Most of us don’t think about the roof over our head until it’s leaking, ugly, or we have one of those major hail storms come through followed by the slew of salespersons who immediately begin knocking on our doors telling us that they can “give us a free roof.” This practice has cost the people of Colorado millions of dollars in insurance premiums in the last few years alone. These door knocking sales-people are the same who will tell you that your insurance company stays in business by rejecting your claims and that they (the roofing company) are here to fight for you. In my experience as a former insurance agent and now owner of a roofing company, I have found insurance companies are very willing to pay for damage that actually exists but are not as willing to pay for things not covered in the policy, such as “wear & tear.”
Have you noticed your home insurance premiums double, or more, in the last 6 years? There is a direct correlation to door knocking roofers and your insurance premium. You may not know this but insurance companies rarely break even on home owners insurance in this state. It is considered a “loss leader” in order to keep your auto insurance (the more lucrative of the insurance products) with them for a longer period of time. When it comes to property insurance, having customers a long time is the name of the game. As a result, their goal is good customer service which means paying for what is covered… often times even more. The proliferation of door knocking salesmen working for some roofing companies has necessarily increased the cost of your home insurance
When choosing a roofing company for your needs, ask yourself, “Is this company really looking out for my interests or are they simply trying to sell another roof?” One easy way to do that is to ask the roofing company to provide a certificate of liability insurance. If they won’t provide it, DO NOT WORK WITH THEM. If they do provide it, be sure to call the insuring agent to verify that the policy is in force and that it covers roofing operations. This is important as MANY roofing companies will get a certificate of insurance that does not cover the type of work they do or that is out of force. This can lead to catastrophic financial tragedies for you and your family.
