If you’re a homeowner, then you know you need homeowners insurance. And not only do you need insurance, but you also need your insurance company to come through (and hopefully make it easy) when you need something major repaired, like roof damage.
As one of our recent customers found out, that’s not always the case, even when it might seem like a pretty obvious cut-and-dried case to you. So this blog post will feature some news you can use on the insurance side, as well as how we took the lead with our customer’s problem and fixed his cedar roof to boot.
If you have a roof on your home (and we’re pretty sure you do!), it’s more than likely, sooner or later, that you’ll have to deal with repair work. Because wind damage. Because hail damage. Because storm damage. If you have roof shingles missing or undermined within your roof system, you have a problem.
And if it’s a big enough issue, you want your insurance company involved – which is what our soon-to-be customer in Stamford did after noticing some of his thin cedar shingles had been blown off.
But before we get into this episode, it’s important to know that we’re not just professional roofing contractors; we’re also well-versed in the nuances of insurance coverage, insurance companies, and insurance laws. And we offer this knowledge as an added value to our customers. It pays to hire a professional!
Tapersawn Cedar Shingle Replacement
Stamford, CT
OK, back to the story. The homeowner reached out to his insurance company, and the firm sent out someone to check the problem. The initial response was bad news for him – the company said no wind damage was found, although clearly (we later discovered) there was.
It’s instances like this where it can be very difficult to work with an insurance company when you’re not familiar with the ins and outs of coverage and laws. As a homeowner, you purchase a plan with a certain company hoping that should anything happen to your abode, they will do the right thing and rectify it.
But again, that’s not always the case. Luckily, two things happened for him. One, he decided to call in professionals, and two, he happened to use a neighborhood app for research and advice from those around him – and in doing so, learned about us. We were recommended for our dependable work and (well, what do you know?) having an in-house insurance expert.
Before this, the homeowner had already gotten quotes from several other repair outfits – none of which offered much in the way of dealing with insurance companies. Reading about our experience, and later meeting with our expert, gave him confidence that he would be making the right choice.
So he gave us a call for a proposal and also brought us up to speed on all the details pertaining to his dealings with his insurance company to this point. We sent out our insurance specialist to assess the damage, and we took our own photos to support his case.
The process of working in the insurance realm isn’t just a time investment; it’s also about knowledge, and this is where we get leverage. When doing our insurance research for a job, we use the same software that insurance companies do.
That means we know what they specifically will cover and what they are typically willing to pay out. Further, we are informed when it comes to the statutes in each state we do work in, so we know what things companies are required to cover and can hold them accountable.
For example, if a repair can be done on part of a damaged roof, it needs to be done with an exact match of the original material. If that match can’t be made (which is not uncommon), it might mean a completely new roof.
Here’s another thing. An insurance company will often imply that you must get several roofing quotes before taking the next step. This is not necessarily required, so if you have someone you trust to do the work, you can just get a quote from them. Insurance companies typically have someone they can suggest to do the work (cheaper), but you are free to choose who you want. Insurance will also cover any required permit fees.
In this case, our insurance expert worked with the insurance company, the field adjuster, and the desk adjuster on behalf of our client to get entire project covered!
As far as the roofing materials for this job, the homeowner originally had perfections, which are thin cedar shingles. Since we were doing a completely new cedar roof installation, we recommended pressure-treated Tapersawn cedar shingles, which are higher quality and tougher than what he had before. These CCA-treated cedar shakes and shingles offer better protection from mildew and fungal decay, particularly in humid areas, and reduce your need for maintenance.
Tapersawn Cedar Shingle Replacement
Stamford, CT
Western Red Cedar Tapersawn shakes are sawn on both sides, so it’s thicker than hand-splits that are sawn on only one side. Tapersawn shingles are known for their smooth, uniform look compared with hand-split shakes.
Tapersawn Cedar Shingle Replacement
Stamford, CT
Also important to know: Installing cedar shingles means you have one energy-efficient roof.
This cedar roof was installed in about three weeks, which is what we projected. Our customer was impressed with our timeline, work, and dedication – so much so that he bought the crew lunch!
City: Stamford
State: Connecticut
ZIP: 06903
Category: Roofing
Materials used (manufacturer): Watkins Sawmills, Ltd.
Materials used (type): Tapersawn Cedar
Materials used (color): CCA Western Red Cedar
Project Cost: $120,000
Time to Complete: Three weeks