GREENSBORO, N.C. — With a night of severe weather in the forecast and the threat of hail being high, at some point, you’ll wonder,
Does insurance pay for hail damage?
The answer is yes if you have comprehensive coverage.
“Comprehensive coverage is really for acts of nature things like hail damage hitting an animal lightning flood a limb falling on it,” said Christopher Cook of Alliance Insurance Services.
Comprehensive Coverage is required on any car with a loan. But if you’re done with car payments, comprehensive coverage is optional. If you don’t have comprehensive coverage, the fix for your car will come out of your pocket.
WHAT ABOUT HAIL DAMAGE ON MY ROOF?
A spring storm two years ago had me calling my insurance company. Hail damage on a roof is common and it is covered by homeowners insurance.
“Look for damage to your shingles that will show up as kind of a black spot on your asphalt shingle. Any slate shingle would have cracks,” said Cook.
Go up in your attic, and see if you notice any water stains or water damage.
Take a walk around your house and look at the shingles. Are they lying flat or do they appear cracked, buckling, or damaged?
Does your roof appear to sag or droop?
IF YOU HAVE DAMAGE, WHAT’S NEXT?
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.
Be prepared to only get half a roof. Really. If hail only damaged part of the roof and not a majority of the roof, the insurance company will repair the damaged part, not the while roof.
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
Getting 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," said Lechelle Yates, Better Business Bureau.