How Does State Farm Handle Roof Claims?
If your home suffered roof damage during last week’s storm, you aren’t alone. Northern California wanted rain to end the drought. But no one ordered what the NY Times called, the bomb cyclone and atmospheric river event, as two storms converged, creating winds that looked more like a Category 4 hurricane.
Homeowners and insurance companies alike are still dealing with the aftermath. Extreme weather is no longer the figment of apocalyptic movie moguls. Homeowners need to know the best way to handle a stressful situation if it happens. A roof that leaks due to storm damage is just that kind of event.
How Best To Handle A Bad Roof Situation?
State Farm Insurance offers more than a few pages on their website on what steps to take to file a home or property claim.
- Documentation is key
While it is not advisable to climb up on your roof in a windstorm, you may still be able to take photos to show what is happening on the inside. You can also take notes or record into your smartphone what you are seeing and how it appears to have happened.
If your roof is actually leaking, catching the water before it ruins your carpeting, flooring or furniture is very important. If a portion of your roof is damaged but not leaking, you will still want to document what you can. Calling in a professional roofer to survey the damage is an important step in the documentation process.
- Call your agent
This is not a step outlined on the State Farm “file your claim” site. However, it could be a prudent step. So many things can impact your claim:
- The age of your roof.
- Upkeep and maintenance schedule.
- Prior repairs.
State Farm agent, Kendra Cochran said, “I encourage my customers to call me, to let me know what is going on, prior to filing a claim. In California right now, you don’t want unnecessary claims on your record. If you talk through with your agent what happened, after the investigation with your roofer, you may then have a better idea of whether you want to file. Things that are wear and tear associated are usually not covered. I am not in claims, so I can’t advise specifically, but usually only things directly caused by something like a storm will be covered. So, for instance, if you do incur damage but the repair is only, say $1,000 and your deductible is $2,000, it would probably not make sense to file a claim.”
Cochran added, “It is fair to say that if you have a new roof, but the workmanship was shoddy, that would be the responsibility of the roofing company. Or, if you have an old roof, but the damage came from a windstorm, that would probably be covered. I would recommend to a customer that they have a roofing specialist inspect the damage and provide their expert opinion as to what caused the damage and give you an estimate for the repair.”
She also advised that you don’t have to be in a hurry to file the claim. Your first priority is to mitigate and document the damage. Rushing to file a claim is not necessary and may not be a good idea.
- Decide whether to file a claim
If you decide to file a claim, you can do so on State Farm’s website. You can also use their mobile app. For anyone preferring to do it the old fashioned way, by phone, you can call State Farm at 800-SF-Claim (800-732-5246) to file.
- Be available to talk to someone if the claims department has questions
You may have discussed your claim with your agent, but the claims department may need additional details to process your claim.
If during the coming rainy season months, you experience roof damage, please feel free to contact us and one of our professional roofers will be happy to assist you.