SAN ANTONIO – Before tornadoes, hurricanes, wind or hail storms strike, meteorologists caution the public to take shelter, prepare their property and brace for impact.
But the impact of severe weather is not just physical, it can also hit your wallet hard, especially if you have to have your roof fixed.
Rich Johnson, a spokesperson for the Insurance Council of Texas, said those who have homeowners insurance need to read through and review their policy at least twice a year.
Johnson said doing so can give policy holders some assurance as to what their insurance company will pay for if they need to make a claim.
Outside of the flooding, Johnson said a typical home policy should cover or pay for everything that is damaged by weather.
“That’s including any damage that’s done inside if it was raining or hailing,” Johnson said, “and then of course your roof.”
Whether it is extreme heat, or rain, wind, snow, or hail, the roof takes all the abuse Mother Nature dishes out, and all of that constant pummeling can wear down roof tops, especially hailstones.
Cole Blevins, a sales manager with Rhino Roofers, said hailstones can lift, tear, loosen or put dents in shingles.
He said when it rains those dents could potentially hold water and over time the water and/or the moisture can begin to seep into the shingle.
“All theses shingles are gonna start to wash out, exposing the asphalt,” Blevins said.
“Once that asphalt is exposed to the sun, you’re going have exposed fiberglass and that fiberglass is gonna act like a sponge,” Blevins said. “Anytime it comes into contact with any moisture, it’s going to soak that moisture up and eventually that moisture is gonna work its way into your home.”
When damage from leaks is discovered, it could require repairing or replacing the roof.
“The majority of the homes in the San Antonio area, is probably a safe ballpark is anywhere from $15,000 to $22,000, just depending on the materials,” Blevins said.
Johnson also said that depending on the type of roofing materials needed, the price from repairs or replacement can escalate from there.
Policy holders know from the start that their initial out of pocket expense will is the deductible.
“What people aren’t usually used to is the difference in their deductibles,” Johnson said. “So some companies, some insurance companies will have a different deductible for your roof or for wind and hail damage versus like a fire.”
“That may be a different percentage of your home’s value or it might be a set amount,” Johnson added.
He said policy holders need to be on the look for two terms that can also dictate out of pocket expenses: replacement cost value and actual cash value.
According to Johnson, if you have replacement cost value coverage, homeowners pay their deductible and the insurance company will pay the rest.
But if you have an actual cash value policy, the insurance adjuster will look at your roof and ask questions about your roof and come up with a monetary value as what they think your roof is worth.
“If you have actual cash value,” Johnson said, “you’re gonna get a depreciated value on that roof, so more money could come out of pocket.”
The depreciated value is determined by the answers of several questions, and therefore how big or small the insurance check will be. Those questions include:
- When was the roof installed?
- How old is the roof?
- What kind of shingles does it have?
Johnson said lower premiums also often mean higher deductibles, and encouraged people to make sure they can afford their deductible when selecting coverage.
“When the worst happens and you have to replace a $20,000 roof and you’re going be $7,000 out of pocket,” Johnson said, “what percentage of that can you cover out of pocket, is what you need to be looking at.”
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