It’s that time of year again.
The one where your phone keeps ringing thanks to the numerous storms that have made their way through the local area.
Reading: How to write an estimate for an insurance claim
While it seems like all these insurance claims keep your roofing schedule completely full…
It is important to make sure you write an estimate that is as complete and accurate as possible.
After all, the claims adjuster assigned to the property has a duty to try not to pay and save the company money in any way they can.
simply accepting your numbers can leave too much money on the table and may not be enough to finish the job with the materials and resources you need.
To help you, our team has prepared this complete guide for the entire process.
Keep reading to learn how to write an estimate for an insurance claim.
how to write an estimate for an insurance claim
Writing an estimate that accurately includes all the labor and materials needed for an insurance claim job can sometimes be a bit confusing.
To ensure you get the most value from insured roofing and restoration projects, it’s important to follow a few key steps.
first step: document all damage
The first part of writing an estimate for an insurance claim is to perform a thorough roof inspection and fully document all damage.
In some cases, the property owner may be able to point out some problem areas.
Other times, the insurance adjuster may have already filed a damage report or taken photographs to determine an approximate reimbursement cost.
Either way, be sure to get on the roof and physically inspect the damage yourself or with your own team.
mark damaged areas with chalk.
take action.
make a note of each item as you take photos to create your own photographic record.
Most insurance companies try to make a determination between what is old damage and new damage.
then be sure to annotate anything you see as old or new based on what you see during this step.
step two: review the owner’s policy
In order to create an accurate insurance claim estimate, you will need to see a copy of the owner’s policy.
This can be a homeowners policy or a commercial policy depending on the type of structure you are estimating repairs for.
From there, you’ll want to determine if they have an actual cash value (ACV) policy or a replacement cost value (RCV) policy.
there is a big difference between the two…
acv policies subtract depreciation from replacement cost.
Replacement cost is the actual cost associated with what it would take to return the roof to where it was before the storm or other incident.
as you can clearly see, one is more reasonable than the other.
See also: Guide to Health Insurance and Healthcare System in Mexico | InterNations
But not all homeowners have a replacement cost policy.
also some older or insured policies with certain companies offer acv on the roof and replacement cost for everything else.
This is why it’s so important to know the different homeowners insurance companies and how they handle roof replacement claims.
Step Three: Create a Roofing Budget
The actual process of this step will likely vary depending on the extent of the damage.
If you’re just replacing a few shingles, you probably don’t need to go into as much detail as you would with a complete roof replacement.
You’re probably already familiar with creating a retail roofing quote and may be using a good roofing quote template.
so, we won’t go into detail about that here.
But writing an estimate for an insurance claim is a whole different ball game.
Most insurance company adjusters use a program called xactimate to create estimates.
what is xactimate?
is a software program that is considered the gold standard pricing and estimating system for creating estimates for all types of projects with locally updated prices for regions across the country (and the world).
If you want to get the most out of quote writing for insurance jobs, you need to prepare your restoration and roofing quotes accurately.
so you and the insurance company speak the same language.
This is where it pays to have experience…
or use a professional quoting service to make sure you include all the small (often overlooked) elements that make up the totality of the job requirements.
step four: present the estimate to the owner
This is where you will actually give the owner the estimate and repair recommendations.
From there, they will ultimately forward your answer to your insurance company adjuster.
Many times the insurance company adjuster has already come up with their own damage estimate on xactimate.
while others agree with the property owner getting their own estimates, which is often a more common option during catastrophic storm season.
Either way, the adjuster will determine whether or not your estimate is reasonable and, once approved, will issue a check.
or they will deny the claim and request more information.
If that’s the case, you may need to go back to the building and get more details, which takes time and effort.
In many states, it is not legal for roofing contractors to negotiate directly with the insurance company on behalf of the homeowner.
again, here it helps to have a professional insurance estimate writer and public adjuster who can assist with claim negotiations to help substantiate every line of the claim.
Some insurance claims can seem like forever.
Be patient while your partners work through the negotiation process with the insurance company.
step five: wait for payment
See also: Cheapest Auto Insurance Quotes in South Carolina (2022) – ValuePenguin
On many claims, the property insurance company will write multiple checks.
There may be a check to cover initial repairs to mitigate major damage.
subsequent checks will cover the amount of the approved claim, less the owner’s deductible.
If you encounter unforeseen job requirements or replacement needs, you may also receive separate checks for insurance supplements that must be submitted and approved.
a better way to write an insurance claim estimate
while what we have mentioned above is certainly a way to handle the process…
You should really consider working with a highly experienced team of insurance claim estimators.
professionals like quikclaims… who do this day after day.
In fact, our process could increase the accuracy of your work and your profits by as much as 20% to 30%.
how?
Letting our fast claims team take care of everything for you.
all you have to do in this case is get some photos and measurements of the roof.
you will send us the information…
and we will write the budget on your behalf.
We don’t just use our decades of field experience to inform the details of our estimates.
but we also include line items required by the most recent code changes for your local area.
What’s even better is that we use xactimate, the same claims software used by all major insurance companies.
then we combine it with our extensive industry knowledge and generate estimated reports that are more likely to be approved the first time.
In addition, we even have service options that allow us to negotiate directly with the insurance company.
This keeps you out of that part of the negotiations and makes the overall process much easier for the property owner.
In addition, we also write plugins to make it easier to get paid for the extra work needed on the job.
what don’t you like about any of it?
summarizing how to write estimates for insurance claims
Whether you have been in the roofing industry for decades or are in the process of starting…
Learning how to write an estimate for an insurance claim is a crucial aspect of your success.
However, keeping up with the different types of policies, processes, and regulations of the major homeowners insurance companies can be time consuming.
To make the process easier, quickclaims offers xactimate writing services to ensure your insurance estimates are complete and accurate.
the end result?
more money in your pocket and a more streamlined approach to roof restoration projects.
