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Your homeowners insurance policy covers all storm damage to your roof. And not only is your roof covered, it is covered for replacement cost. This means the insurance company will replace your roof – regardless of age – if it is damaged by a storm. There is no deduction for depreciation for a roof.
If you suspect your roof has been subjected to high winds or hail, you should have it examined by a qualified roofer immediately. Tiles or shingles can be severely damaged even if they are not blown off the house. Many roofs look absolutely fine from the ground, even though they have been compromised by storm damage.
Shingles have a sealing strip between them. Many times, wind will lift shingles and break the sealing strip during a storm. After the storm, the shingles simply go back in place and they look fine, but they are not. If the sealing strip is compromised, your roof likely will start leaking within a year or two. That is why it must be examined immediately, before it starts leaking.
Tile roofs suffer from a similar plight. Tiles are actually merely decorative. The real water barrier is the underlayment – the paper below the tiles. A strong wind can “chatter” tiles on your roof. After the storm, the tiles look fine. But during the storm, the chattering tiles may have jiggled the nails securing them to the underlayment. This causes the holes around the nails to open wider than they should and allows water to seep in around the nails.
If your roofer identifies wind damage, call your homeowners insurance company immediately. There are certain time limits set forth in your policy that may prevent a recovery if you wait too long after discovering a problem. Ask your insurance company to send an adjuster to inspect your home. Make sure the adjuster coordinates the visit with your roofer so the roofer can show the damage.
Under the Florida Building Code, if 25 percent of your roof needs to be replaced, the insurance company is required to replace the whole thing. Under Florida’s insurance statues, even if less than 25 percent of the roof needs to be replaced, the insurance company must replace your entire roof if the repaired area won’t match existing shingles.
Sometimes an insurance company will have an “independent” engineer or roofer inspect the roof. That inspector may find that the roof has no damage or is failing because of age, wear and tear or poor maintenance. Based on that report, the insurance company may deny the claim entirely or offer a nominal settlement.
If your insurance company denies your claim, immediately contact an attorney who handles roof claims. The attorney should agree to review your case for free. Most importantly, Florida statues require an insurance company to pay your fees and costs if you are successful against the company. This statute is a powerful tool in leveling the playing field between a homeowner and the insurance industry.
Mark Nation is a civil trial lawyer and consumer advocate who focuses his practice on helping policy holders in claims against their insurance companies. He has litigated thousands of cases involving insurance denials against most of the world’s largest insurance companies. Nation will gladly look at any insurance denial for free. To learn more about The Nation Law Firm, visit NationLaw.com or FloridaInsuranceBlog.com.
