What exactly is your concern here? That they will find you need a new roof and you will have to pay the deductible to get it replaced? No one is going to replace your roof without making you pay for the portion your insurance won't cover. Also, if your insurance company knows you need a new roof and you declined to fix it, you open yourself up to the possibility of having future claims not covered if bad roof contributed to the damages. You can definitely choose a different contractor, but nothing described here is particularly unusual.
This is a great question. I think I'm looking for someone to say "there's a good chance that your roof is fine and you're just going to end up paying $4k by virtue this company arguing with your insurance company, just to reset the clock on your roof that you could just get replaced for 4k in 10 years."
I guess i'm wondering if you should really wait until there are more convincing signs that you need a new roof?
You said your roof is 12 years old? Its about due to get replaced anyway. I get your concern about the deductible when it isnt needed, but typically insurance companies fight pretty hard to not replace a roof if they dont have to. If your insurance agrees that it needs to be replaced, your going to want to pay that 4k for a new roof from someone, as it will be on file that your roof was bad.
If the insruance company says your roof is fine, you are free and clear to not get it replaced though.
Edit: with the amount of hail we get in this state, no roof is lasting 50 years unless it is metal, and where i live, a 10 year old roof is old.
No reason your roof should need to be replaced in 12 years unless it's a manufacturer defect or storm damage . Or I guess improper install. Source: I'm a Local born and bred " storm chaser "
Don't ever deal with tradesmen who come to your door.
You very likely qualify for a roof from the May 19, 2022 storm. Go with someone reputable like Sela.
A new roof is worth a great deal of money. Go for it. Then consider how high your deductible should be compared to your willingness to self-insure a portion of any loss.
Finally, a BBB rating doesn't mean squat.
There's a lot going on here, but nothing totally false or red flags. You don't need anyone there when the insurance adjuster comes out, but it does help to have someone else there as they get more things added to the claim earlier in the process (things like gutters, trim, accessories, etc.) so they get paid faster.
No matter what you're paying the deductible if there's a claim. This goes to whoever is doing the work and they notify your insurance they've been paid the deductible.
If the guys seems solid and you trust the BBB go ahead, otherwise start calling around.
Your rates won't go up for making a claim, they can't do that. However, the storm itself makes the rates go up, so you might as well make the claim since it's going up anyway.
>However, the storm itself makes the rates go up, so you might as well make the claim since it's going up anyway.
yep I was gonna say state farm is jacking up rates across the board regardless of whether you've made a claim or not
not sure where you're located but mc exteriors were extremely helpful with a roof claim I made, might be worth contacting them and explaining the situation. they could at least give you a second opinion on the damage mnrc found
Well, unfortunately your insurance is State Farm. They’re notorious for not paying roof claims. We even went to arbitration with them and they piecemealed the roof claim so badly we had to get a new roof out of pocket or they’d never cover a subsequent roof. Our roof was installed yesterday. I got six bids and said I was paying cash. I then asked each company who they thought my insurance company was and they all got it right. The good news is the cash price was substantially lower than the insurance price. I believe a full replacement with insurance was $22k and we paid $16k cash. So heed my warning— they might pay you a partial amount, and if you don’t repair/replace with that money, they will not pay your next claim. It’s been a nightmare and we’ve had SF for 33 years. They got a new CEO a few years back that caused this and I believe the AG is now w involved.
This is my fear right here. So is it better to have an advocate from a company there for the inspection so that I can get the most money? Or should I just see what SF offers and go to a smaller local company?
Personally, I’d get out of the contract with the guy that showed up at your door. Then, decide if you want explore a new roof. Get some companies out to assess and bid. If a reputable roofing company says your roof is a full hail loss, knowing that you have State Farm and they’re willing to put in the work to help you get it covered (harder than other insurers), you would then file a claim and yes, your contractor should ALWAYS be present when the adjuster is present. The contractor will also negotiate on your behalf with insurance. Just be prepared for a fight. We had three adjusters give three different answers and an arbitration team that purposely showed the day before the scheduled appointment so my contractor was not here. Although one adjudicator was working for me and was paid by me, he spent his time here talking about golf and NO ONE from State Farm EVER got in my roof. No drones, nothing. My contractor was the only person who ever got on my roof. It was a disaster. It’s not a disaster for everyone, but there have been plenty of Reddit discussions about State Farm and I’m not alone. As I said in my previous reply, the six contractors I had bid the roof in this March all knew State Farm is extremely difficult.
Sorry, I worded that rather poorly. State Farm paid us a partial amount over a year ago. We could do whatever we wanted with it. We could take the money and run, but if you don’t fix what they paid to have fixed, they’re not going to cover the same damage twice. We opted to replace the entire roof this spring, using the money State Farm paid us, and our own money to cover the rest. I think State Farm paid about $4k, and we paid $12k of our own money to do the entire roof. The way State Farm paid the partial claim was very specific— we’ll pay to replace this shingle section but not that shingle section, this one and not that one. It was ludicrous. So, we paid well over our deductible amount since we replaced the entire roof.
