Storm Damage Insurance Process MN

Storm Damage Claims MN, and Hail Damage MN Claims in Minnesota are one of the most common types of insurance claims. What does this mean for you? A major disadvantage – your insurance company is better prepared to overcome the choice to replace your roof, siding, windows etc. Because insurance companies have years of experience in this process, your insurance company has a well developed plan of attack to minimize your settlement.

Hail Damage Roofing Contractor MN
If there is obvious hail damage like holes or dents the process is certainly smoother. But in most cases, hail damage is not cut and dry. More often than not the decision to replace a roof comes down to the judgment call of an insurance adjuster. One thing is certain, once the adjuster decides you have little or no damage, it’s difficult to change his or her mind. To overcome this, one requires a deep understanding of the physics of hail. Specifically the wind effects on hail, general direction of the storm, size of hail stones, and relative hardness of hail stones.  Below is a basic outline to follow if you are not sure how to begin your hail damage claim process if you’re not sure what to do. If you are beyond this stage, simply use this info as a quick checklist.

Find your insurance policy.

Find the Declarations Page, and find the heading Forms and Endorsements. Review your specific policy details for wind and hail damage. Make note of your claims hotline phone number.

Report the loss.

Call the claim hotline – and have the date and time of the storm ready, along with the general areas you have damage.

Preserve the important evidence.

If possible, gather and save anything can prove important details, such as the size of hail stones. We recommend saving and freezing these just in case. Fallen tree limbs, wind driven debris is also good to accumulate to help justify damages found after clean-up.

Take photos of your property in its worst condition.

Before you clean up, take photos the mess. Take them with perspective of evident markings. Take close up photos of the debris and damage. Have two sets of prints made, the adjuster will probably take one with them.

Arrange for temporary repairs if needed.
Take the needed steps to prevent further damage or water intrusion to your property. Your insurance company will compensate you for this, as its more than likely a requirement of your insurance policy. Take every measure to temporarily repair major damage to your home. Save receipts and documentation to receive compensation.

Keep track of your time and expenses.
Keep receipts and records of your time and money spent on the clean up and or temporary repairs.

Select a qualified storm damage restoration company.

Obtain a written inspection and ask for their help and commitment through the entire process. A local experienced hail damage firm has been through the process many times before, look for company with knowledge, resources and experience in specifically handling insurance claims.

Get our FREE Report on the left – Critical Things To Know BEFORE You Call Your Insurance Company.

Roofing MN | Hail Damage 6/17/2010 MN | Storm Damage 6/17/2010 in Minnesota

Twin Cities Hail Damage Roofer

Twin Cities hail damage, hail damage roofer in the Twin Cities, Minnesota roofer

What truly constitutes hail damage? This is a good question because there are so many different variations of hail damage. Some don’t consider it damage unless there are holes in a roof. Some consider it damage if there is the slightest dent in the roofing. Nevertheless, it is important to note that anything that compromises the quality of your roofing is damaged. If it is dented, scratched, or punctured, that is not good. Your hail damage roofer in the Twin Cities will tell you this.

Let’s take Asphalt shingles in Minnesota, for example. They are the most commonly used type of roofing because of their affordability and they are aesthetically appealing to your home. However, they can take on an amazing amount of damage due to a hail storm.

The parts of an asphalt shingle

When Twin Cities hail damage happens, there are different parts of the shingle that can be compromised. Those parts are the granules that protect the asphalt from UV and weather damage. The asphalt is also backed by a fiber glass backing.

Each part of the shingle is very important. For instance, the fiber glass backing may be on the bottom, but it is designed to make the asphalt mat last longer. And not only do the granules look nice and protect the asphalt, but they are also fire resistant. That way if your neighbor’s home catches fire, you have a lesser chance of your roof catching fire. But if you have areas on your roof that are missing those important granules because of hail damage, your fire risk increases.

Furthermore, when you have granules missing, the UV rays and the elements simply wear on those shingles. Eventually they are no good and you may experience leaks. This can cause the plywood under the shingles to become weak from saturation and can cause an even bigger roofing issue that will be more expensive. A Minnesota roofer can come to your home to prevent this as long as you call after a hail storm occurs.

This shows how even the slightest alteration in your shingles can result in long term problems that you don’t know about until it is too late.

The size of hail

The size of the hail also plays a very important role in how much damage occurs to your shingles. Most manufacturers state that the warranty is void if hail larger than ¾ of an inch strikes the roof and damages it. This is because the manufacturers truly can’t control hail and it would not be economically feasible for them to fit the bill for it every time hail hits the Twin Cities or any suburb in Minnesota.  However, you can call a hail damage roofer in the twin cities and take their assessment to your insurance company.
To get started, call Berkeshire Exteriors to take care of your hail damage now. It doesn’t matter the size of the hail or how long ago it occurred. The sooner you call, the better off your roof and your home.

See Our Work