Customers frequently ask how the hail damage process works, do you get an estimate now?  Do you call your insurance right away?  Below are the steps to help you through the process of siding or roofing damage caused by a storm.

1. Assess your house when it is safe to do so, if you think you have siding or roofing damage to your home call your insurance company or agent right away and ask to file a claim.
2. The insurance company will take a verbal description and send an adjuster to assess the hail damage.  If there are any emergency repairs necessary ie. Water leaking into your home, now is the time to advise your insurance company so immediate steps can be taken to reduce further damage.
3. Once your adjuster assesses the house and determines that there is hail damage, he will produce a report listing the damage and the expected cost of recovery.
4. Depending on your Insurance Company, your adjuster may give you a list of contractors they currently work with, it is important to remember you do not have to choose from this list, and are free to hire your own installation company to complete the work.
5. Once you have reached an agreement with your installation company, advise your adjuster, and once approved, they will co-pay a cheque in the amount of your repair to both you and your installation company, this amount will be less your deductible which is to be paid by you.

Why would you consider hiring your own installation company?

When hail damage hits any major city, the workforce literally changes over night.  Companies offering siding and roofing installation services frantically look to increase their crew capacity from 3-5 crews up to as many as 20 or more to keep up with the demand.  Your insurance company is there to repair hail damage, not to renovate your home; therefor the companies servicing this industry have a primary concern to complete the replacement as quickly as possible, long term warranty’s typically offered in a renovation are not a standard.  If you are interested in simply repairing storm damage, this may be a consideration for you.

Did you know that you can also use the funds from your replacement as an opportunity to upgrade?  Maybe you want to add insulation to your exterior walls, upgrade from vinyl siding to James Hardie fibre cement siding or have a beautiful stone accent applied to some areas of your home.  You will be provided with a comparable estimate of ‘like’ product for a fair insurance reference and then for upgrades work directly with you to determine the exterior you would like to apply.   A reputable contractor will work within the parameters of the insurance requirements and add great value to an otherwise unlikely opportunity.