How to Claim Insurance for Emergency Roof Repairs
You’ve just had an emergency roofer out to fix your leaking roof and put right the damage caused by storms – the last thing you need now is an argument with your insurance company over who’s going to foot the bill.
Your home insurance usually covers events such as floods, fire or storms so as long as your property is well maintained, your insurance company should foot the bill if your roof is damaged by stormy weather.
Often claims are dismissed where the property is known to have been in a state of disrepair that would have affected your roof’s performance in the stormy weather. When people report that their insurance claim has not been approved, it’s usually because there was an underlying problem with your roof before the storm caused further damage. Leaking roofs can go unnoticed for years and make your property more susceptible to damage. When this happens an insurance firm will not make a payment because in their eyes, further damage to your property could have been avoided by roof maintenance.
Know Your Insurance Terms
As tough as it can be for busy people to read all the small print, it’s always worth checking the terms of your insurance policy. Sometimes these terms and conditions can seem quite daunting but if you’re not sure of anything, you could end up being out of pocket in situations such as this when you’ve had an emergency roofer carry out essential repairs but your insurance policy won’t cover the damage.
What is an Emergency?
Firstly, you should be careful only to use an emergency roofer in an emergency situation. It may seem obvious but emergency roofing is naturally more expensive than standard roofing, so it makes sense to ensure that your call to a professional emergency roofer is absolutely necessary in the first place.
An emergency situation would normally constitute a roofing problem that needs repairing to prevent further damage to your property, for example, if your roof were in danger of collapsing or extensive leaking that threatens the contents of your home. In this case, the insurer should not need to see an estimate because this is an emergency situation, where delay could cause further damage to your property.
When you call out a roofer following a storm, make sure that the weather conditions are severe enough for your insurer to class it as a storm, not just a spell of heavy rain. Lots of buildings insurance policies do not define a storm outright, but a storm is usually acknowledged as violent winds with hail, rain or sleet. There are other cases of extreme weather conditions that would also be classed as a storm.
The Beaufort Scale
Many insurers will measure a storm using the Beaufort Scale. This is the standard scale used by insurers that has been used by mariners since the 19th century to measure wind force. This scale measures wind from 0 to 12 and some insurers will only classify a storm that extends beyond a certain level on the Beaufort Scale. Sometimes this can be too simplistic a way to measure a storm and your insurer should take other aspects of the weather into account, as well as the reliability of weather stations and their proximity to your property.
Keep Your Property in Good Repair
Regular maintenance of your property should limit problems with your insurer when it comes to claiming for emergency roof repairs. Keep an eye on the condition of your roofing to ensure that there are no missing tiles, cracks or leaks that could make your roof unstable and therefore more vulnerable in stormy weather. Remember the golden rule: the damage must have been caused by the storm and not other factors, such as wear and tear that has occurred over time.
Your Local Emergency Roofers
For roof maintenance, assessment and emergency repairs, call G&A Roofing and Building. We are a leading roof repairs firm that provides a range of services to keep your property in top condition and secure in stormy weather.
Having been established for over 25 years, we have a good relationship with many of the leading insurance companies and our involvement can help your insurance claim go smoothly.
Call G&A Roofing and Building to discuss your requirements with a trained local roofer today on 0800 626430.
