Reasons You Should Not Get Multiple Quotes for a Storm-Damaged Roof

Storm season can be extremely tough on your roof. Strong wind, large hail, and heavy rainfall are all contributing factors that may force you to call up your insurance company and file a claim for a roof repair or replacement.

If you recently received storm damage on your roof, you may be wondering how many roofing quotes you should get for your insurance claim.

In reality, there’s no reason to get more than three quotes when you have an insurance claim. Any more than that is generally a waste of your time.

In this blog, we’ll cover a few reasons why you shouldn’t get several quotes to replace your storm-damaged roof, including:

• Contractor estimates and insurance estimates
• Becoming vulnerable to cheap workmanship
• Paying out of pocket for additional damage
• Prolonging the replacement process

Alright, let's get into it!

Contractor estimates and summary pricing

Getting quotes from several contractors after your insurance claim is approved is more beneficial to your insurance provider than it is to you. This is because your insurance company will often determine the cost of a roof replacement, or “summary price,” and then send you out to find the cheapest estimate so that they won’t have to dish out the full amount they quoted you.

Additionally, contractors will submit a lower quote because they know it will make them a favorable roofing company in the eyes of your insurance provider, which will win them the job.

Remember, your goal as a homeowner is to get as much compensation from your insurance company as possible. Getting quotes from several roofing companies will increase the likelihood of you working with the cheapest one, which means you won’t get the full compensation you deserve.

Becoming vulnerable to cheap workmanship

When you get several quotes and choose the cheapest roofing company to repair or replace your storm-damaged roof, you may be exposing yourself to poor workmanship. An affordable estimate is never a bad thing, but when labor is cheap, it may come at the expense of quality workmanship. Here are just a few risks that cheap workmanship can expose you to:

• They may reuse old flashing – Replacing your roof’s metal flashing requires a great amount of skill. Experienced roofers have encountered many differently constructed roofs, whether it be unique roof-to-wall intersections, or areas with sharp corners that are difficult to flash. It’s very possible that cheaper installers won’t bring these tricky areas to your attention, and will avoid them entirely by reusing the flashing from your old roof. This might save them from figuring out how to flash your roof correctly, but this old flashing will likely only last a few more years. Since flashing is one of the most common areas for leaks to form, this can be bad news for your roof and your home.
• You’ll pay more in the long run – The old adage “you get what you pay for” is one to keep in mind when getting several quotes for your roof. While a cheaper quote will be beneficial in the short term, costly repairs to a poorly installed roof will add up over time. Depending on the quality of the installation, it may even be necessary to get another replacement long before the roof’s lifespan is up. When this happens, it’s highly unlikely that your insurance company will cover the replacement as it was caused by poor workmanship rather than storm damage.
• Cheaper materials decrease the lifespan of your roof – Aside from labor costs, cheaper roofing companies may also use cheaper materials for your roof replacement. These materials aren’t designed to withstand the elements like their higher quality counterparts, which could leave you needing another replacement far sooner than normal.

Paying for additional damage

If you get several quotes and your insurance company goes with the cheapest one, that quote covers the determined amount of damage – and that’s it. But what happens if your contractor uncovers even more damage when they start working on your roof?

It’s possible that your insurance company will say that they agreed to the roofer’s original estimate and aren’t responsible for anything that wasn’t on the original estimate, which means that additional cost will come out of your pocket.

However, if you hire a contractor who agrees to work for the insurance company’s summary price, they can file a supplement for any additional costs that are discovered during your roof replacement.

Prolonging the replacement process

Getting a quote from a contractor isn’t as easy as getting on the phone for a few minutes. You’ll have to set up appointments to meet with them, go through their sales presentation, review your options with them, and deal with follow-ups after your meeting is over.

When you get several estimates, you’ll have to go through this process with each contractor, prolonging the amount of time you’ll spend with a damaged roof before anyone repairs or replaces it.

A few good ways to find the right roofing company for the job are:

• Get recommendations from your family, friends, and neighbors. This will give you greater peace of mind when choosing your contractor, and help you narrow down your choices.
• Examine online reviews. When customers are so satisfied they take time out of their day to leave a detailed, five-star review, it means they had a wonderful experience. If a roofing company has many of these reviews on Google, Yelp, or on their website, it usually means they’re a company you can trust. Likewise, if you notice that many customers took time out of their day to express their displeasure with a roofing company, it can be an easy way to filter that company out of your search.
• Confirm the company’s local presence. If you want to make sure you’re working with someone in the area and not with someone who moves around from place to place, get online and confirm they have a physical address and a local phone number. You can also check out their social media presence to see if they’re involved in the communities they serve. This will prevent you from hiring someone who does the job and becomes difficult to track down after it’s finished.

Once you’ve found the right company for the job, show them your insurance claim paperwork, and get your storm-damaged roof taken care of as quickly as possible.

On Tops Roofing has been providing storm-damaged roof repair and roof replacement services to homeowners in the Raleigh, NC area since 1991! Whatever storm damage your roof has, We’re on it!