Door to Door Roofers 2012

Last weekend, several areas of the Twin Cities got hit with hail.  Andover, Coon Rapids, Woodbury, St. Paul.  This has brought out the usual group of companies with 1001 subcontracted salespeople canvassing neighborhoods to try and get some business.  While this practice is legal, it is not always a desirable way to find a contractor.  Here are some things to consider when you get that knock on your door.  

Does your city have regulations regarding this type of door to door activity?  If the contractor follows those rules, it is a good sign he will follow others.  Many communities have had to create peddling rules to handle the huge amount of door knockers from these storms.  Asking to see their peddling license will help you weed out the unprofessional ones.

Roof inspecting is still a dangerous job, what if they fell off your roof?   Many times, the person knocking at your door is not an employee, but a sub-contracted salesperson.  While there is nothing wrong with this practice, it is important to make sure that anyone you let climb on your roof has proper insurance that will keep any injury liability off your financial plate.  Asking for proof of insurance is not a bad idea before you let them onto your roof.

Last, but not least, does this company have a license to perform contracting?  Unlicensed activity in MN over the last several years has increased tremendously.  Our industry is regulated by the  Department of Labor and Industry (DOLI).  The DOLI maintains a couple of web pages to help you find out if this person or company have a VALID contractor’s license. 

Here is a license look up tool 

https://secure.doli.state.mn.us/licensing/licensing.aspx

This next link is where you can find out if the contractor has ever gotten in trouble at all for mismanagement or license violations.  This is updated frequently, and goes back several years

http://www.dli.mn.gov/ccld/RBCEnforcement12.asp

In general, homeowners can protect themselves with just a little research and asking the right questions before they let someone in the door.  The best practice is to ask them to come back after you have had a chance to follow up on their credentials.  

When it comes to solicitation, If we knock on your door, It is almost always because you have invited us.   We carry all necessary insurances, and are  listed with the BBB as an accredited business with an excellent rating.  Our inspections are thorough, and come with years of experience in the industry.  Check out out at www.stormdamagerelief.com, or call us at 763-286-5191 for a free consultation.

Who do I call first? A contractor, or my insurance company?

Last nights storms prompted several calls from some of my friends North of St. Cloud, MN.

The following is a partial repost of a blog I created quite a while ago..... The message is still true, call your contractor BEFORE you call your insurance

So if I might have damage to my house, should I call my insurance company first?
That is the main point of this blog post, when should you call in a claim. If you have a fire, or have wind damage that destroys part of your home, you will need to call your insurance immediately, it is obvious you have a claim. When it comes to minor damage from a dishwasher overflow or storm damage from wind, hail or lightning, it is often times better to call a contractor knowledgeable with claims BEFORE you file the claim.


Why? Three reasons-

 1)The “Zero paid claim”. For example, you see hail hit your roof and call your insurance company to send an adjuster out.  In this case, the adjuster determines that the hail did not cause damage. You could still be charged with a claim.  Huh?  Yes, that is right.  If you file a claim and there is no damage, most insurance companies still count that as an event.  It may not seem fair, but remember that insurance is a numbers game and if you called in a claim now, you may do it again in the future.  Knowing the damage is legitimate and a claim is worthwhile is valuable knowledge before the adjuster comes out.


2)The deductible cost may be bigger than the repair charges.  This situation is similar to the “Zero paid claim”.  $1000.00 deductibles are commonplace these days.  If the estimate to repairs the damage is lower than, or slightly over the deductible, paying for the repairs with a contractor may be a better option rather than potentially having to pay higher rates because you did not know it would be a minimal paid claim

3)Damage assessment is free.  A good insurance restoration contractor, such as Great River Remodeling, will give you an honest assessment and estimate of your damages.  They will share with you their experiences in dealing with your particular situation and insurance company.  Doing this before the adjuster arrives is critical to getting you a fair and equitable settlement. Ultimately, it is your call whether or not you want to file a claim.  Most agents will agree it never hurts to have a good contractor on your speed dial when you are unsure if it is covered, or even worth sending into the insurance company.  

If you have any questions about this article, please feel free to contact Michael or Galen at 763-241-9596.  Thanks for taking the time to read this, I hope you found it helpful!

Roofs and Hail....some good info

Note the varying sizes of the hail

With multiple reports of hail from around the Twin Cities Sunday, I thought I would answer a question that was posed to me recently.  How big does hail have to be before it damages your shingles?  While on the surface, this question may simple, the truth is that it can be pretty complicated.  First off, hail can come in all sorts of sizes, shapes, and toughness.  The same thing can be said about roofs.  Your roof pitch, the type of shingles and the age of the roof can all come into play when it comes to hail damage.   Further factors, such as wind speed, can also determine what kind of damage, if any, your home may sustain.  As a general rule of thumb, most roofs can easily stand hail of up to an inch before any appreciable damage may occur.   Hail sized between 1” and 2”hail can be a tricky zone to apply a label to.  Anything over 2”hail is a good range to start getting consistent potential damage.  Remember, there are still also a lot of other variables involved. 

As a weather enthusiast, and storm chaser, I have learned that radar and eyewitness reports tend to lean towards the maximum size of the hail falling during any particular event.  Hail “cores” can be as small as a single block, or even a single property. They can also be as large as an entire town.   When local media reports “Hail up to 3””, that is an indication from radar that the potential is there for 3” hail. The news needs to talk in worst case scenarios to alert people to potential danger.  Hail cores have varying content.  I have seen storms that have 70% huge stones and 30% small ones.  I have also seen it the other way around.  Even if only 5% of the hail falling is coming in at the 3” mark, it could possibly hurt or kill someone who is outdoors.   Your insurance company does not typically use radar reports or news as criteria for paying a claim.  Most insurance adjusters want to see visual, verifiable, and identifiable damage to your shingles.  I could write a lot about EXACTLY what constitutes hail damage on your roof.  There seems to be a lot of differing opinions from various insurance companies on this subject.  Some insurance companies want to see 7 or 8 “hits” on a slope, some want to see 16.  Some want deep “bruising” to the mat, some will accept surface damage. One thing for sure, Insurance companies are getting stricter on their definition of damage, and of when a roof needs to be replaced. 

Pretty obvious hail hits

Most homeowners have, or know someone who has had their roof replaced due to hail damage in MN.  It is hard to escape the fact that we are trending towards more serious storms in the Midwest.   Insurance companies are experiencing more claims, and are having to send out more adjusters.   If the adjusters have to come out every time there is 1.00” hail, you are going to get a letter from your insurance company.  I have always been a big advocate of calling a contractor FIRST after a storm. Yes, of course, we want to meet you and have you as a customer.  But, more importantly, we would LOVE to tell you that the roof you put on two years ago is still good!  We offer inspections of your entire exterior for damage, and any other issues you may need to address.  We do not charge for this, nor do we ever intend to.   If you ever have any questions about storm damage or exteriors in general, call us.  While we are NOT insurance agents, or adjusters, we can give you the benefit of over 35 years of combined experience in insurance restoration.   If you would like to learn a bit more about hail, click this link.  http://www.srh.noaa.gov/jetstream/tstorms/hail.htm