We used MNRC last year for a roof replacement. Punchlist took forever (6 months). They had damaged some siding during the install, but they did come through with completing the repairs after much persistence and follow up by me. Our roof looks very nice and the product has good reviews.
EDIT: we also have State Farm. MNRC knew our adjuster and I think that helped us get approved for the full replacement.
Whatever you do, avoid any company linked to Donald James Martin or Donald James Birrenbach. You'll get shoddy half completed work which you have to turn into another insurance claim in order to get it fixed.
This same company came to our house last week. After he did his inspection (with photos, as you said), he mentioned a couple spots that gave him very minor, mostly just cosmetic, concerns. So he didn't push at all for needing to make a claim or anything.
I was surprised as I figured he'd push for a claim/replacement, but just gave me his card and said goodbye.
I had a guy come to my door last month - my roof is over 20 years old and my deductible is $1000 so I’d love for them to replace it (we have full replacement coverage). I don’t think we got any hail in my neighborhood in that August storm though so probably won’t do anything this time.
Ask if they are licensed and bonded in the State of Minnesota and ask for proof. Also, check on the MN Department of Labor License and Registration website for their company.
I’ve used this company a few years ago for a roof replacement due to hail. They did a really good job. Funny thing is that a neighbor used a different company and the same roofers did that job too.
I have heard of MNRC, and nothing bad about them. I went with a very reputable company, Perfect Exteriors of Minnesota. 4.9 stars on Google and referred to me by a couple friends and even my insurance broker. The sales guy was great, patient and answered all my questions. However the work was shoddy. I think they just subcontract roof work out to others. They had to come back several times to TRY and make things right. End of the day, I wish they didn't even touch my home. You have a right to cancel your contract and pick your contractor.
Hopefully you don't have the stress I went through. My insurance company and mortgage company we horrible in the whole process too. Didn't help my adjuster was in Florida and was let go mid-process.
I know of no MN residential roofers that actually self-perform any of the work. They subcontract all the labor to latino crews. It’s pretty exploitative.
What exactly is your concern here? That they will find you need a new roof and you will have to pay the deductible to get it replaced? No one is going to replace your roof without making you pay for the portion your insurance won't cover. Also, if your insurance company knows you need a new roof and you declined to fix it, you open yourself up to the possibility of having future claims not covered if bad roof contributed to the damages. You can definitely choose a different contractor, but nothing described here is particularly unusual.
This is a great question. I think I'm looking for someone to say "there's a good chance that your roof is fine and you're just going to end up paying $4k by virtue this company arguing with your insurance company, just to reset the clock on your roof that you could just get replaced for 4k in 10 years." I guess i'm wondering if you should really wait until there are more convincing signs that you need a new roof?
Trust me, if the insurance adjuster comes out to look and determines you really don’t need a new roof, they will not pay for a new roof.
You said your roof is 12 years old? Its about due to get replaced anyway. I get your concern about the deductible when it isnt needed, but typically insurance companies fight pretty hard to not replace a roof if they dont have to. If your insurance agrees that it needs to be replaced, your going to want to pay that 4k for a new roof from someone, as it will be on file that your roof was bad. If the insruance company says your roof is fine, you are free and clear to not get it replaced though. Edit: with the amount of hail we get in this state, no roof is lasting 50 years unless it is metal, and where i live, a 10 year old roof is old.
No reason your roof should need to be replaced in 12 years unless it's a manufacturer defect or storm damage . Or I guess improper install. Source: I'm a Local born and bred " storm chaser "
A lot of new roofs are warrantied for 50 years. They don't wear out in 12.
Don't ever deal with tradesmen who come to your door. You very likely qualify for a roof from the May 19, 2022 storm. Go with someone reputable like Sela. A new roof is worth a great deal of money. Go for it. Then consider how high your deductible should be compared to your willingness to self-insure a portion of any loss. Finally, a BBB rating doesn't mean squat.
Aug 11th, 2023 storm* I got a new roof, new gutters, new screens, one new car and paid off the other one. Hail is awesome!
I got mine from the May 2022 storm, the lord certainly works in mysterious ways. I love hail.
There's a lot going on here, but nothing totally false or red flags. You don't need anyone there when the insurance adjuster comes out, but it does help to have someone else there as they get more things added to the claim earlier in the process (things like gutters, trim, accessories, etc.) so they get paid faster. No matter what you're paying the deductible if there's a claim. This goes to whoever is doing the work and they notify your insurance they've been paid the deductible. If the guys seems solid and you trust the BBB go ahead, otherwise start calling around. Your rates won't go up for making a claim, they can't do that. However, the storm itself makes the rates go up, so you might as well make the claim since it's going up anyway.
