Modern Remodeling - Modern Remodeling MD

Even if you have filed an insurance claim before, chances are you’ve never done one for hail damage. Most homeowner’s aren’t even aware hail can severely damage their home, let alone know that insurance companies will pay for the damage. We wanted to take a minute to explain the ins and outs of filing an insurance claim for hail damage. Have a more personal question? Contact us directly.

How do I know I have hail damage?

The issue with hail is that most people assume they will be able to easily identify the damage. In our 25-years of experience, we have only had one or two storms where the damage was extremely obvious; broken windows, holes in siding, holes in shutters and shingles in the yard. These storms were historic and the hail size was a rarity for the East Coast in general, let alone this area. It is safe to say that in general, hail damage to your home will be harder to spot. To the untrained eye, hail hits may just look like a scuff mark from normal wear and tear.

Hail hits can often just look like normal wear and tear.

Okay, I might have damage. Why should I file a claim?

We also encourage homeowners to file a claim if they suspect they have damage or even if they live in area where hail reports were confirmed. When an area is hit with a severe storm, the amount of insurance claims rises and this means the longer you wait to file, the longer it will for an adjuster from your insurance company to come out. We’ve seen waiting lists as long as two or three months! So, we also say file first as there is absolutely no penalty for it. If you are unsure, you can always have an Haag certified inspector come out to your home before you file to validate your damage, if there is any.

Won’t my premiums increase?

The truth is, severe storms are considered an Act of God by your insurance company meaning your premiums will not go up. However, sometimes your rates will increase just from the amount of claims being filed in your area. In this case, you may as well file anyway if you are going to pay like you did!

I have filed a claim, now what?

Once you have filed a claim, your insurance company will send out an adjuster to inspect for hail damage. Sometimes, adjusters are extremely qualified and do a thorough inspection. Sometimes, however, they are rushed due to claim volumes, from out-of-town an unaware of Maryland building codes, and just plain untrained in hail damage. This is why we recommend you have a Haag certified professional or someone experienced in identify hail damage during that adjuster meeting. This ensures your home is being thoroughly looked over and the more eyes on something, the better. Once your adjuster, your certified roofer like Modern and you agree on the scope of damage, colors can be picked and work can begin.

If you have any specific questions about the insurance claim process, feel free to contact us directly or call our office at 410-569-1732. We are happy to help!

*Hit on shingle from golf-ball sized hail.*

When we tell someone we are Haag certified, unless you are an insurance adjuster, it probably doesn’t mean much. Yet, being Haag certified should matter to homeowners. After a severe storm, many contractors will try and get a piece of the damage pie. You will see contractors with new wrapped trucks and those who look like they are living out of their trucks. You will see contractors that only do interior remodeling scrambling to get crews to put on roofs and siding. You will also see qualified exterior storm damage specialist mixed in with the mess. So how do you weed out the good from the bad when picking a contractor to use? That is where the Haag certification comes into play.

What does Haag Certified mean?

The Haag Certified Inspector-Residential Roofs course covers damage assessment of sloped roofs more commonly found on residential houses and buildings. In order to even qualify for the Haag Certified Inspector –Residential course, the student must have completed a minimum of 100 residential (sloped) roof inspections as the primary “on roof” inspector. This automatically weeds out the pop-up roofing contractors. In the course, you learn to identify credible hail and wind damage to residential roofs. This course is well-known and accepted by almost all industry professionals, including insurance companies. To obtain your accreditation, you must not only attend the course but take a difficult examination and pass. In essence, being a Haag certified inspector means you have qualified for the course, passed the thorough examination and now are considered a leading expert in the industry for hail and wind damage.

What is involved in a Haag course?

Think the Haag Certified Inspector-Residential Roofs course is just attending and an open-book test? Think again. Haag teaches you about hail damage thresholds, meaning what is the smallest size of hail which might cause functional hail damage to a particular type of roofing? Furthermore, you learn how hail hits of various sizes effect different roofing materials like asphalt shingles vs. clay tiles. For example, suppose that hail has been reported as 1” and 2” in two areas of a city. Since the threshold for lightweight asphalt shingles is 1” hail, a valid hypothesis is that the greater opportunity for damage would be in the area where 2” hail had fallen. Basically, the Haag course gives inspectors a thorough education on hail damage stemming from a scientific approach.

What does it matter?

Finding a Haag certified inspector is one of the easiest credentials to look for that separates true insurance restoration specialists from your average Joe kitchen remodeler. While, Joe Kitchen may be a completely respectable contractor if you were looking to update your kitchen, he most likely won’t be able to help with hail damage to your shingles. As a homeowner, you must do your homework for the contractor you hire and finding a Haag certified one like Modern is a great place to start.

Hail Insurance Claim FAQ

Only Trust a Haag Certified Roofer For Storm Damage