Wind & Hail, Roofs & Insurance Claims
The storms that have been rolling through many parts of the country this spring have caused well publicized death and destruction to many. At the same time, they have resurrected the rivalry between insurance company adjusters and roofers.
Yesterday I was at a loss with one of my colleagues as "protection" from an menacing roofer. Last week a different team member inspected the roof only to find the policyholder's contractor on the roof upon his arrival. He had circled numerous shingles with what he claimed were hail hits. In our adjuster's opinion, they were mostly blisters from insufficient ventilation. When he started to discuss this with the roofer, the roofer became belligerent and actually prevented him from completing his inspection. Yesterday I had a different team member evaluate the roof, with the same contractor, and he reached the exact same conclusions.
This morning as I was driving to work I heard a radio advertisement from a roofing company. They stated "with the recent storms, let us 'work' your insurance company". Come on! If that doesn't sound disingenuous, then you must love all the lawyers inciting lawsuits on TV, the radio, and billboards everywhere.
The Texas State Legislature had an opportunity to do something about this during this past session and conveniently passed. How this helps consumers or businesses other than roofers is beyond me - and the truth is that it could have helped legitimate and professional roofers quite a bit.
While our local politicians have decided not to broach the subject, an association called Free Roof Scam is setting out to educate people. They are making available marketing material such as yard signs and door hangers to help educate consumers.
The idea is that people understand what they are getting themselves into. But at the same time, I am skeptical. I believe agents and insurance companies need to pick up the ball and run with it. This information needs to be publicized in every way imaginable including mailings, renewals, Web sites, etc. The Department of Insurance should add prominent links from its Web sites.
While consumers have no problem accepting the incorrect notion that insurance companies have a vested interest in not paying for new roofs; it seems to be a totally foreign concept to them that the contractor - who they have likely never met before - and will likely never see again after the job is complete - has an interest in misleading them in order to get the business.
There are plenty of great, reputable, stable, insured, local roofers. Those are the folks people need to be talking to.
If someone knocks on your door and offers you a deal that sounds too good to be true like "I'll get you a new roof for free", then it is too good to be true.
Plus, why wouldn't you want to support your local economy by providing your neighbors with legitimate opportunities to work on your property. Let's face it, they are much more likely to be around if there are problems down the road.
So insurance carriers, adjusters, agents, and legitimate roofers, join the movement and help get the word out there.