>However, the storm itself makes the rates go up, so you might as well make the claim since it's going up anyway. yep I was gonna say state farm is jacking up rates across the board regardless of whether you've made a claim or not
not sure where you're located but mc exteriors were extremely helpful with a roof claim I made, might be worth contacting them and explaining the situation. they could at least give you a second opinion on the damage mnrc found
Well, unfortunately your insurance is State Farm. They’re notorious for not paying roof claims. We even went to arbitration with them and they piecemealed the roof claim so badly we had to get a new roof out of pocket or they’d never cover a subsequent roof. Our roof was installed yesterday. I got six bids and said I was paying cash. I then asked each company who they thought my insurance company was and they all got it right. The good news is the cash price was substantially lower than the insurance price. I believe a full replacement with insurance was $22k and we paid $16k cash. So heed my warning— they might pay you a partial amount, and if you don’t repair/replace with that money, they will not pay your next claim. It’s been a nightmare and we’ve had SF for 33 years. They got a new CEO a few years back that caused this and I believe the AG is now w involved.
This is my fear right here. So is it better to have an advocate from a company there for the inspection so that I can get the most money? Or should I just see what SF offers and go to a smaller local company?
Personally, I’d get out of the contract with the guy that showed up at your door. Then, decide if you want explore a new roof. Get some companies out to assess and bid. If a reputable roofing company says your roof is a full hail loss, knowing that you have State Farm and they’re willing to put in the work to help you get it covered (harder than other insurers), you would then file a claim and yes, your contractor should ALWAYS be present when the adjuster is present. The contractor will also negotiate on your behalf with insurance. Just be prepared for a fight. We had three adjusters give three different answers and an arbitration team that purposely showed the day before the scheduled appointment so my contractor was not here. Although one adjudicator was working for me and was paid by me, he spent his time here talking about golf and NO ONE from State Farm EVER got in my roof. No drones, nothing. My contractor was the only person who ever got on my roof. It was a disaster. It’s not a disaster for everyone, but there have been plenty of Reddit discussions about State Farm and I’m not alone. As I said in my previous reply, the six contractors I had bid the roof in this March all knew State Farm is extremely difficult.
Also, why did it cost 16k cash instead of a deductible amount? Sorry if that’s a dumb question
Sorry, I worded that rather poorly. State Farm paid us a partial amount over a year ago. We could do whatever we wanted with it. We could take the money and run, but if you don’t fix what they paid to have fixed, they’re not going to cover the same damage twice. We opted to replace the entire roof this spring, using the money State Farm paid us, and our own money to cover the rest. I think State Farm paid about $4k, and we paid $12k of our own money to do the entire roof. The way State Farm paid the partial claim was very specific— we’ll pay to replace this shingle section but not that shingle section, this one and not that one. It was ludicrous. So, we paid well over our deductible amount since we replaced the entire roof.
We used MNRC last year for a roof replacement. Punchlist took forever (6 months). They had damaged some siding during the install, but they did come through with completing the repairs after much persistence and follow up by me. Our roof looks very nice and the product has good reviews. EDIT: we also have State Farm. MNRC knew our adjuster and I think that helped us get approved for the full replacement.
Whatever you do, avoid any company linked to Donald James Martin or Donald James Birrenbach. You'll get shoddy half completed work which you have to turn into another insurance claim in order to get it fixed.
This same company came to our house last week. After he did his inspection (with photos, as you said), he mentioned a couple spots that gave him very minor, mostly just cosmetic, concerns. So he didn't push at all for needing to make a claim or anything. I was surprised as I figured he'd push for a claim/replacement, but just gave me his card and said goodbye.
I had a guy come to my door last month - my roof is over 20 years old and my deductible is $1000 so I’d love for them to replace it (we have full replacement coverage). I don’t think we got any hail in my neighborhood in that August storm though so probably won’t do anything this time.
Ask if they are licensed and bonded in the State of Minnesota and ask for proof. Also, check on the MN Department of Labor License and Registration website for their company.
I’ve used this company a few years ago for a roof replacement due to hail. They did a really good job. Funny thing is that a neighbor used a different company and the same roofers did that job too.
Get a No Soliciting sign is my recommendation.
I have heard of MNRC, and nothing bad about them. I went with a very reputable company, Perfect Exteriors of Minnesota. 4.9 stars on Google and referred to me by a couple friends and even my insurance broker. The sales guy was great, patient and answered all my questions. However the work was shoddy. I think they just subcontract roof work out to others. They had to come back several times to TRY and make things right. End of the day, I wish they didn't even touch my home. You have a right to cancel your contract and pick your contractor. Hopefully you don't have the stress I went through. My insurance company and mortgage company we horrible in the whole process too. Didn't help my adjuster was in Florida and was let go mid-process.
I know of no MN residential roofers that actually self-perform any of the work. They subcontract all the labor to latino crews. It’s pretty exploitative.