Peace of mind. If your home is damaged, you may have a short time to file an insurance claim. Since your insurance company limits the amount of time you have to file a claim it is important to get your claim approved and repairs scheduled as soon as possible.

B & L Roofing provides homeowners with no cost property damage inspections and no obligation repair estimates.

The cost to repair your home can vary, depending on the extent of the damage, cost of materials and cost of quality installation by your contractor. If you are filing an insurance claim, and approved, you will never pay one dime more than your deductible for approved damage replacement.

No. Storm damage is almost always a named exclusion in manufacturer, home builder and contractor warranties, which are designed to cover problems with materials and workmanship, not storm damage, or factors beyond control.

Yes. Most homeowners policies cover full replacement value of your roof. The first check the insurance company gives you is the Actual Cash Value (ACV); what the roof is worth today with its useful remaining life. The money that was withheld is called the depreciation, or technically, the Replacement Value Cost (RCV) and will be paid to you when the work is completed or most times upon the submission of a signed contract with a licensed contractor for the work specified in the insurance adjuster's summary report.

There are two reasons that the insurance companies hold some money back. The first reason is to make sure that you get the work done. Past experience has shown them that, if they give the customer all the money up front, many people end up spending it on something else. The second reason is that they wish to make sure that you pay your full deductible. The insurance company does this because many people if given all the money up front will try to find a contractor who would perform the job for the dollar amount in hand. By holding the retaining amount, they can adjust the amount of the final payout based on the roofing contractor's invoice, thus assuring that the customer does pay the deductible.

When most people look at their insurance paperwork they are confused, because they think the insurance company deducted their deductible from the money the insurance company has sent them. However, the deductible is the amount that the homeowner is responsible for paying directly to the contractor. The insurance company subtracts the home owners deductible amount on the paperwork from the total amount the insurance company allows for the claim, since the homeowner will pay their deductible directly to the contractor. The balance after subtracting what the homeowner will pay directly to the contractor as a deductible, is the total amount the insurance company will actually pay for the claim.

It is always prudent to get more than one estimate. However, when insurance is paying for the work, the dollar amount of the estimate is not very important as long as it is equal to or less that the insurance company estimate. In all such cases, with B & L Roofing, you will only be paying your deductible, so your cost with us will be what the insurance company pays, plus your deductible. Therefore, your decision should be based on going with the contractor that you feel most comfortable with and whom you feel will perform the best job.

Usually this is because of something the insurance adjuster missed in the scope of work to be complete. We can almost always work something out with the insurance company to get these items paid. We will submit what is called a "supplement" with documentation in the form of pictures, measurements and paperwork. The insurance company will review the supplement and upon approval, send a check for the additional money needed to make the repair. Can my contractor help me file my insurance claim? Yes, our claims specialist. She will help you file your claim and will work with your insurance company to ensure a fair outcome for you.

Insurance companies are prohibited from singling out any one homeowner for a rate increase based on an "act of god" damage claim, which includes hail, wind, tornado and hurricane storm damage claims. However, if a storm has impacted your area then most likely your insurance company will raise all rates and you will be affected whether you file a claim or not.

If your insurance company is paying for your repairs, it is in your best interest to hire a contractor who will provide quality service, workmanship, materials and a good warranty. Typically if a contractor is willing to do the work for less than what your insurance company is paying he most likely isn't your best option and will end up cutting corners to save money. Any reputable company will work with your insurance company until an agreeable amount is decided on and the homeowner will only be responsible for their deductible regardless of the bottom line figure.