Will Insurance Cover a New Roof?

Will Insurance Cover a New Roof?

The hail storm rampaged through your town, leaving only shingle smithereens where your beautiful roof used to be. This can’t be your responsibility to pay for, right?

If your roof has been damaged due to unforeseen events like a hail storm, chances are the insurance company will pick up the tab. To find out for sure, you’ll have to get it straight from the horse’s mouth, your insurance agent.

There are two main types of insurance that relate to your property, including your roof:

Named Peril

A “named peril” policy covers the types of disasters which are specifically named in the policy. The most common ones include fire damage, heavy winds, hail, aircraft, riots, vandalism, explosions and smoke damage. If it’s in your policy, then you’re covered for it. And since hail is the most common cause of sudden damage leading to roof replacement, chances are your homeowner’s insurance policy will cover it.

Special Peril

A “special peril” policy covers all types of disasters which are not specifically excluded. Common exceptions include:

1) Things that no sane insurance company would cover, like war or nuclear weapons.

2) Things that are covered in other policies, like damage caused by freezing water pipes.

Once you know whether your insurance covers the kind of damage you have, the next thing you need to do is file a claim with your agent. It’s important to remember that the longer you wait to file a claim, the less likely your insurance company will be to accept that claim. Sooner is always better, to be safe.

Once you’ve filed a claim, the insurance company will send out an inspector(s) to your home to assess the damage. This could either be a certified inspector that they use specifically for this purpose, or they might hire roofing companies in the community to give several estimates for the repair cost, then use them for the repairs.

The bottom line is that you need to know what’s in your insurance policy if you don’t already. Once you do, you’ll be able to make a claim for a new roof replacement without even giving it a second thought.

Mike and the rest of our roofers are the first call for 12 local insurance agents. If you’d like us to come out for an inspection or a free estimate, just give us a call now at 417-869-0444.

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