GREENSBORO, N.C. — After our winter storm, you may be asking this question, “should I be concerned about my roof”?
You definitely want to run down this checklist:
Go up in your attic and see if you notice any water stains or see any damage.
Take a walk around your house and look at the shingles. Are they laying flat or do they appear cracked, buckling, or damaged?
Does your roof appear to sag or droop?
If the answer to any of these questions is yes, you'll need to call your insurance company and a roofer.
When you call your insurance company they're going to ask you when the damage happened and how. Your insurance company sends out an adjuster and they write up a report on the damage they see.
I did this not too long ago. In my case, the first adjustor didn't think there was as much damage as the roofer I had called. So what do you do in that situation? I had to take my own 2 Wants To Know advice.
I asked for a second adjuster to look at it. It's not being a problem consumer, it's being a wise consumer.
You can get a quote from a roofer before or after the insurance adjuster comes out. The timing isn't as important as these guidelines.
Get everything in writing: the full price, the materials, estimated time frame of how long it will take
Get quotes from three different companies is recommended
Check their score on the BBB website.
Don't pay in full up-front. I use the third rule, a third up-front, a third when they start the project and a third when they're done.
Don’t pay in cash. It’s nearly impossible to get it back if there is a problem.
BEWARE: There will be plenty of non-reputable companies out there in neighborhoods ready to "help you" with your roof. Law enforcement says to listen for red flags.
“If they say you need to make a down payment, it will get you to the head of the line. If they say they can get your material here quickly. If it sounds too good to be true, it's probably too good to be true.”