My client has turned in a claim to the insurance company for hail damage. They paid for damage to the siding, paint…etc on the front and one side of the home. They will not pay for any damage on the roof. They paid an engineering firm to come out. The engineering firm said that there was hail damage, but the strike were from hail of only 1/2" size. They claim that the strikes must be from hail of at least 1" in diameter. is there any way to get this roof paid for?
Showing the size of hail doesn’t help if I don’t know what the “rules” really are for damaging shingles…can you help with that?
Who was the engineering firm, and who were they representing?
The question is this: “Is there damage to the roof that was not there prior to the hail?” If the answer is yes, you have a legitimate claim, and the roof depending on the owners policy and coverage, should be replaced in its entirety or at least to its ‘pre-hail condition’.
Look up a company called ‘Pride Public Adjustors’ they’re all over the U.S., and they’re one of (if not the) best at what they do. If there is legit damages, they will get the roof paid for- and my experience is that they usually find even more when they come out.
Good people, they’re worth their fee (which is a % of the contract once they justify and go through everything), worth looking them up and calling.
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Twade - Even Hard Pea Sized hail can damage a variety of roofing systems, and other building components, when driven by strong enough winds. As can wind driven sand, and other wind-borne projectiles. Weather systems that produce hail and high winds, can be cold enough to cause roofing systems (and other) building components to contract and harden, and make them naturally more susceptible to fracturing, per the impact of what is affecting them. I have seen PVC systems fractured, and shingles stripped of their outer granular component, by hard pea sized hail impact. Point being - It does not take 1+ inch hail only to damage a structure’s various components. Honest insurers and engineers will agree.
I am a building envelope consultant in Texas. I have run across this situation before and argued for the insured that If the shingle is damaged - the shingle is damaged. In this case size doesn’t matter. Remember though, not to try to “adjust” the claim. As a contractor (or consultant) we do not know the terms of coverage stated in the policy. But we don’t need to claim ignorance of such terms as “Like-Kind & Manner” or “Pre-incident condition” Some insurers have tried this “size” tactic as a way of getting around a damage claim. I don’t know if it has been tested in court yet. In my case, the owner threatened to sue the insurer and the claim was settled for total replacement.
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Hard Pea sized hail stones driven by wind can create a lot damage to various components of a structure. They can strip away factory finishes on window frames and screens, painted wood surfaces, guttering and downspout finishes, garage doors, roofing components, AC units, fencing, and etc. structural components composite make-up.
As long as your not negotiating price or who owes for what, you should be fine.
I agree with Roofwalker, If there is a damaged in the roof… then there is a damaged regardless of its size. Some insurance will try to use different tactics to cost cut in claims and this isn’t only applicable for property insurance but for health and other industries too.
“Once our eyes focus, you can see that it appears like something scraped here and there in large swatches.(Engineering company) would call it a ‘manufacturers defect’, yet you examine the opposing slope and the granular color is consistent all over. Dare I say that the affected slope is damaged? Should I consider that hundreds of pellets just pummeled this slope and knocked all those granules loose? If I were lying out there on the roof when the storm passed, what would I look like?”
Adjuster comment from: 3RS Profit MAX / The Playbook
The engineering firm’s “the strikes must be from hail at least 1” in diameter" is irrelevant, IMO.