who at one time worked for insurance companys and now make a living through their knowledge of the insurance business. A few years back I had an aquaintance who had a problem with her Ins. Co. They wanted to give her about 3/4 of the cost of repairs (she had two or three bids) and she didn't think she should have to make up the difference since the policy covered full replacement cost (make whole). She contacted a Public Adjustor and while she did not acutally "hit the jackpot" she did spend a considerable amount of time thanking me for the referral. The PA charges a percentage of what he gets over what the company wanted to pay. I have never had to resort to a PA, but would if I felt my Ins. Co. was trying to get by on the cheap. I do know that the threat of going to a PA has moved company adjustors off the dime, as it were, and gotten a much better settelment. One fact I do know, insurance companys are in business to collect premieums, not pay claims.

[Jerry Olexa]

The 2 engineers (the consultants) were here @ 930Am along with my roofing contractor and his assistant. 3 of them went up on the roof and after about 15 minutes reached a verdict: I have HAIL damage. The Top engineer indicated I have "bruises" all over the roof so need to do the 10X10 measurement. Now its turned over to my Insurance company to approve an amount. I believe they will negotiate w my appointed roofer vs his submitted bid. HORRAY! Once in a while we get what appears to be a good answer. This last 3 weeks has not been pleasant!! Time again will tell the final resolution...Thanks for all your help, advice and input. I'll try to keep you advised on the progree/outcome.

[Dennis Peacock]

Well now....that's good news Jerry!!!!! :D Keep us posted as I can sense that you are a much happier camper now!!!! :)