by Kim Puskar
In a casual conversation between you and your next door neighbor, you might be discussing getting a new roof before the snow flies! Your neighbor might just say to you, “Report the damage to your insurance company! They’ll pay for it! They paid for mine. They said it was due to the last hail storm that flew through in August of 2008.” This is not always the case.
You see, the damage to your roof might just be there due to normal wear and tear. It could be just from hiring an inadequate contractor to begin with.
Insurance companies are tightening their belts. They are being more diligent when it comes to negotiating the loss. They are hiring qualified engineers. So don’t be so quick to rush into your insurance agent, just because you don’t want to absorb the loss.
I know the cost of a new roof is expensive. And I know that a 30 year shingle never last 30 years! Four years ago I replaced my roof at $5,500. It was 15 years old. A month ago, my associate replaced his roof at $13,000. The cost of materials just keeps on escalating, and so do the claims. Home owner’s rates are literally going through the roof! The insurance companies are blaming the increases to the home owner’s policy on “Mother Nature” and inflated or fraudulent claims.
Unfortunately, we live in a society that justifies erroneous claims by their monthly payments to the insurance companies. People think that the insurance companies are getting rich, but the fact is billions are paid out every year on inflated and fraudulent claims.
Take Responsibility
We need to start taking some of the responsibility for our high rates, and we need to start by minimizing damages. By this I mean, if your roof is damaged by a storm, and your whole neighborhood is wiped out by the same storm, chances are you will have to wait for a contractor to get out to your home. If you have a hole in your roof, and the contractor can’t come out for a few days, go to your local lumberyard, buy a piece of wood to cover the hole, and nail it on your roof. This is what I mean by minimizing the damages. The storm may have created the hole, but you can stop further damage to your home by covering the hole until someone can come out. If you have broken windows—same thing, nail a piece of wood over the window until someone can come out and fix it.
If you are not sure what to do, call your agent. If you can’t get a hold of your agent, call and report the loss to your insurance company. They will contact your agent for you.
Some insurance companies have preferred vendors. This is a business that the insurance company has had good relationships, and good workmanship from.
I personally have my own preferred vendors. I want my clients happy with the work done on their homes. After all, this is one of their biggest investments, and I am there to protect it.
I am not just an insurance agent. I am a trusted advisor. If I can’t send that preferred vendor to work on my mother’s home, then they are not going to y
our home either…
Your home deserves a home owner who takes pride in their home. Normal maintenance needs to be done on a continuous basis. Make sure you have fresh paint on your trim work. Replace leaky windows. If you have a water leak, fix it. Don’t wait until these small matters become huge.
I recommend that if you can’t do the job, hire it out. There are lots of restoration companies that provide many services that you don’t even know about. Look on their websites, and you will find that they offer cleaning and repairs among other things.
Never keep flammables in your garage. Empty propane tanks need to be removed from your garage as they too cause a hazard. Don’t keep garbage piled up around your home as it is a fire hazard and attracts animals that can cause even more damage.
Trees should be trimmed. They maybe too close to your home. Don’t wait to make a claim. Mitigate the loss or prevent one. Trim your trees, and be the best neighbor you can be.
Losses or claims can cause your rates to increase. And let us not forget the deductible. The average deductible is $1,500. That is out of pocket money, before the work even begins. And now that you’ve made a claim, you can about bet that your rates will increase.
Make an appointment with your agent to go over your coverage. Agents get busy, but they should never get too busy to make an appointment to discuss your coverage. People change! Marriage, divorce, children, autos, jobs, promotions, and unemployment! These are all reasons to see your agent.
Life happens! And it’s my job to make sure that you are covered properly?
Kim Puskar, Farmers Insurance Group
