How to Interpret Your Homeowner’s Insurance Policy’s Residential Roofing Coverage

a row of tiny houses with question marks above them

The Leading Roofing Contractor in Johnson County Can Guide You Through the Fine Print

If you are in the market for roofing services, it takes time to find the best contractor for storm damage repair near you. On top of that, understanding what your homeowner’s insurance will and won’t cover can feel like a major undertaking.

The good news is, if you’ve come to this page, you’ve already found the premier roofing contractor serving Johnson County, Kansas. What makes us so unique? Not only do our highly qualified technicians provide research-based residential roofing, but we’re also in the business of helping homeowners take care of their roofs affordably.

One of the biggest questions we get from homeowners is how to interpret their homeowner’s insurance policy. No one wants to have to pay out of pocket for such an important investment, especially if there have been external circumstances, like weather, that led to the damage. So, we’re walking you through the five most important parts of a common homeowner’s insurance policy to help you get familiar with what your insurance will and won’t cover.

Residential Roofing and Your Homeowners’ Policy – Get to Know Your Policy

The first step in understanding what your homeowner’s insurance policy will cover is to get to know your policy well. You likely have a copy of your records where you keep your important files, and – if not – don’t worry, because you can easily request one from your insurance company.

Head over to their online portal where you can secure a digital copy, print a hard copy, or have one mailed to you. If you don’t have an account, you can always call and get all of the information over the phone.

Once you’ve secured your policy, look for a few key items:

  1. Find Your Deductible: Look at your general policy and determine your deductible. A deductible is how much you have to pay out of pocket before your insurance company covers the rest.
  2. Look for a Roofing Section: See if you have a policy specifically related to your roof, and if there is a specific deductible for roof repair or replacement.
  3. Search for Other Coverages Related to Damage: If your roof was damaged in a particular incident, such as wind, a tornado, a massive snowfall, or other weather event, you may have coverage specifically related to these disasters. Your coverage, then, would begin here, instead of general coverage.

Residential Roofing and Your Homeowners’ Policy – Understanding Your Policy

Once you’ve located key items in your insurance policy, it’s important to understand exactly what you’re reading. Below, we expand on the information we provided above.

Here are the most important things to consider regarding the three sections described above:

  • About Your Deductible: If you are going to use your general coverage to repair or replace your roof, you need to understand how much this deductible is. If you think that your repairs or replacement will be under the amount of your deductible, it may be wise not to utilize your insurance and pay out of pocket. Keep in mind that using your insurance policy will likely raise your insurance rate, so you want to be sure that it is financially strategic to use your coverage at this time.
  • Specifics About Roofing and Insurance: It is possible that you have specific clauses in your insurance policy about your roof. Read to see if there is an age limit on roof replacement. Some insurance companies will not replace your roof if it is over a certain age. On a similar note, see if the age of your roof determines the amount your insurance will cover. It is common that your insurance coverage decreases based on the age of your roof. As a hypothetical example, if your roof is one to five years of age, the coverage amount may decrease by $1,500. Look for a chart that provides details along these lines.
  • Other Coverages Like Wind, Hail, and Natural Disasters: Take a look at this section closely. See what your specific deductible is if you’ve experienced roof damage because of a natural disaster listed in your policy. Keep in mind that insurance policies are particularly strict. For example, if the insurance company can prove that you have not had regular maintenance on your roof or the trees on your property, and a giant limb falls onto your house, you may not be able to claim a natural force is entirely to blame. You will have to prove that the damage was out of your control.

Residential Roofing and Your Homeowner’s Policy – Understanding What’s Covered

Once you’ve determined how your insurance covers residential roofing, you need to know what types of situations are covered by your policy. Your insurance policy will spell out the following forms of damage that are typically covered:

  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Fire
  • Lightning
  • Smoke
  • Snow and ice
  • Tree branches

However, getting an understanding of what’s covered is different for every insurance policy. If you aren’t sure whether the damage to your roof is covered by your insurance policy, it is a good idea to speak with an agent from your insurance company. You may find out that normal wear and tear is not covered. Additionally, it may be that only a percentage of repairs are covered, and replacement is only an option if your roof can’t be successfully repaired.

Getting an Estimate, Providing Proof of Damage, and Meeting Adjuster

If you believe you are in the clear, and insurance should pay for some or all of the cost of a roof repair or replacement, your next step is to get a roof inspection from a reputable roof contractor in Johnson County.

Vision Construction offers a free, 21-point roof inspection that will thoroughly cover your roof. We’ll be able to get to the bottom of your roof’s needs and condition, and can present a focused and highly useful estimate, including photos, which you can then send to your insurance company.

Making sure you’ve filed a claim with an inspection from a reputable roofing services company gets you access to the next phase, when an adjuster will visit your property. Your adjuster will also perform an inspection to make a determination for the insurance company.

Your insurance company will then decide how much of your repair or replacement they will cover. Then, you can have Vision Construction complete the residential roofing services you need. There will be no need to go searching for “storm damage repair near me” on the internet. We can follow through on the entire process for you.

When In Doubt, Make Vision Construction Your Partner for Residential Roofing

As you walk through the process of repairing or replacing your roof, Vision Construction wants to be there for you as a resource, as a key support, and – ultimately – we hope to earn your trust and your business whenever you need residential roofing services. We are the number one roofing contractor in Johnson County, Kansas and beyond, helping our customers find solutions for their roofing, gutters, and siding.

The premier experts in storm damage repair near you, we can be there fast when you need us. We’re here to serve you, our customers, at all times, and wish you the abundance of joy that comes with a safe, protected, beautiful roof and home. Call us at 816-743-4156, or send us a message online.