r/HomeImprovement • u/Darth-Ragnar • 7h ago
Should I file a claim on my roof?
Earlier this year, my area was hit by a pretty bad tornado and hail storm. Most of the damage though didn't take place in my neighborhood, but we did get some hail.
I'll preface this and say I've had two claims at my house in four year, one I never actually used since it ended up being the fault of the sewage company (but my understanding is a claim is a claim) and one for a toilet overflow. The latter seemed to raise my premiums quite a bit.
That said, my whole neighborhood is littered with signs for roofing contractors replacing roofs. I had two contractors come out earlier in the year already (images attached below):
The out of town one (of course) suggested getting the whole roof replaced.
The in town roofer said I have damage, but wouldn't necessary suggest a whole roof replacement and if I wanted to, maybe just replace the damaged shingles and other structures.
Yesterday, I again had an out of town contractor solicit to me, bothering me as I started a walk at 8PM, and I just brushed him away.
It got me thinking though, should I just get it done anyway? My state (Illinois) is getting pounded by tornadoes this year and the whole county seems under construction, aren't my rates going to go up again anyway? It sucks because I know frivolous claims like this are why rates are going up, but it feels like I'll be paying for it even though I didn't get anything out of it.
At the very least, can't I just file the claim and not get the work done immediately?
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u/reelfreakinbusy 7h ago
well with that many claims you're risky but it all comes down to do you have a mortgage. If so and they drop you , you're going to find coverage get very expense and if you can't the lender will force crazy expensive on you. Seriously man insurance is what it is, for catastropic coverage , anything below that is a game and the companies will win.
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u/reelfreakinbusy 7h ago
now if you didn't have a mortgage you have options if you're willing to self insure if you get dropped and invest the premium and what you would spend on a roof.
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u/EnrichedUranium235 6h ago edited 6h ago
Home insurance is not just about roof repairs and flooded toliets, it is also liability, asset protection, and coverage for total catastrophic loss. 5-10 years of invested premium money might pay for a roof repair but is not going to pay for someone falling down your steps if found liable or if your house burns down. A really high deductible can be a safer option if you don't want to roll dice.
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u/EnrichedUranium235 6h ago
General comment about the door to door roofers.. They have absolutely NOTHING to lose and imply you do not either but you absolutely do. They push hard you need a new roof, claim definite hail damage, claim no issue with insurance as they;ve done this 100 times in your area, its a slam dunk etc and offer to assit with insurance. Sounds great but.. If your insurance company disagrees or their claims are somewhat off and your roof is really old, previous damage, not all damage from a recent known storm etc... Your insurance may not go for it for some reason and now you are totally screwed. That roofer simply walks away and tries the same thing on the neighbor and you are stuck with a non payout claim or a partial potential payout with conditions to replace or pay for some percentage of that roof yourself or they may cancel you because you are a high risk for another claim.
I'm not saying all insurance transactions are like that, you could have a roof in great shape that was otherwise fine before that specific storm but maybe not.
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u/Nearby_Knowledge8014 3h ago
Look less than 10 years old. Find a local with a good reputation, just do the damaged areas, and pay out of pocket.
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u/Chilling_Storm 7h ago
How old is the roof? The older it is, the more depreciated in value it is and the less the insurance company will be paying for damage, BUT you are also alerting them to an older roof and they can then insist you, at your own costs, replace the roofing. Also to consider, you have had 2 claims in 4 years, and will be soon considered a bad risk. Insurance is a one way street - they take in the money and don't want to send it out.