Did you wake up in the middle of the night to the sound of rocks hitting the top of your house? Most likely, you may have just experienced a hail storm. What’s the first thing that you want to do? Call your insurance, right!? But wait…. If you think you have damage to your roof then, STOP! Don’t file an insurance claim just yet. What is the extent of the damage? Can you identify the location of the damage? Do you know if your insurance will approve a claim at this point?

If the answer is no to any of these questions, then DO NOT file an insurance claim until you have had a roofing professional check. Filing an insurance claim on roof damages can be a confusing process. Tomlin Roofing Professionals are trained on how to handle insurance claims. We need to assess the damage first. As a normal Tomlin Roofing standard, we do not tell you that you need a roof if in fact you do not. You may just need a repair, and that would save you quite a bit of coin.

Our professionals want to ensure you are reimbursed for the entire contents of your claim. Often times adjusters can miss items on your claim, leaving you with a greater out-of-pocket cost than expected.

We are not the contractor who cried hail.

After a hail storm you may experience “storm chasers” in your area. They go from town to town, or even state to state after a bad storm “looking” for work. Some may not even be from here, and most likely do not have a permit with the local cities. These kinds of roofing contractors often ask you to sign contingency plan, which means you will be locked into using them if the roof is approved by your insurance company. Most likely, the plan doesn’t usually include a cost for the roof.

The contractor who says they have been working with your neighbors or your insurance company.

The company may tell you that they are working on your neighbors or a house down the street. Make sure you talk to your neighbors and verify. You could even ask which neighbor, and ask for their names. These aggressive tactics can range from intimidating and shady to downright scary. You definitely do not want a shoddy roof with a contractor that disappears.

What should you do?

1^st Go outside and assess the damage; take pictures of all the damage on your property.

2^nd Do some research in the local area for a roofer, Facebook groups and Nextdoor for example is a great resource for doing just that. Remember there is no such thing as a “free” roof.

3^rd Have an inspection done by a professional roofer.

4^th Get job details in writing.

5^th Last but certainly not least; call your insurance based on the recommendation of the roofer.

Check out other resources we offer such as https://tomlinroofing.com/5-questions-to-ask-your-roofing-contractor/