Will Insurers Pay for Hail Damage to a Metal Roof?

Metal roofs are incredibly popular among American homeowners today. They are quite durable and their expiration time is often counted by decades. Yet, even metal roofs can be damaged due to natural disasters. Especially, if there is a strong hailstorm, which can almost blow the roof out.

Usually, the damage cases caused by natural phenomena are obligatorily covered by the homeowners insurance policy. In the last 10 years, lots of insurers have tricked their customers by refusing to compensate for the hail damage to the metal roof. Are they right or is it just a sneaky trick of theirs? Let's consider it in detail.

What Damage Can Be Caused to Metal Roofing by Hail?

Usually, hail is a phenomenon that does not happen by itself. It is often accompanied by a storm, rain, gusts of wind. At the same time, standard hail is unlikely to damage your metal roof too much. Besides, this roof can withstand gusts of wind up to 140 mph. But, there are times when the size of hail pieces is extremely large, for example, they can reach the size of a baseball or an ostrich egg. In the Midwest, such huge hail is considered one of the main reasons for applying to an insurance company to get compensation for the hail damage to the metal roof. Due to their considerable weight and acceleration, hailstones can pierce metal through or just leave dents and scratches on its surface. If the roof does not have a protective anti-corrosion coating, corrosion may subsequently begin in the places of hail strikes, which will lead to holes in the metal coating and leaks. Even metal roofs covered with an anti-corrosion layer can be damaged. If the coating is scratched, the metal layer underneath will begin to rust. Besides, hail can change the plane of the roof, bend gutters and crowns, which will also make the roof more vulnerable and shorten its service life.

Why Are Insurers Unlikely to Cover Hail Damage Claims Related to Metal Roofs?

Despite the fact that hail is a natural disaster, some insurers strive to ignore hail damage claims in terms of the metal roof. There are several reasons for this.

1. The insurance policy does not actually refer the hail damage to insured events. Then there are two options. Either the insurance company has misled you and you mistakenly believe that the hail damage is covered by your homeowners policy or you really haven't read the agreement and the terms of the policy at the time of signing.
2. Besides, insurance companies often act even more cunningly. According to the wording of the insurance policy, only functional repair of the metal roof, which provides for its complete replacement, is subject to compensation. The hail which can damage the roof so badly must be incredibly strong and long-lasting, mustn't it? In other cases, the insurance company and its adjuster will try to prove that cosmetic repairs must be enough to fix your roof, which is not covered under the terms of the homeowners policy of most US insurance companies.
3. Another reason for refusing compensation is the very condition of the metal roof. Often, insurance companies make concessions to owners of relatively new homes where the roof was just recently installed. The reason is that repairing a new roof is much easier and cheaper than the one that has already served for 20-30 years. In addition, currently, insurance companies are experiencing a boom in hail damage claims coming from homeowners who have got metal roofs. As a result, they are doing their best to reduce the respective compensation costs. Therefore, it is better to be prepared for your application to be banned for any reason.

Let's clarify the third point on our list. How can an insurance company dodge compensation? First of all, you may be shown that you have filled out claim papers incorrectly. Also, insurance companies often appeal to the fact that there is no evidence of hail damage to the roof. Finally, the refusal is explained by the fact that the roof had been in poor condition before the damage happened. Of course, this might sound reasonable, because if the owner himself has not provided the metal roof with regular inspection and repairs, the hail can only aggravate its condition, but not lead to it.

How to Act to Be Compensated for Hail Damage to Your Metal Roof?

We've got some tips in store for homeowners with metal roofs. Let's take a look at them.

• If you are going to beef on your own with your insurer, it is best to carefully study every word written in your insurance contract. If you are not too versed in the convoluted and streamlined wording, which is characteristic of such contracts, it is better to ask a lawyer for the help.
• If you are confident that the policy covers hail damage, be sure to collect as much evidence as possible: photos and videos of the damaged roof, the conclusion of the repair team, a document confirming a call to 911, a document from the police stating that your house and its roof were damaged exactly by hail.
• Hire a hail damage public adjuster to help you go through all the circles of hell when dealing with the insurance company and get the most out of it.

Also, remember that there are no completely closed doors. If you are sure that the insurance company is in breach of its obligations, you can always sue it. And here your lawyer and the public adjuster will help you to win.