Homeowner’s Insurance and Roofing: Buyer Beware

With all the joys of homeownership also come the perils. We live in a world where disasters happen, often without warning. A beautiful, sunny afternoon in Frisco can end in severe hail punching holes in your shingles or cracking once beautiful tiles. The shade tree providing shade over a Plano home and reducing summer energy costs can blow over or break, collapsing part of the roof. Even the electricity in a Coppell home can cause an attic fire that damages or ruins the roofing structure. I hate to sound all gloom and doom, but disasters happen. When they do, that homeowner’s insurance policy you paid for all these years becomes the center point for what comes next and how much of the repairs the insurance carrier pays for and, more importantly, what you have to pay out of pocket. 

You pay a lot of money for insurance to protect your home. What ends up being covered…and what you have to pay for can be an unwelcome surprise. The chances are that when it came time to read the actual policy, your eyes glassed over, and the legalese led you to stop reading within the first few pages. 

Denied roofing claim example

Although not an uplifting topic for the Holiday Season, I urge our current and potential customers to review their homeowner’s insurance policy to understand the roof coverage section. At Peak Roofing & Construction, we see more and more claims denied based on policy restrictions found buried deep in the policy document. We have great relationships with insurance carriers, and I am not claiming they intentionally hide things from policyholders. What I am saying is “buyer beware.” It is your responsibility to understand what your policy does and does not cover. 

Last month, a customer in Frisco had their replacement cost claim denied based solely on the age of their roof. It made me feel physically ill when we received the denial from the national, well-known, and widely used insurance carrier. The homeowner “thought” they had replacement coverage but were left with two options…fight the denial and hope they win or pay the difference. 

The clause buried within a paragraph several pages into the customer’s policy said, “If you verify that your roof covering is less than 15 years old, we will settle the roof loss at replacement cost. If you can’t provide age verification, or if your roof is 15 years old or older, we’ll settle the roof loss at actual cash value.” Those two sentences are likely going to cost this homeowner thousands of dollars.

Review your policy 

One of my Holiday wishes for you is finding time to find or request your current policy. Unfortunately, the onus is on you to make sure your homeowner’s insurance policy fully protects your biggest investment. Finding out where your coverage falls short and finding the best way to close those gaps is crucial. It could result in huge financial savings down the road. The Peak Roofing & Construction team is here to help in any way we can. If your roof has some damage and needs repairs, call us! Our Haag certified roofing inspectors are trained to identify the causes of roof damage and provide valuable information for your potential claim. Please request a FREE inspection on our website. 

About Peak Roofing & Construction

Peak Roofing & Construction is family-owned, with 30-years of experience. Bonded, insured, and accredited, we provide roofing, gutter, fence, window, and exterior facelift services. Guaranteed. Call (972) 335-7325 in Dallas-Fort Worth (residential & commercial), including Allen, Carrollton, and Grapevine.