Every year, rainstorms torment Southern Indiana often bringing with them gusty winds, hail, and lightning that can damage a homeowners biggest and often most precious investment, their home. Because of this, we connected with roofing pro Brent Calloway of English Roofing to ask for some guidance on how you can beat the storm, protect your roof, and keep more money in your pocket.
Here are his top 5 tips for homeowners:
Perform a roof tune-up and maintenance annually to extend the life of your roof
Clean, clear, and repair gutters regularly to avoid water back-up and entry into home
Understand your insurance policy and coverage for roof replacement
Have your roof professionally inspected and have photos of it taken prior to the next storm
Choose a roofing contractor before the storm and/or other issues arise
In our interview, Brent shared that his company conducts more than 500 roof inspections each year to check for damage most often caused by storms.
When asked about the cost of a full roof replacement, Calloway told us “Well of course that depends on the size of the house, but we see the average roof in our area [cost] probably around that $8,000 range.”
Brent added that often a homeowner’s insurance policy does cover much of that cost after their policy deductible is met. But off camera he shared that English Roofing often runs into homeowner’s who either don’t understand what their policy covers or have been led to believe that their policy covers the actual cost of a roof replacement only to find out after a storm that their insurance covers just a portion of the cost, leaving the homeowner scrambling to come up with the additional money for repairs.
In tips one and two above, Brent expressed that if homeowners are proactive before a storm strikes, they can often protect their roof and their home with some basic roof and gutter maintenance (see the video for details). And if a homeowner doesn’t know how to do these basic items, English Roofing offers a service that can take care of it for them.
But Brent placed the biggest emphasis on tips three through five. He said it is imperative that homeowners sit down and review their home insurance policy with their agent to make sure they understand their coverage. He recommends people ask the following question of their insurer, “Do I have Replacement Cost Value (RCV) or Actual Cost Value (ACV) as my coverage?”. It is critical that the answer is clear and that your agent can show where it is written in your policy documents.
In most cases, RCV coverage will cover more of replacement expenses as compared to ACV coverage, although it may come with a higher insurance rate. Be sure to check with our insurer for specifics and rates.
In addition to understanding your policy, if you ever have to file a claim you may need proof that the damage didn’t exist prior to the storm. For this, English roofing recommends having your roof inspected regularly and that you document its current condition. English roofing provides a service where they will inspect your roof, create a condition report, and they will even store the photos and the report for their clients to help if the need to file a claim ever arises.
Finally, Calloway recommends choosing a roofing contractor prior to having a roofing crisis. In the event you have storm damage that may allow water to penetrate your home, it is best to know a reputable local roofing firm that can help instead of just choosing a company out of desperation.
English Roofing is an MVP (Most Valuable Provider) for the 812 Living Group and our clients. They have done an excellent job of taking care of our clients and the local Southern Indiana community for many years.
To find more information about English Roofing and the services they offer, connect with them at https://englishroofingllc.com or by phone at 812-913-7770.
To find out more about the 812 Living Group’s MVP list, message us at 812Living@gmail.com.
> 812 Living Group - More than just a real estate company, a community partner <