Insurance Claims Process
Filing insurance claims can be a difficult and tedious task, especially if certain procedures are not followed. Most insurance companies want to properly service their clients’ claims, but it is still important to understand the proper procedures and exactly what questions to ask. We are expert residential roofers familiar with the roof insurance claim process, and our staff is always eager to offer assistance and accurate information for roof insurance claims in Carmel, IN. We will guide you through the process. Call (317) 548-8445 today to talk to someone on our team about roof insurance claim help!
Filing a Roof Insurance Claim
If you suspect wind or hail damage from a recent storm, call your contractor to inspect the property for damage. If damage is found, call the insurance carrier’s claims office, not your insurance agent.
Many agents are not responsible for or trained to handle the claims aspect of your policy. Element Roofing specializes in identifying hail and wind damage, in the insurance claims process, and working directly with your insurance company. Our team will assist in the process of gathering and providing information to your insurance company.
Info on the Insurance Claim
Once the claim is filed, your insurance claim handler will assign a claim number. Let us know the following information:
- Claim number
- Policy number
Note this information down as it will be very important throughout the entire process. It may take several days to obtain the name and contact information of your adjuster. Remember to ask for your adjuster’s cell phone or direct contact number when you speak to them. Send your Element Roofing rep the following information:
- Adjuster name
- Adjuster phone number
- Appointment date and time
After we receive the claim information, we will send you a form to be able to work directly with your insurance company.
Your insurance company may ask you to get three estimates. This may result in your insurance company getting the lowest price, but you should know the insurance company keeps 100% of the savings. You will get a cheaper roof! We will help you provide the proper information to the insurance carrier for a fair insurance settlement. With Element Roofing, you will get the highest quality roof system.
Damage Assessment
Inform your adjuster that you will have your roofing contractor present at the meeting. It is critical that we attend the inspection meeting and serve as your advocate. As much as they appreciate your business, the insurance carriers seek to keep their expenditures down. Most adjusters will request the name of the roofer with whom they will be meeting because they realize the importance of having an experienced roofer by their side. Measurements of the roof and other damages will be taken at that time. Whenever possible, Element Roofing will provide satellite images and an engineered report detailing the roof measurements. We do our job well so you can feel confident that you will be expertly represented during the initial inspection.
Fair Settlement
Once the insurance adjuster assesses the extent of damages, they will provide a claim summary detailing the scope of repairs or replacement. When you receive the adjuster’s claim summary we will compare it to our own to make sure nothing has been omitted from the scope of the project.
If there is a discrepancy, Element Roofing negotiates the difference with the insurance company. In most cases, this will be a simple process of emailing them our estimate and calling them to discuss the differences. If an insurance company is unwilling to fund key components of your new roof, we may ask you to call your provider to discuss the issue. If that happens, we will review our options and develop the best plan of action for your claim situation. Once the negotiation process has been completed, the insurance company will release a supplemental check to cover the additional amount that was determined through negotiations with the insurance representative.
Funding
You should receive the initial check about the same time the claim summary arrives. It may have your mortgage company’s name on it, in which case you would have to contact them to find out the proper procedure for getting their endorsement. Each mortgage company has specific directions to follow. There may be additional paperwork needed by the mortgage company. This process can take up to 10 days. If a supplemental insurance check is issued, it too may have the mortgage company listed on it, and the same procedures would need to be followed. Those funds would be payable towards the new negotiated roof replacement total.
The initial check may seem small compared to the full amount of the roof. There are two reasons for this 1. Your deductible and 2. The depreciation. Most homeowners choose the Replacement Cost coverage type of policy over the Actual Cost Value policy. If you have a replacement cost policy we will recover and receive the depreciation withheld by the insurance company after the work has been completed. The deductible is the portion withheld by the insurance company that will not be paid out. The deductible is your copay which you will pay directly to Element Roofing. The full cost of the roof replacement is the sum of the first insurance check, your deductible, the amount of depreciation, and any supplements.
New Roof Installation
Once the first insurance check, deductible, and insurance loss statement are received, the roof installation can be scheduled.
Recovering Depreciation
After the roof has been installed, our office will provide the necessary documentation to the insurance company to let them know the work is complete. If the withheld depreciation was recoverable, we will ask for the release of those funds. The insurance company will most likely call you to confirm that the project is complete and will then release the last check. It is possible that if a supplement was negotiated that it may be included in the final check along with the depreciation. Our office will be happy to make the follow-up calls to confirm receipt of this documentation on your behalf to ensure timely processing. Mortgage companies may require their own inspection before they endorse and release the depreciation back to you. We do not handle this detail, so be sure to ask them about their required procedures.
Final Payment
Once you receive your last insurance check, and mortgage company endorsements are made, we will collect the final amount due on the roof. As a courtesy to our clients, we provide a 30-day grace period from roof installation to make the final payment on the depreciated amount. Call us now to learn more at (317) 548-8445 for help with a roof insurance claim in Carmel, IN!
