ST. LOUIS STORM RESTORATION EXPERTS
High winds can cause serious damage to roofs.
Storms are inevitable but they don’t have to be life shattering. We specialize in assisting homeowners and business owners with storm restoration and repairs in the Greater St. Louis region, as well as Oklahoma and Kansas City.
When storm damage occurs, it’s not always noticed by the homeowner or business owner. In fact, in can take a year or two before leaks resulting from a wind or hail storm appear, resulting in damage to your home’s interior. At Innovative, we know the importance of getting the damage assessed and repaired, and we’re here to help you through the process. Our team of storm restoration specialists will inspect the damage and assist with all roof repairs and roof replacements.
Call us at 314-546-4047 to schedule a complimentary, no-hassle roof inspection.
ENJOY PEACE OF MIND
It’s stressful enough dealing with a storm damaged roof, so the last thing you want to worry about is dealing with a fly-by-night roofing company. When working with the Innovative storm restoration team, you will enjoy peace of mind knowing a few things about us:
- We are A+ accredited with the Better Business Bureau
- We have more 5-star roofing reviews than any other roofing contractor on yp.com
- We are fully insured and licensed
- We have full bonding capabilities
- We will never ask you to pay upfront for any repairs or replacements until the work is completed
WE MAKE IT EASY
If you’ve never filed an insurance claim, it can be confusing. Having worked with most insurance companies in the St. Louis and Oklahoma City areas, our roofing teams are up to speed on the insurance industry standards relating to wind and hail damage. They will provide an assessment of the condition of your roof, gutters, windows, doors siding – in terms you can understand.
We will meet with your insurance adjuster and make sure that you get everything you deserve. Our expertise comes from working with a wide array of insurance adjusters; enabling a broad understanding of certifiable damage and coverage parameters.
HAIL & WINDSTORM ROOF DAMAGE
There are a few important things to understand about storm damaged roofs and the insurance claims process:
- Hail damage may not be visible from the ground unless the hail broke through plywood decking or broke out skylights. You’ll need a professional inspection to find out if your home is damaged.
- Be aware there is a time limit for submitting an insurance claim. If you miss the deadline to file a claim, you are stuck with a damaged roof unless you pay out-of-pocket for the roof repairs or replacement.
- Most homes can be re-roofed in one to two days.
- Make sure you understand how your deductible will be paid before you sign with a roofing contractor.
- Your insurance company keeps all of the savings when you go with a bid lower than their estimate. The difference between your insurance company’s estimate and the cheapest bid can’t be used to help pay your deductible.
- The paperwork you receive from your insurance company includes an estimate for roof repairs. If the estimate amount isn’t large enough to replace your roof, don’t worry. It’s only an estimate – not a final insurance settlement.
- Insurance companies cannot cancel your policy or raise your rates for weather related claims. However, when you’re involved in a catastrophe, your insurance company may raise rates on everyone impacted in order to stay in business.
A word of caution: if you hire a roofing company that charges less than the estimate from your insurance company, you run the risk of getting stuck with cheap materials, no warranty, an inexperienced roofing crew, and a lack of service after the sale.
INSURANCE TERMS WORTH KNOWING
You may have a gaping hole in your roof insurance coverage without knowing it. The following insurance terms can prevent you from being caught off-guard should you be faced with a storm damaged roof:
- Actual Cash Value (ACV) Policy: Your insurer pays to repair or replace your roof, less your deductible and depreciation for the age and type of roof.
- Replacement Cost Value (RCV) Policy: Your insurer pays all costs to make your roof whole again without factoring in depreciation, once you’ve met your deductible.
- Deductible: The amount of your claim that you are responsible to pay.
Be aware that some contractors will ask for payment prior to doing any work or delivering material. However, In most cases, you should not pay a dime before your roofing project is complete. Asking for money before work begins is usually a signal the company is not financially stable.
With RCV insurance policies, your insurance company will typically hold back the depreciation amount of your settlement. This amount will not be paid unless, or until, you need it to finish repairing your home. The depreciation check is sent after the insurance company receive’s the roofing contractor’s final invoice. You do not get to keep the difference from what your contractor charges you and the amount of the depreciation check, so it usually doesn’t pay to hire the cheapest contractor.
With replacement ACV policies, the first check normally has your deductible and any applicable depreciation already deducted. With ACV policies, your depreciation is non-recoverable. That means that once you get paid the ACV of your roof, you will have to pay the remainder of the cost yourself.
Clearly, it is very important to know what type of roof insurance policy you have as It will determine the extent of the re-roof or repair process. If you are not sure which type of policy you have, contact your insurance agent.
WE LOOK AFTER YOUR BEST INTERESTS
Innovative Construction & Roofing team members are construction insurance specialists. We use the same software that many insurance providers use to prepare claims. On most projects, Innovative completes all of the work for insurance proceeds. In some cases, however, we work directly with your insurance adjuster to make sure that you are paid the insurance proceeds that you are due. This ensures we can install a full protective roofing system in-line with the insurance coverage you are paying for.
At all costs, avoid roofing contractors who work solely from insurance paperwork without ever inspecting the roof. A qualified, reputable contractor would never do this. Your roof should be fully evaluated firsthand, inside and out, before work begins. Too often, an insurance adjuster’s “scope” of work is off by a few units of roofing squares (1 square = 100 sq. ft) or missing key components. At Innovative, our team of insurance specialists work hand-in-hand with you and your adjuster to make sure your insurance claim gets processed correctly.
ROOF INSURANCE AT A GLANCE
- If you have homeowners insurance, your roof is covered.
- There are two primary types of policies: Replacement Cost Value and Actual Cost Value. Every policy has a deductible.
- The deductible is the portion of your claim that is not covered by your insurance company.
- You are responsible for your deductible which will be a specific amount ($500, $1000, $2000 etc.), or a percentage of your home’s value (usually 1% to 2%).
- After the adjuster has been out to your home, it usually takes around two weeks to receive a check.
- If your estimate for roof replacement is LESS THAN your insurance check, you cannot keep the money.
- You may be committing insurance fraud if you submit an invoice for inflated insurance replacement work.