Insurance Payment for Weather-Related Roof Damage rajgandhew asked 2 years ago
Insurance Payment for Weather-Related Roof Damage

Hi,

Thanks for reading.

My questions are:

1> Can we paint the small area, around the electrical outlet, ourselves, and save the money for painting the entire room, and are we allowed to keep the money, without notifying the insurance company, of the reduced cost, or that we are trading in our labor for the contractor payment?

2> If the payment to a roofing contractor is now less than what the insurance company paid us, say, for the same itemized services, are we allow to keep the difference?

3> If the roofing contractor comes up with items less than what the insurance adjustor came up with, e.g., say shingles have not been damaged, or sheathing is fine, again, are we allowed to keep the difference? The emphasis here is that I do not want, say, god forbid, another similar weather-event strikes the same part of the house, in the future, and the damage is far worse, that the insurance company comes back and says that you are not covered since you did not make all the repairs per the payment they sent us.

4> If the electrical contractor for checking all electrical circuits deems that a full check is not necessary, and the charge is far lower than what the insurance company paid us, can we keep the difference, without notifying the insurance company?

5> FYI, the insurance company paid for a General Contractor, i.e., their mark-up, but the General Contractor advised that since we were doing the room painting (see item 1 above) ourselves, we don’t need to hire them, and just go directly, to the subs (roofing and electrical).

Thanks for your advice.

1 Answers
Answer for Insurance Payment for Weather-Related Roof Damage Michael Miller Expert answered 2 years ago

The insurance company sent a qualified building expert to measure and document any and all damages as a result of weather related roof damage. The scope of work and allowances allocated were customary and reasonable to restore the property back to its pre-loss condition. It is incumbent upon the insured to align themselves with a qualified contractor who will correct all of the weather related damages for the amount of the settlement. Getting involved with the wrong contractor can set you back at the very least. If you cannot find a suitable contractor in your area, ask the company adjuster for an approved vendor recommendation or utilize your agent and or broker as a sounding board. After a property loss, it is advisable to engage a full service contractor to correct the damages and insure the property is repaired in a professional manner and that the premises is restored back to 21st century standards.