So You Have Roof Storm Damage In Denver, CO. What Now?

Wednesday, 29 July 2020 11:06

Colorado homeowners are familiar with the weather patterns of our state. Tumultuous hail storms, snow storms, and the like descend from the Colorado Rockies throughout the year to pummel Denver homes. Those hectic storms can inflict significant damage on your property, and your roof will often see the worst of it. If you have roof storm damage in Denver, CO, you’ll need to get the damage repaired quickly before the next impactful storm to avoid further damage.

How do you get the restoration process started? What steps do you need to take to repair your roof at an affordable cost? Education is a top priority at Ethos, so we wanted to create a straightforward guide to roof storm damage repairs. These handy steps will set you on the right track to get your roof fully restored and prepared to handle any upcoming storms.

Inspect The Damage With Your Contractor

In order to repair your roof damage, you’ll want to develop a full understanding of the extent of the damage. You may have a rough idea of where the storm damage has occurred, but you’ll need to verify the exact nature of the damage. Since you’re not a roofing expert, we recommend calling in a professional roofer for a comprehensive inspection. Just make sure your contractor specializes in storm damage restoration in Denver.

Your roofing contractor will check for common signs of wind, hail, and storm damage on your roof, which may include:

  • Distinctive patterns of small divots and impacts on your shingles, flashing, and other roofing materials.
  • Large piles of granules at the end of your downspouts.
  • Cracked, bruised, or missing shingles.
  • Interior water damage on your ceilings and walls.

Your contractor will leverage their years of experience to identify all the signs of storm damage on your roof. Once their detailed inspection wraps up, they’ll offer explanations for their findings and recommend next steps.

File Your Storm Damage Claim

If your roofer verifies that storms have damaged your roof, you can file an insurance claim with your provider. This is an incredibly important step in your roof restorations that should not be rushed. After all, your homeowner’s insurance policy is in place to provide financial support for your property repairs, so there’s no reason to not leverage it right now.

When you file a claim with your insurance provider, they will send out an insurance adjuster to verify the damages. We recommend you schedule a time to have both your adjuster and contractor on site together. This way, your contractor can voice any concerns that you may have with the adjuster’s findings. If any disagreements arise, you’ll need to push your claim to appraisal to ensure the dispute is resolved and that the entirety of your storm damage is covered.

If your claim is approved, you’ll receive a payout from your insurance provider to cover the restorations. The total amount of your payout will depend on the adjuster’s findings and your insurance policy. Depending on your coverage, you’ll receive a payment to cover either the actual cost or the replacement cost of your repairs. The main difference between these two values is that the actual cost value subtracts depreciation from the replacement cost.

Your insurance payout will function more as a reimbursement, as you’ll most likely need to pay your contractor directly. In most cases, you’ll receive multiple checks from your provider to reimburse your repairs. The first check is often an advance against the total settlement amount, but it is not the final payment. You’ll receive the final check once the repairs have been completed.

Additional Insurance Considerations

You don’t want to get stuck footing the whole bill for your storm damage repairs. That means you should do everything you can to strengthen your claim and minimize your likelihood of being denied. To give your claim the best chance possible, we’d recommend you:

  • Start your insurance claim ASAP. The roof insurance claim process can take some time, and if you start too late, it may be difficult to correlate your roof damage to a recent storm. You’ll want to get the ball rolling on this process within a few days of the storm.
  • Document every little detail accurately. The more documentation you can provide with your insurance claim, the stronger it will become. Ask your contractor to thoroughly document all their findings with photos, videos, and paperwork.
  • Get familiar with your homeowner’s insurance policy. We know it’s not the most invigorating read, but a better knowledge of your policy will help you greatly as you file your claim.

Confirm The Details Of Your Repairs

The scope of work will be based on the findings of your roofing contractor and your adjuster. Once your claim is filed, it’s time to determine the final repair details to fully fix up your roof storm damage in Denver, CO. By coordinating with your roofers, you’ll nail down:

  • The timeline of your storm damage repairs
  • And any additional restoration services (e.g., siding, gutters, etc.)

At this stage, you may want to also consider upgrading your roofing materials. If you want to avoid hail damage in Denver in the future, you may want to purchase impact-resistant (IR) shingles. These high-quality IR shingles are designed to withstand high winds of up to 110 mph and the high-velocity impacts of various-sized hail stones.

Of course, if you choose to upgrade your shingles, just keep in mind the fact that you’ll need to cover those extra costs. Your insurance reimbursement will only cover the estimated costs of your past shingles and it won’t be adjusted for any upgrades.

Complete The Repairs

Once the details are nailed down and the contract is signed, your storm damage repair contractor will get to work. Your roofers will bring all the necessary materials to your home and take care of the repairs in a timely manner. Top roofers will establish precautionary measures to protect the rest of your property during the repairs. As the project wraps up, your roofing contractors will clean up their work areas, pick up fallen debris, and leave your property spic-and-span.

The project will be officially finished once your roofers submit the final invoice to your insurance provider. This will verify that all the work has been completed and signal the release of the final reimbursement check. You can finally rest easy knowing your home is completely prepared for the next few years of Colorado storms.

Get Top-Notch Repairs For Your Roof Storm Damage In Denver, CO

At Ethos Roofing & Restoration, we have specialized in storm damage repair in Denver for decades. Our roofers are incredibly adept at recognizing the common signs of storm damage and repairing those areas with unparalleled craftsmanship. We’ll leverage top-of-the-line roofing materials to provide incredible protection for your property. And our roofers are more than happy to answer any roofing insurance questions you may have.

If you’ve suffered from roof storm damage in Denver, CO, contact the roofing experts at Ethos today to schedule your FREE roofing inspection.