Insurance FAQs

Any claim made in response to a natural disaster, or an "Act of God", legally CANNOT result in any increase in premium, non-renewal, or cancellation of your policy. If the wrath of a hurricane hits your neighborhood and many roofs are destroyed, then the insurance company may raise premium rates, based on the area being deemed as high risk. This may happen (and is happening now across the entire state of Florida), regardless of whether you personally file a claim or not.

The homeowner is responsible for paying the deductible. Your deductible is the amount of money a policyholder must pay out-of-pocket toward damages or a loss before their insurance company will pay for a claim.

No. Florida Law dictates that you the homeowner are responsible for your deductible. If any contractor tells you differently or offers you some sweet deal then both parties are committing insurance fraud.

No. We have yet to see an insurance policy that states that this is a "duty after the loss", to provide 3 estimates. The insurance company may request 3, and you can bet they will go with the cheapest and not necessarily the best contractor for you. Best advice is do your research, find the reputable roofer of your choice, and submit that 1 estimate. It is your home, you should choose the contractor that you want to repair your home.

No and yes. Your insurance company will go with the cheapest if you submit 3 estimates. Yes, you can choose your contractor, just make sure to do your research and make sure the contractor you choose is FL licensed, insured, and has a good reputation along with the certifications to back up their work.

There are multiple reasons this could be the case, some of the most common could be:

• Your neighbor is working with a reputable contractor experienced in the insurance claim restoration process and were able to get the insurance company to cover the damages correctly by advocating on the insured behalf, utilizing their knowledge, and justifying the reasons full replacement is required.
• Your neighbor met the criteria for full replacement due to Florida's matching statutes or 25% rule.
• Your neighbor has a different insurance company or insurance adjuster, not all insurance companies and insurance adjusters are equal, some are more fair and others are far more difficult.
• Not all properties are damaged equally, your neighbor may have sustained more damage than your property did.

Regardless of the reason, this does not mean that you are not also entitled to full replacement as well. This is why it is important to contact a reputable contractor who is experienced in the insurance claim restoration process, understands all of Florida's building codes and matching laws, and how insurance companies operate. After they assess your property and review your insurance company settlement, they may very well determine that you should have qualified for a full replacement as well and will be able to take the necessary steps required in order to obtain a fair settlement has been reached and you receive the proper compensation that you are entitled to.

Sometimes you can receive a joint check made out to you and your home mortgage company. Your mortgage company holds the deed to your property and has an interest in ensuring that all major repairs are completed. Most contractors who are experienced in insurance restoration repairs will be able to assist you with this process as they deal with it on a daily basis.

Yes, your deductible will be deducted from the check you receive from your insurance company. You are responsible for paying your deductible to your contractor.

Your insurance settlement and payment is based on your policy provisions, terms, and coverage. You can discuss this with your insurance agent as every homeowner's policy is different. Also most contractors who are experienced in insurance restoration repairs have a good understanding of different policies and may be able to review and help explain this to you as well.

Depreciation is the amount by which the value of your home or personal property has decreased in value since you bought it. Depreciation is caused by a combination of: Age (how long ago was the purchase) and Condition (amount of wear and tear or other damage).

Based on this definition, recoverable depreciation is the portion of the depreciated amount that you can get back or "recover" from your insurance company when you make a claim on a policy with replacement cost coverage.

Such claims will generally be paid by the insurer in two parts:

• The first check will cover the actual cash value (ACV) or depreciated value of the item.
• Once you have repaired or replaced the item, and they receive the invoice for the completed work, your insurance company will send a check for the recoverable depreciation amount.

Insurance companies split their payments this way for a few reasons: most importantly, it discourages fraud and gives you an incentive to spend the money on actually repairing your home as intended. Using the first part of the claim payment for irrelevant purposes means forfeiting the recoverable depreciation.

Firstly, your insurance claim will list all of the areas of your house that were affected and damaged in the storm and will indicate the price for the replacement of the same. Secondly, it will also list your deductible amount (this is the portion of the claim that you are responsible for paying). Lastly, it will indicate the depreciation which, in most instances, can be recovered by you upon completion of your work.

No, and we usually advise against it. Public Adjusters will charge anywhere from 10% - 30% of the approved claim amount, and many will have a provision for some type of fee even if your claim is denied. Public Adjusters do not have any magic skills or abilities to improve your chances of claim approval, nor do they have any extraordinary talent to expedite your claim.

Often a contractor who is experienced in insurance restoration repairs understands the insurance process and is able to locate and justify all damages that warrant coverage and provide the same scope of work and advocate on your behalf to get you the settlement you deserve.

In the event that your insurance company is not willing to provide a fair settlement your contractor can assist with utilizing legal representation. An experienced claims attorney is in the business to fight on your behalf and will almost always result in obtaining a proper settlement.

Assuming that the damage isn't obvious, it can be very difficult to determine if you are not a professional. As there can be damage that is far less obvious, and some of the most costly storm damage that is often overlooked can lead to latent damages that can manifest and cause significant issues down the road.

It is always best to have a professional inspect your roof to determine if you have damage so you are able to make an educated decision on how you would like to move forward.