While spring and summer are my favorite times of year to be in Colorado, one unfortunate aspect of the warmer months is the possibility of hail. So far this year, Colorado has shown us some exciting summer storms. We have had multiple storms producing small hail in Lafayette and probably in your area, too.
Of course with hail comes roof damage, insurance claims, and more.
So what should you do if you believe you may have hail damage at your home?
We typically recommend having a reputable roofer come out to do a free estimate to inspect the damage before filing an insurance claim. A reputable roofer will be able to tell you if you have enough damage to file an insurance claim, and if you do, they will even meet the insurance adjuster out at your home during a secondary visit to make sure all the items that were damaged (like of course the roof, but also things like outdoor furniture, grills, fencing, screens, roof flashing, etc), do indeed get covered by your claim.
If a roofer comes out and tells you you don't have enough damage to file an insurance claim, then that is good news! You don't need to call your insurance company at all, and you won't get dinged by your insurance company for filing any kind of claim.
Steve Hakes, an insurance broker that we have worked with many times over the years, reiterated that using a reputable roofer is very important. In the case of large storms that produce hail, there will be roofers door knocking in neighborhoods that may have been impacted by hail.
Some of the companies door knocking may be less than stellar actors, and some can even be scammers. Steve said that bad roofing companies can be a nightmare to work with for homeowners and insurance companies alike, and some blatantly scam homeowners out of their hard earned money. Steve's advice was to ignore the door knocking companies altogether and make sure any roofer you have come out is from a company recommended to you by your insurance broker, Realtor, or other trusted source.
Steve also specifically mentioned timing. If we get large damaging hail early in the season and the roofer recommends replacing your roof, it might make sense to hold off till later in the year to replace it (assuming there aren't any active leaks that would cause water damage.) We could get more damaging storms later in the year and he said it will be better with insurance and rates to file one hail claim rather than multiple hail claims.
If you think you might have hail damage to your home, Ken and I would like to be a resource to you. Please reach out to us directly and we can put you in touch with roofing contractors that we know and trust.
As always, don't hesitate to reach out!
Allison and Ken
