Hey, North Metro Neighbors!
I was sorry to watch the recent bad weather roll in! Snow plows for hail? That’s crazy! At least you’ve now got a great weather story to tell your grandkids about.
As I mentioned in the video, I went through a hail storm at our own house just a few years back. The extent of the damage required a whole new roof and siding job. Having not been through this process prior to our 2014 storm, there were some lessons I learned along the way. I’m hoping I can pass along my experience and use it to help make your experience a little less stressful.
Starting this morning, (Sunday, June 11th), you’ve probably begun to receive knocks at your door from roofing and siding contractors and their salespeople trying to get you to quickly sign up for their services. Don’t get fooled by these people into feeling any pressure. Do your research up front, talk with your insurance company, and choose the best company for the job, based on solid criteria – not hype. Here are some tips and links that should be helpful to you as you get started in the repair process:
- Begin by Contacting Your Insurance Company: These folks have been through this plenty of times before, and they are genuinely interested in helping you get your house and life back together quickly. Call on the phone, talk to a human being, and find out what your policy will cover and what your deductible/s will be. They will set up a time for an adjuster to come out and survey the damage. Whatever you do – don’t sign with a contractor until you’ve received your insurance estimate back. (See #10 below.)
- Beware of Storm Chasers: Beginning this week – (probably today) – your neighborhood will be flooded with people knocking on your door asking if you would like an estimate for your damages. These people will likely be clean-cut, friendly, and possibly even wearing a nice polo shirt with a professional looking logo. Beware – many, if not most, of these folks are not employed by the contracting companies themselves, but are actually independent salespeople who are out to quickly sign up customers, who they then refer out to one (or more than one) contracting company, many of which are from out of state. I recommend that you politely decline their invitation for consultation, and instead . . . .
-
Choose a Local Contractor: Ask for referrals from friends, or look into reviews on trusted sources such as Angie’s List or Yelp.com. Choose a company with solid reviews that is based in or near the Twin Cities area. Not only will a company with an established reputation in the community be more likely to provide good service, it will be much easier to obtain warranty repairs if they become necessary. Look for a business website, a local business address and a local business telephone number.
- Interview Multiple Providers: Even if you don’t want to have multiple appointments set up at your house, take the time to talk to at least three companies over the phone to determine which company seems to be the most competent and professional. Do they return your phone calls promptly and respond to your requests for documentation? But don’t stop with just your gut feeling . . .
- Verify your Preferred Company’s Licensure: Use the License Lookup Tool on the website of the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry. Simply plug in the company’s name in the search box, click ‘search,’ and a list of matching companies will come up. Click on your company’s name from the search results and a page will pop up which shows that company’s current license status, along with their date of origin, address, and telephone number.
- Research your Preferred Company’s Better Business Bureau Rating: Go to BBB.org. Simply enter the business name in the first box, type, “Minnesota” into the second box and hit ‘search.’ Select your chosen company from the list that appears and you’ll be brought to their ‘BBB Accredited Business Profile’ where you can see that company’s business profile and current BBB rating.
-
Request a Written Estimate: Before you move forward with anyone, be sure and get a detailed proposal in writing. Make sure you understand the costs, material options, timeline, and who’s doing the work. Professional contracting companies will have various crews who they hire to do the work. Check to see how long these crews have been with the company and how long they’ve been working together. The closer the relationship between the crew and the contractor – the more consistent results you can expect.
- Verify Insurance Coverage: When you meet with your contractor, they should be able to show you current proof of insurance for their team. Make sure they have both worker’s compensation and liability insurance. Ask to see the insurance certificates, and feel free to call the insurance carrier yourself to verify that they are valid.
- Avoid Companies that Offer to Cover Your Deductible: Any contractor who offers to do the work without you needing to pay your insurance deductible is committing insurance fraud and putting you at risk. Don’t do business with dishonest people. If they’re willing to defraud the insurance company – how can you trust they won’t do the same to you?
- Don’t Sign Anything Until Your Insurance Company Has Estimated the Damages: Some contractors will say they can work with whatever amount your insurance company comes back with. However, you want to make sure that you’re getting the full and proper repairs done – as it’s possible your insurance adjuster may inadvertently overlook something. A good contractor will perform their own examination and make sure that the insurance adjuster didn’t miss anything. Oftentimes, the contractor can provide sufficient evidence of damage to your insurance company to obtain an adjustment on your claim value.
I hope this information helps make your home repair process a little more smooth and a little less stressful. If you have any specific questions I may be able to help with, feel free to call or text me at 612-860-4082, or enter your request on my ‘Contact Me‘ page.
Best regards,
Kevin Huntington
Broker, Attorney, Owner
Metro Home Connection Realty
Leave a Reply