Mistake #7: Not replacing your roof with impact-resistant shingles after a hail claim.
Hail damage is the top homeowner’s insurance claim we have here in Oklahoma – approximately 60% of all of the claims over the last 15 years can be attributed to hailstorms. If you’re one of the many Oklahomans who have dealt with hail damage to your home, keep reading to learn about how impact-resistant shingles can save you money.
Oklahoma is one of the most hail-prone areas in the United States. The average life span of a roof in Oklahoma is about 9 years – not because they are worn out, but due to hail and wind damage. It would make sense, then, if you are replacing your roof after a hailstorm, to consider shingles that will withstand 90% of the hail events that occur here in Oklahoma. Not all impact-resistant shingles are created equal, however. The Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety has tested various impact-resistant shingles in a real-world scenario and categorized their performances. The test results can be found at https://ibhs.org/hail/shingle-performance-ratings/.
The area you should pay particular attention to is the dents/ridges rating.
This is where most of the storm-related roof damage occurs. If the shingle does not perform well in that category, it would likely fail and be damaged by golf ball-size hail.
Many insurance companies give large discounts if a homeowner uses impact-resistant shingles. The savings can be very significant and pay for the cost of upgrading in about 3 years or so, if the roofing contractor is giving an honest material upgrade cost for the shingle.
However, many roofers have chosen to significantly increase the bid beyond the additional material cost when a homeowner requests a bid for impact-resistant shingles. For example, the average additional material cost paid for a Class 4 impact-resistant shingle is approximately $25 more per square than a regular architectural shingle. But, some roofers will charge $50 or more per square, which may discourage you from making the upgrade. So why would roofers do that? The answer is pretty simple. They believe that installing shingles that will hold up to most hailstorms will hurt their business. If everyone utilized well-designed and effective impact-resistant shingles, it would likely double the lifespan of roofs here in Oklahoma and reduce demand and future claims.
Here are just a few of the many benefits of upgrading to an Impact-Resistant Roof:
- May reduce premiums on your homeowner’s insurance policy
- May reduce the frequency of roof system replacement, especially in high-risk hail areas (saving deductibles and the hassle associated with roof replacement)
- Gives your home a distinguishable advantage in a competitive real estate market (increases the resale marketability of your home)
- Can help stabilize future insurance costs, which have increased substantially over the past few years
- May decrease risk of water damage (water less likely to penetrate)
- Environmentally friendly, with a reduction in the frequency of tear-offs and reduced landfill waste
Contact Us
The Rosburg and Associates Insurance team is trusted throughout the community and is committed to providing you with the attention and high-quality experience you deserve. To speak directly with a team member, simply call or feel free to utilize any of the interactive tools offered throughout the site.
The post Recovering From Roof Damage? Be Sure to Do This appeared first on Rosburg & Associates.
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I am excited to start a blog for sharing my knowledge and experience that I have accumulated over the last 28 years of my insurance career. Making wise insurance and financial decisions can have a lasting impact on protecting your current family’s well-being as well as future generations. I will expand upon each of these top 10 insurance-related mistakes in the next couple of months. I hope you will find this information valuable and useful. We appreciate the continued support of our clients, referral partners, and friends over the years.
1. Carrying low liability limits and low deductibles on automobile insurance.
Typically, for most situations, it makes sense to carry higher liability limits (asset protection) and higher deductibles. You can typically have much better coverage for a similar amount of premium.
2. Buying a vehicle before looking into the cost of insurance.
This is especially true when you are purchasing a vehicle for a young driver under the age of 21.
3. Filing claims just over your deductible.
If you have a claim slightly over your deductible you should consider handling out of pocket if possible. Insurance rates can increase and also some insurance companies will cancel policies with multiple claims.
4. Not having a Personal Umbrella policy when you have a good income or a higher net worth.
The Personal Umbrella policy is one of the best values in the insurance industry for providing peace of mind and asset protection in today’s litigious society.
5. Buying GAP coverage from the dealer/bank/credit union to pay off of the difference between the loan and the value of the car in the event of a total loss.
Typically, insurance agents can provide that coverage for less than 25% of the cost of the dealer/bank/credit union.
6. Not carrying a sufficient amount of Coverage A on your Home policy to rebuild your house in the event of a total loss (fire/tornado).
7. Not replacing your roof with an impact-resistant shingle after a hail claim.
Not all impact-resistant shingles are created equally. Check out these testing results from the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety: https://ibhs.org/hail/shingle-performance-ratings/
8. Not documenting the contents/inventory of your home or business.
There are many applications you can use for a very minimal cost. My personal favorite is Nest Egg, which has a $3.99 one-time fee.
9. Not understanding the limitations in coverage on certain personal property items (Jewelry, fine art, collectibles, tools, etc).
You should read through or discuss with your agent what limitations there are for certain items and add coverage if needed.
10. Not buying enough life insurance to protect your family or business when you are young and healthy.
This is a great calculator for looking at life insurance needs for your situation: https://lifehappens.org/insurance-overview/life-insurance/calculate-your-needs/
Contact Us
The Rosburg and Associates Insurance team is trusted throughout the community and is committed to providing you with the attention and high-quality experience you deserve. To speak directly with a team member, simply call or feel free to utilize any of the interactive tools offered throughout the site.
The post Top 10 Insurance-Related Mistakes People Make appeared first on Rosburg & Associates.
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