hail damage – Page 3

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!

On May 2nd, 2016, a severe storm crossed over the Potomac region, affecting neighboring cities like Rockville, Potomac, and North Potomac. This severe storm brought incredible hail with it, ranging in size from quarters to golf balls. This type of hail is highly damaging to the exterior structure of your house, including your roof, siding, fascia, gutters, downspouts and windows. Due to this, we encourage all homeowners in the areas reached by the storm, to thoroughly have one on of our inspectors check their home for free.

Note that hail damage can sometimes be hard to spot, even when it was golf ball sized hail that hit. This is why you should not only rely on your own initial home inspection, but call a Haag certified expert to fully access your home as well. What you may think is normal wear and tear is actually a hail hit. The force of hail against your shingle weakens the granules. Over time, the shingle becomes torn or ripped like the one pictured below. This allows water to enter the underside of your roof and eventually, leak inside.

We encourage homeowners to be preventative as interior leaks from hail damage usually happen a few months after the hail storm. At this point, it may be too late to file an insurance claim for hail damage as most insurance companies only allow a 6-months to one year time frame to file following a weather event. This means that you will not only have to pay to repair your interior water damage from your leaking roof but also, have to pay to repair your roof to stop further leaks, all out-of-pocket. It is always best to be certain you have no damage than to be stuck in the unfortunate situation of finding out you did have damage and now you’re unable to file an insurance claim.

If you live in the Potomac or Rockville area, you would greatly benefit from a free home inspection. It takes 15-minutes and could really save your home from further damage and give you peace of mind. To learn more about hail damage or to schedule a free home inspection, give us a call today at 410-569-1732. We are happy to answer any questions you may have about storm damage insurance claims, hail damage or about our company. Modern is Haag certified, meaning we are specfically trained and certified to identify credible hail damage over aging shingles or typical wear and tear. We are also GAF Master Elite Certified, a credential only 2% of roofers nationwide are given.
To read more about the storm that hit the Potomac, MD region, check out this article from the WSJ.

Hail Insurance Claim FAQ

Hail Damage Severe in Rockville and Surrounding Areas