The estimate your carrier sends after the September 11 storm will look thorough. It will have squares, waste, a starter course and a ridge cap. It will also, in our experience across Bexar County hail claims, be missing most of the items below. None of them are exotic. They are the difference between a check that replaces your roof and a check that replaces most of it.
1. Gutters and downspouts
Golf ball hail dents aluminum gutters from the top edge and splits them at the seams. Carriers often pay to "repair" a 10-foot section. New gutter in a different production run does not match, and a partial repair on a continuous run is not a repair. The right line is full replacement of the affected elevations.
2. Roof metals: vents, pipe jacks, flashing, drip edge
Turtle vents and lead pipe jacks dent at any hail size that damages shingles. They are cheap, they are usually on the estimate as "detach and reset," and they should be "remove and replace." Drip edge is required by the 2021 IRC that Bexar County jurisdictions enforce, and is routinely left off.
3. Ice and water shield, starter and ridge at the right quantity
Look at the waste factor and whether starter and ridge are separate lines or "included." A hip roof in a Converse subdivision needs more starter and ridge than a simple gable, and the software will only calculate it correctly if the sketch is right.
4. Siding, screens and windows on the storm-facing elevation
The Sept 11 storm moved southwest, so northeast-facing walls took wind-driven hail at 60 mph. Shredded screens, chipped vinyl or fiber cement, cracked glazing beads. Screens alone on a two-story home add several hundred dollars, and they are almost never on the first estimate.
5. AC condenser fins
Crushed condenser fins reduce efficiency and are covered. Fin combing is an acceptable repair for light damage; at 1.5" and above the coil is typically replaced. Ask for the HVAC line.
6. Fences, sheds, patio covers and other structures
Coverage B, "other structures," is a separate limit on your policy and the carrier's roof inspector frequently does not walk the back yard. Cedar privacy fence, metal carport, polycarbonate patio cover: all covered, all commonly omitted.
7. Overhead and profit, permits and code upgrades
When a job involves three or more trades, general contractor overhead and profit is owed. Permits are owed. Code-required upgrades (drip edge, ice and water shield in valleys, decking replacement where the old boards are undersized) are owed under your ordinance-or-law coverage. These lines add 10 to 20 percent to a roof claim and are the ones carriers most consistently decline to include until asked in writing.
What to do with this list
Do not argue it with the desk adjuster by phone. Send us the estimate. We compare it to the inspection, write the supplement with photos and code citations, and put the number in front of the carrier in the format it uses. If the carrier holds its position, that is what the appraisal clause is for.
General information for Texas policyholders, not legal advice. Your claim depends on your policy and your property. More from the blog.