We are currently working with a homeowner who had a tree fall on her roof, puncturing several large holes (pictured below). Her insurance company came out and has only offered to cover the back portion of her roof, where the holes are located. The homeowner was unhappy with this decision and called us to intervene.

Why You Should Not Replace Half a Roof

In this situation, our customer’s insurance company is just being flat out unfair. They want to pay for a little as possible, not what is actually damaged. If you find yourself in a similar situation, here are a few points to bring up when only a portion of your roof is being covered.

1. Differing ages between slopes: Shingles have a lifespan of either 25-years or 50-years depending on if they are 3-tab or architectural. Replacing only a portion of the roof means that one slope will have a different lifespan than the other. This will become problematic when one slope needs to be replaced before the other as most roofing companies will not do half a roof. This is because experienced roofers know tying both sections together at the ridge can be extremely difficult.
2. Aesthetically, it won’t look right: Shingles look different as they age and therefore, the front and rear slope of your roof will not match. Think of it almost like wearing a brand new sneaker on one foot and one you’ve had for 10-years on the other. It doesn’t matter that they are the same sneakers, they will never match and you will look silly.
3. Logistically, it can be difficult: Just because the insurance adjuster deemed only a portion of the roof the be replaced, does not mean it is logistically advisable or even possible. Some roofs are too old and brittle to withstand a partial replacement and you end up doing more harm than good. Sometimes, you find rotten plywood and you absolutely have to remove the entire roof to in order to replace with new plywood.

If you are left in a similar situation by your insurance company or just have doubts about what they have offered to cover, we encourage you to speak with an expert. We handle over 400 insurance claims a year and can give you a knowledgeable answer. Contact us today with any questions or for an inspection at no charge.

As a general contractor, we often advertise ourselves as a one-stop shop of sorts for customers. This is because we can do everything from a full kitchen or bath remodel, exterior work like new roof or siding, decking and porticoes to full restoration services for after a fire or water loss. That doesn’t mean, however, that we’re a jack of all trades and master of none. You see, within our company, we have people who specialize in each individual field.

The benefit of being an established company with over 26-years of experience is that we are able to hire the most skilled individuals in each field. We have project managers that just work within storm damage insurance claims and project managers that only work on large losses. We have those who specialize in retail and those who work behind the scenes with the project managers on the coordination of each job trade.

Getting the Best Service…

By structuring our business this way, our team is able to fully master their trade. The complexities on a fire rebuild will be vastly different than that of a retail kitchen. It doesn’t make sense to have one person try to master both. It would be like having your general practitioner perform surgery in place of an actual surgeon just because he went to medical school.

When you work with a general contractor, be sure to bring up this point. Many companies have the same project managers writing retail estimates, working on hail claims, and also working on water losses. No one can do it all well and you are better off working with someone who specializes in the service you are looking to have done. This ensure you are truly getting the best possible service.

Replacing Half a Roof is a Bad Idea

Why You Should Not Replace Half a Roof

Jack of All, Master of None