You Can Choose Who Handles Your Insurance Claim

We recently followed up with a homeowner regarding an estimate for new siding due to an insurance claim. The homeowner explained that as much as they would have preferred the James Hardie fiber cement siding over vinyl, another siding company showed up and explained they were sent by their insurance to complete the claim. This is one of the biggest misrepresentations that happens in our industry. To put it simply, you have the right to choose who handles your insurance claim.

How Insurance Companies Work

Most insurance companies send an adjustor to inspect the validity of your claim. Once the adjustor comes out, they will let their preferred vendors know their findings and provide them with your information. They pose this as a favor to you. Although you may think you’re getting a vetted siding company, buyer beware. Some insurance companies simply contract with the cheapest siding companies so they can pay out the least on your claim.

In some cases, you may find that the siding companies they send are well respected and good, that’s not always the case. After a major storm in the area, there is often a great deal of wind and hail damage, and storm chasers show up from around the country. Here are three drawbacks to using a storm chaser.

1. Limited or no insurance – when your contractor doesn’t have insurance and an injury or damage occurs on your property, you’re liable.
2. Lack of local licensing – although not all repair work requires a license, if yours does and the work is done without one, you may face penalties.
3. No local office – this may leave you without the ability to have warranty repair work completed if necessary. When the storm damage repair is complete, they generally leave.

Product Choice and Service

If you need new siding due to fire or storm damage, you want it to be a quality product and installed properly. When you choose a siding company like Affordable Replacement Window Systems, you know you’re getting someone local, licensed, and trained. We offer only the best fiber cement siding from James Hardie. Although your insurance company may only pay the equivalent of the same type of siding you previously had, you can still pay the difference in cost between vinyl and fiber cement. You may even find that once you have fiber cement siding that your insurance premiums go down due to the fire resistant nature of James Hardie siding.

If you have an insurance claim and want to work with your own siding company, call us at (817) 264-6509. Our estimates are always free and we will work with your insurance company if you need us to. Call today to schedule your no obligation estimate.