Protecting Your Home After a Storm
By Billy Landes, Owner of RiverLand Roofing Enterprises of Mississippi LLC
Roofing Contributor
Most of us are keenly aware of the weather we endure in Mississippi, especially in the spring and the fall. We advise homeowners also be aware of how to properly protect their assets after a storm! Weather events can visibly damage your roof but also create damage that may go unseen for several months. Most licensed roofing contractors will provide a free inspection, looking for wind or hail damage that cannot be seen from the ground.
I hope to inform you about some steps to take after major weather events, help you navigate the insurance process, and how to find a competent, licensed contractor.
After The Storm:
ASSESSMENT. Assess visible damage to your home and take pictures. Using your smart phone with time & date stamping can be very helpful for organizational purposes. And of course be careful assessing your home, watch out for downed power lines or fallen trees.
STOP THE BLEEDING. If water or wind is entering your home, don’t wait for help, make any temporary repairs with tarps or plywood.
KEEP RECEIPTS. Paper work is crucial in dealing with insurance claims. Being organized with receipts and other documentation gives you the ability to apply for reimbursement.
FILE A CLAIM: Call your agent or claims representative to start the claim. Contractors may show up at your doorstep promising to fix your issues; but first, have a conversation with your insurer before any work is done.
Hiring a contractor:
Finding a contractor that is licensed and properly insured is one of the most important things you can do to protect your financial security.
Here’s why - Say you hire XYZ Roofing to re-roof your home. The company sends their crew to your home, and one of them falls off a ladder. If the contractor was not insured, you might be held financially responsible for the injury since it occurred on your property. If the company has insurance, the company will be held financially responsible for the accident.
The two types of insurance you want to make sure contractors have both of, before working on your home.
Liability Insurance Protection
Workers’ Compensation Insurance
Ask for an ACORD certificate of insurance when hiring contractors. For additional protection, you may want to request that they add you as an additional insured to their liability coverage.
With all that being said… Make sure your contractor is licensed! Residential licensing laws have been updated, and any competent contractor will be more the happy to share this info with you. If you haven’t decided who to hire, this step can make that decision a lot easier.
All you need to do, to check if your contractor is licensed, is go to the Mississippi State Board of Contractors: search.msboc.us , and search by Company Name or Contractor Name.
GAF Simplifies this for clients! RiverLand Roofing is GAF Master Elite® certified. GAF is the leading manufacturer of roofing and waterproofing materials in America. If you have a roof over your head, there’s a 1 in 4 chance that it was built with GAF’s materials. The Master Elite® Certification is GAF’s factory certification program that provides ongoing training to roofing contractors and assurance to you, the homeowner, that the roof will be completed well and professionally. This is a highly prestigious award because only 2% of all roofing contractors in the country have qualified as Master Elite®.
What does this mean for you as a homeowner?
Choosing a GAF Master Elite® contractor is your assurance that you will be dealing with a quality, dependable and professional contractor. In order for a roofing contractor to qualify for the certification, they must meet the following standards:
A+ BBB rating
Possess an established license for the state they work in
Be current with distributor partners in receivables
Have been in business for at least 3 years
Consistently show ethical contracting in their service area
Be adequately insured
Show a commitment to ongoing professional training
A certified GAF Master Elite® roofer is the only contractor that can offer 2 of the best warranties in the industry, Silver Pledge and Golden Pledge, both backed by GAF. Visit their website to learn more about the best in-class warranties they have to offer. Approximately 95% of the issues that arise on a roofing project are related to the installation of the product, not the product itself. With a Master Elite® roofer, you can be sure that they have been trained to install the materials correctly and have the ethical wherewithal to make sure that your home is protected.
