Your roof protects you and your family from the elements, but it can only take so much before it starts to give in to the trauma. The biggest culprit is usually hail, solid precipitation that hurls down with the rain during some storms. Colorado residents fall victim to hail damage more than most. In fact, they submitted over 380,000 hail damage claims between 2017 – 2019, the second highest in the nation.
When you notice roof hail damage, take action before the harm gets worse and leads to additional destruction of your house.
In this article, you will learn:
- What hail can do to your home
- How to recognize hail damage
- How to prevent future hail damage
- When to repair your roof v when to replace your roof
- How to file a claim
What Hail Can Do To Your Home
Hail can hit your home at alarmingly high speeds, leading to roof damage. If you have asphalt shingles like most people, the hail can bruise or puncture the shingles leading to premature failure. The high winds also add to the trouble and can cause loose shingles to fly away. Without your shingles intact, the only protection lies in the underlayment. This can leave your home vulnerable to water damage, pests, and a slew of additional costly problems.
Related Article: Advanced Consulting FAQs
How To Recognize Hail Damage
After a particularly worrisome hail storm, inspect your home for visible roof damage, starting with the roof.
You will recognize some damage quite quickly, especially missing shingles and shingles with obvious mutilation. Some damage, such as bruising, may not stand out quite as easily. Look for dark spots, curling, spatter marking, and dents. Don’t forget to check for damage to the chimney, flashing, and gutters.
Hail doesn’t only affect your roof. Inspect your home for additional damage, especially your HVAC system and any exterior embellishments on your home.
Don’t want to climb a ladder to inspect the roof yourself? Contact us as Advanced Consulting to schedule a professional inspection.
Repair or Replace?
You have two options after hail damage to asphalt roofing: spot roof repair or complete roof replacement. The main factors that will contribute to your decision are the extent of the damage and the age of your roof. In addition, what the city/county code allows for repairs can have an impact. The other factor is insurability. It may be that a provider will not insure a “repaired” roof with hail damage until it has been fully removed and replaced.
A simple repair makes more sense for minimal damage on a new roof. It can also be the better option if your insurance company won’t cover the repair and you want to save money.
SAFETY FIRST! Do not attempt DYI roof repairs unless you have the appropriate training, especially if it voids the warranty on your roof.
Replacing your entire roof makes sense if your roof has extensive damage or you don’t like the style of your roof. It also makes sense if the warranty on your roof or the time span to file an insurance claim is coming up. If someone will cover the cost, why not replace the entire thing?
Replacing your roof can improve its effectiveness and increase the curb appeal of your home, making you comfortable if you plan to stay or making your home more attractive to potential buyers if you plan to sell in the near future.
How To Prevent Future Damage
You can’t prevent hail. However, you can put your home in a position to weather the storm. To minimize roof damage in the future, replace your current roof with high end roofing material.
Most homeowners know the benefits of asphalt roofing, and higher end singles come with even more benefits. The higher the quality, the longer your roof will last and the better it will hold up to hail damage. Class-4 impact-resistant shingles won’t break the bank, but they will reduce the likelihood of going through repairs once again after the next hail storm.
Not married to asphalt shingles? Consider trying alternative roofing materials designed for durability, such as metal. Metal can make quite a lot of noise during a hail storm and show some dents, but it lasts substantially longer, increases the efficiency of your home, requires very minimal maintenance, and comes at a comparable price to asphalt shingles.
Finally, keep up with regular roofing maintenance. You should repair as necessary, clean debris, and apply coating to reflect UV rays once a year.
Related Article: Advanced Consulting Services
How to File a Claim
Advanced Consulting manges the claims process differently than your average company. Our Inspectors are HAAG Certified, just like your Insurance Company’s adjuster. Our team will make sure to walk you through the entire process from start to finish and make sure you get the maximum benefit from your policy.
Step One: Inspection and Consultation
Our team will provide you with a free inspection to assess damages, communicate the findings and discuss your options, as well as what your particular insurance policy covers. A report will be presented detailing all damages.
Step Two: Sign Advanced Consultings Insurance Claim Contract and review SB38
Colorado Senate Bill 38 (SB38), the Consumer Protection/Residential Roofing Bill requires a written & signed contract between the property owner and the roofing contractor, designed for the customer’s safety.
Step Three: Start a Claim
After all the damages, figures, and paperwork have been reviewed, a claim is filed with the insurance company.
Step Four: Speak With Adjuster
Your insurance company will likely send an adjuster to assess the damage themselves. As soon as an adjuster has been assigned and has contacted the homeowner an estimated scope of loss and the signed contract are sent over. This starts the clock on the insurers time to process the claim in a timely manner to prevent a bad faith type of scenario. Advanced Consulting will then meet with the Insurance adjuster for an on site inspection to assist with safety and identify any items the adjuster might miss.
Step Five: Get Approval
The adjuster will report their findings to the insurance company, and from there either an agreement is reached to pursue the appraisal process or engage with a Public adjuster.
If all of these options fail, Advanced Consulting will work with a local law firm that specializes in lawsuits involving residential insurance claims to ensure you get the best coverage.
Need a hail damage repair estimate? Advanced Consulting in Denver, CO offers high-quality consulting services to facilitate the entire process including the inspection of the damage, the construction of your new impact-resistant roof, and any necessary maintenance down the road.
Why Advanced Consulting?
We at Advanced Consulting send an HAAG-Certified inspector to provide a no cost consultation. We can also file your claim, often increasing the compensation amount by 50%, potentially covering any upgrades you want. Your only out-of-pocket expense is your insurance deductible. We get paid through insurance adjusted proceeds based on your settlement, so we will do everything we can to get your claim approved.
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Related Article: Want to know what to do when your roof insurance claim is denied?