How To Make a Roof Insurance Claim in Texas

Unfortunately, roof replacements and restoration can be expensive home repairs or improvements, which is why a reliable roofing contractor is essential to help you through a roof insurance claim to maintain the safety and comfort of your home.

Understanding Roof Repairs In Your Home Insurance Policy

Understanding the claims process and policy coverage before any storm damage arises can be beneficial in handling your roof insurance claim. This will help you avoid obstacles that create difficulties between insurance firms and their customers, such as policy exclusions, delays, or discrepancies in the repair or replacement cost value of the roof.

Check If Your Home Insurance Provider Covers Severe Weather Events

Insurance coverage for Texas homes and businesses will usually cover storm-related damage, including debris, hailstones, or falling trees, water damage caused by flooding during heavy rains, addressing broken parts, or a partial to full roof replacement.

Checking your home insurance policy coverage is essential before the storm season, or during it if you haven’t already, especially if a policy has been recently renewed or you have changed firms. This ensures you’ve got full protection when bad weather hits. 

Does Your Insurance Company Cover Roof Damage?

Generally, wind and fire damage are covered as a baseline minimum by most providers, offering financial assistance to resolve leaks caused by storms, such as:

Get Paperwork Ready This Storm Season

Most insurance companies will also require a customer to maintain their roofs in good condition in line with policy requirements, and be ready to demonstrate this with necessary documentation when requested.

This is where the documentation of your recommended roof maintenance schedule and inspections will help support your insurance claim, so ensure you collect all required reports and invoices for safekeeping. 

Unfortunately, customers who have neglected regular inspections and repairs, hired uncertified contractors that offer poor maintenance services, or performed their own inspections and DIY work on their roof may experience difficulties when claiming for these areas of their roof with their home insurance coverage.

Check the Deductible Amount on the Insurance Policy Paid by You

The insurance deductible is the amount of cash often proposed by the insurer, and agreed upon by you, to cover the costs of repairs for damage that occurred to the roof before the insurer makes the final payment for the outstanding total.

Although a higher deductible often comes with the advantages of lower premiums—saving money in the short term during the renewal process—the actual cost when damages arise may quickly outweigh earlier financial gains.

Updated Information on Waived Deductibles for Texas Homeowners

This follows reports of scams undertaken by fraudulent contractors tricking homeowners across Texas with incentives to waive deductibles in return for poorly sourced materials and low-quality work, often below industry standard.

Known legally as HB2102, this Texas law was recently revised and reworded to remove bad business practices and encourage certified and regulated roofers to continue providing high-quality repairs that improve the roof’s lifespan and insurance claim assistance, such as official documentation and communication, as opposed to false cash incentives. 

You should always proceed with caution before agreeing to a roofing company or contractor’s services if they offer to waive the insurance deductible, which may appear appealing to customers with higher costs to pay upfront.

It is recommended that any customers offered a deductible waiver make a report to the Texas Chief Law Officer’s Customer Protection Hotline for further advice and guidance.

Starting the Insurance Claim Process for Roof Repairs

Now could be the time to arrange a roof inspection and consider a roof damage claim. With over 20 years of experience working with households and businesses across Austin, our team of reputable roofing contractors is well-versed in the complexities of the home insurance process.

As part of our inspection and roof repairs service, we also assist our community by working with their insurance agents to ensure necessary repairs are completed efficiently and to a high standard. We’ve shared below some of our expert guidance as roofing professionals in navigating the roof insurance claim process.

Act on Roof Damage Promptly by Reporting and Documenting the Issue

It is recommended to document issues when first spotted with a timestamp to evidence the date they occurred because damages can easily escalate when hit with the pressures of poor weather conditions, such as high winds blowing loose shingles, gutters coming out of place, or a water leak spreading further into the home during heavy rainfall.

This can help to confirm to your insurance company that problems were not pre-existing when filing a claim, which may invalidate the insurance claim, especially if you have no prior paperwork demonstrating ongoing restoration and maintenance.

When Do I Arrange a Roof Inspection To Assess Damage?

A reputable contractor in the roofing industry is often required for an inspection to verify damage and prevent fraudulent claims. This service can be arranged via your insurer or independently using a local roofing company.

Our complimentary roof inspections ensure residents in the Greater Austin area have the peace of mind of a professional checkover regardless of arrangements with an insurer provider, offering non-obligatory peace of mind checkovers, as well as inspection services through the insurance provider.

Working With an Insurance Company Roof Inspector or a Local Team

Check with your policy provider when reporting the damages if our team is listed as a verified roofing contractor in their network. We have worked with many insurers over our many years on Austin’s roofs. We are happy to advise where possible if we are a provider within your home insurance company’s professional network.

You Can Still Arrange Your Roof Inspection With Us

We may be able to offer assistance with second opinion inspections to challenge or confirm the adjuster’s decision, or to negotiate a more appropriate settlement figure if your insurer is adamant about working with their selected tradesperson. 

You can still arrange a complimentary roof inspection with the Matthew Lorand Roofing team while awaiting an inspection to be scheduled with your home insurance company, offering a peace of mind check-in on the safety and condition of your home, and to bring a second opinion on the work required or approximate price of roof replacement costs and repairs.

Navigating Multiple Estimates, Insurance Adjuster Disputes, and a Settlement Offer

Challenges for customers during an already stressful period do unfortunately occur, from lower-than-average repair estimates, delays with communications, to additional requests for documentation. However, it is possible to find solutions to tackle any difficulties along the way..

Challenges With the Policy Provider and Insurance Adjuster

Although many insurance companies aim to offer a fair settlement and streamlined experience for their customers, adjusters rejecting documented repair work, including causation, severity, and costs for a resolution, is a frequent reason discrepancies arise between roofers, households, and insurance companies.

Call a Roofer for Insurance Claim Assistance

A Second Opinion From a Professional Roofing Contractor Can Support Your Roof Insurance Claim

Temporary measures such as tarping are common for missing or damaged shingles impacted by hailstones or wind damage, offering an interim shelter from additional water leaks until a new roof or full replacement of materials is completed.

Settling on the Actual Cash Value of the Roof Repair

We work with many major home insurance companies across our professional network, utilizing our long-standing local reputation to be the recommended choice of many policy providers and customers in the community for their insurance-covered roof repairs.

Customers usually receive payouts within 30 to 60 days, depending on the insurance company and bank involved. An additional inspection may also be required by certain providers to guarantee the quality of work and updated property value, if applicable, following the repairs.

Choose Matthew Lorand Roofing’s Streamlined Roof Repair Process