What Should I Do If My Homeowner’s Insurance Company Only Partially Covers My Roof Repair?

According to the Insurance Journal, roof damage is one of the primary causes of homeowner’s insurance claims. Hurricane-force winds, falling tree limbs, hail, and countless other factors can wreak havoc on a roof. Unfortunately, many claimants learn the hard way that insurance companies are not always willing to provide a fair payout or reasonable repairs.

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If you believe that your homeowner’s insurance company unfairly denied your claim or if the contractor sent by your carrier did not restore your property to its pre-loss condition, contact Leader & Leader P.A. Michael D. Leader is an insurance lawyer in Fort Lauderdale who will evaluate your case to determine if you have grounds for a claim against your insurer.

If your claim is successful, the insurance company will be required to cover your legal fees and other expenses you incur as a result of the claim. Our office is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Call 954-523-2020 to schedule a free initial consultation.

Read on to learn about the problems that can arise when making a roof damage claim with your homeowner’s insurance company:

Total vs. Partial Roof Damage

It is often the case than an insurance company determines that a roof only requires a partial repair; however, according to Section 611 of the Florida Building Code, there are several situations when a roof that is partially damaged must be entirely replaced to comply with current Building Code requirements.

For example, if more than 25 percent of your roof requires repair, you will not receive a building permit unless you intend to make the entire roof system compliant. Unfortunately, even if your insurer concedes that a partial replacement is covered by your policy, it might not be willing to pay for the entire replacement – even if this is required to obtain a building permit. Under many policies, despite the initial refusal, your insurance carrier can be forced to pay to replace the roof as required by the insurance contract.

If you are in this situation, contact an insurance attorney for assistance. Your lawyer will evaluate your policy to determine the best way to proceed. Many homeowner’s insurance policies contain provisions, called building code upgrade coverage provisions or law and ordinance provisions, that outline what will happen in such a scenario.

Many times, you may be covered under one provision but also have additional benefits under another part of your insurance contract.  Although often limited, many policies have a law and ordinance provision that may provide coverage for complying with code; in other instances, if the work to be done requires a permit and the permit will not be issued without compliance with other necessary upgrades, those improvements may also be covered.

In some instances, you or your attorney may have to provide evidence that you incurred such costs whereas in other situations there may be a settlement where it is paid up front.

As you can see, recovering fair compensation for roof repair is not always a straightforward process; however, insurance companies tend to take claims filed by attorneys more seriously. If you would like to discuss your situation with an insurance claims attorney in Fort Lauderdale, contact Leader & Leader P.A. at 954-523-2020 to schedule a free consultation.

 

 

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