Quote from @Owen Rosen:
Quote from @Victor S.:
Quote from @Nathan M kiefer:
Quote from @Matthew Paul:
@Matthew Jones You could turn this around on the insurance company . I deal with a roofing company they do a lot of storm damage ( insurance claim ) work . They get similar calls from homeowners where the insurance company will tell them to fix the roof or be canceled . The roofer gets up on the roof and finds wind damage , and then the homeowner files a claim and the insurance company pays for a new roof less the deductable .
Then after they pay for a new roof , you drop them and get another insurance company .
Wouldn't recommend that, loss runs will just run your rates up and you will be paying more and instantly show red flags to your new carrier
nope, roof replacement from storm damage rarely, if ever, counts against the HO. what Matthew is talking about is legit. i've had my roof replaced by safeco (very easy to work with) and then switched my policy over to another carrier w/o any issues. One asterisk, tho. If OP's current carrier denies the claim (that's where he needs a good, experienced roofer), then he will have issues switching over to a new carrier with that denied claim on record.
This is all sorts of wrong.
My initial issue with Matthew's advice is that the property has only been owned for a month so unless the "wind damage" occurred during that time there is no covered loss here. The likelihood of getting Progressive to cover a claim ON THE ROOF when they are issuing a flat cancel due to inspection ON THE ROOF is very low.
For the most part, insurance companies don't inspect homes before coverage is bound. They're inspecting nearly every home now post-bind because of the difficult insurance environment and ability to get off a risk (flat cancel) within a certain period of time (depending on the state) just after the policy was issued. Meaning, they can cancel within first 45 or 60 days without having to wait until the policy anniversary.
Separate from that, there isn't any special provision for storm damage not negatively impacting your insurance. If a storm is deemed a catastrophe that is a different story. Unless there was a severe storm with widespread damage in the past month of home ownership...not gonna fly.
All that being said, there are a lot of roofing companies that do exactly what @Matthew Paul was suggesting. Sometimes it's totally legit. Other times they go from house to house in a neighborhood and solicit homeowners to get projects replacing roofs. Needless to say this practice eventually gets fought by insurance, prices go up, policies get less comprehensive, etc. It's happening now all over the place. It's a vicious cycle.
Whatever your opinions are on this practice the tricky part about this situation is that this is a new purchase and new insurance policy. You're looking at a very small window for when damage could have occurred and therefore an actual covered loss.
When purchasing an insurance policy you will be asked when the roof was last replaced. It's a significant rating factor. You'll also have to disclose that your previous policy was cancelled and why. If you replace the roof and can prove that you've done so you should be able to get a new policy with a new carrier. Some will have issues with the work not being done by a licensed contractor. There's no hard and fast rule and they may or may not ask specifically.
"Separate from that, there isn't any special provision for storm damage
not negatively impacting your insurance. If a storm is deemed a
catastrophe that is a different story. Unless there was a severe storm
with widespread damage in the past month of home ownership...not gonna
fly. "
that was my point. if there was a storm in the area, then it's deemed an "act of god" and doesn't count against you, unlike something you could've been in control of. i.e., your home getting robbed.
"Needless to say this practice eventually gets fought by insurance, prices
go up, policies get less comprehensive, etc. It's happening now all
over the place. It's a vicious cycle."
welcome to the world of insurance, where everyone is trying to one-up the other guy. this happens across the whole insurance spectrum and not limited just to home insurance.
to the OP, shop around and get a new carrier, then start consulting with experienced roofers in your area on what you remedy could be.
