When will insurance pay to fix the hail damage on your home?

Getting your insurance to pay for hail damage on your home is very important to save you money.  Getting the most out of your claim requires some strategic planning.  Contacting your insurance agent, getting quotes from local, reputable contractors, and being persistent will ensure your home gets repaired under your policy. The insurance adjuster will be the person to determine if and how much of the hail damage will be repaired under insurance.

First, inspect your home.

If you feel your home’s siding, roof, or gutters and downspouts, have been damaged by hail, then you need to thoroughly inspect your home.  First, take a look at where the downspouts dump rain water onto the ground. If you notice a large amount of shingle material that looks like sand but is the color of your roof, then you may have some hail damage on your roof.  Take a visual of your roof and look for broken off shingles.  Next check your gutters for golf ball size dents and dings.  Be sure the downspouts are all fastened securely still.  Look on the front side of your gutters as well as inside at the bottom of the gutters for dents. Check your siding for dents and dings also.  Aluminum siding will show the most signs of hail damage.  You will notice the same size dents and dings on your siding as on your gutters and downspouts.  These are all signs that your house has been a victim of hail damage.

Call a local, professional contractor.

The best thing to do if you suspect hail damage is to contact your local, professional contractor, such as Classic Gutter Company, Inc. at (708) 450-9666.  A professional will go over your entire house to determine what has been damaged by hail, and what needs to be replaced.  They can provide a formal estimate on how much it will cost to repair and replace the damaged items.

Contact your home owner’s insurance agent.

After you have inspected your home, had a professional inspect your home and provide a written estimate, contact your insurance agent to start a claim.  Most claims will cover the full amount for the hail damage on your home whether it is roofing, siding, gutters, and downspouts.  The insurance adjuster may require to see your home in person to also give an estimate on how much of the damage will be covered and for how much.

Get a few estimates.

It is always best, no matter what type of project or trade, to get multiple estimates on the repairs for your home.  This helps you get a fair price, allows you to choose the best, most qualified professional, and saves you money in the end.  We always recommend contacting a locally owned and operated company to conduct work.  The “storm chasers” or “fly by night” companies are in it ONLY for the money.  Those types of people usually do a poor job, collect the money, and are never heard from again.  If you ever have a warranty claim on your recent work, then you may be out of luck.  Check to see how long a company has been in business.  If they have been in business only a few years, there is a good chance they probably won’t be in business in another few years.

Classic Gutter Company, Inc. has been in business for 33 years.  Call us at (708) 450-9666 for more information regarding roof hail damage, hail damage repair, hail damaged shingles, or general hail storm damage.