Why Ignoring A Hail Damaged Roof Could Cost You

If your home has been hit by a hail storm, and you don’t have an extra $21,204 laying around, you may want to consider getting a hail damage roof inspection ASAP.

After a severe storm, many homeowners are not aware of hail damage on their roofs. In most cases, hail damage to roof tops often times cannot be seen from the ground, and that’s a big reason why the idea of hail damage hardly ever crosses a homeowner’s mind.

Homeowners should always request a hail damage roof inspection after severe weather events to check for signs of damage. Not only will it identify potential costly issues, but it will also give you peace of mind that your home is safe. However, many homeowners wait or ignore hail damage which can end up costing them a lot more in the long run.

 

Hail Damage And Your Homeowners Insurance

Your roof is your home’s primary defense against the elements. Insurance companies understand how important a fully functional roofing system is which is one of the reasons why roof damage caused by hailstorms is covered by your policy.

Hail damage can take years to cause roof leaks and many homeowners put off getting an inspection or fixing damages. This is never a good idea. Here’s why:

  • When hail hits an asphalt shingle it often knocks off the protective granule coating. Once the granules are gone, the protective layer underneath is exposed to the elements.
  • The sun’s ultraviolet light will weaken the exposed spots and make them brittle. These exposed areas are very susceptible to leaks.
  • Once leaks occur, the damage can be extensive due to potential damage from mold, electrical issues, ceiling and wall damage from water and perhaps even personal property losses. The damage can also come very quickly and often is not initially detected.
While hail damage to your roof is covered by homeowner’s insurance policies, the additional damage caused by waiting to get repairs is not. Most insurance companies believe it is the homeowner’s responsibility to maintain their homes and take action to prevent leaks and subsequent damage. Therefore, if you wait until your roof is leaking to make a claim you could be footing the bill for all the major repairs.

Preventing additional damage to your home is one of the reasons why some (but not all) insurance companies have time limitations to file a claim. In fact, most policies state that claims should be filed “promptly” or “as soon as possible”.

 

Ignoring Hail Damage? Start Saving Now.

What would you do with an extra $21,204? Go on vacation? Go back to school? Invest it? The last thing you would likely think about doing if someone handed you a check for $20k would be to replace the roof on your home. Our advice to homeowners who have not scheduled an inspection after a hail storm, or plan on waiting for roof leaks to develop before filing a hail damage claim, is to start saving now.  According to Remodeling.com’s 2017 Cost vs. Value Report, that’s exactly how much the average roof replacement costs.

As we mentioned before, most insurance companies believe it is the homeowner’s responsibility to maintain their homes and take action to prevent leaks and subsequent damage. If you wait too long get an inspection, be prepared to pay out of pocket for any additional damage caused to your home. Furthermore, if your policy has a time limitation for filing a claim and you wait to get a roof inspection only to find out your roof is damaged you may end up having to pay for repairs that would have otherwise been covered by your insurance company.

When it comes to your home, it’s always better to be safe than sorry so don’t wait to get a roof inspection after a storm. Contact us today to learn more or to request a roof inspection.

Don’t pay out of pocket for damage that would have been covered by insurance.