If you have had hail at your home recently you may be wondering if you have hail damage and what to do next. I’d like to take this opportunity to recommend to you some things to do and some things to avoid.

Let’s start with the precautions. First, hail damage cannot be assessed from the ground. Second, the presence of hail damage on a neighbor’s roof does not guarantee that your roof will also have damage. So what does that mean? That means that you should not trust anyone that knocks on your door claiming that you have hail damage if they have not done an inspection of your roof. Too often someone making such a claim is running a scam, or they will get you involved in making a claim on your insurance when one is not warranted. Also, very importantly, if you are approached by a salesman to sign a contract to replace your roof please make sure that the contract includes an addendum giving you a grace period to cancel the contract. This is legally required in North Carolina as a means to prevent people being pressured into a contract by a pushy salesman. If you do not live in North Carolina I encourage you to check the laws in your area to see if your state has a similar requirement.

Now, onto what you should do. If you suspect you may have hail damage you should contact a local roofing company that provides free roof inspections. Make sure to ask them if they are able to assess hail damage and make a recommendation on whether to file a claim.  You see, filing a claim when there is no, or too little damage, can negatively impact your insurance. However, if you have sufficient damage to warrant a claim it is considered an “act of nature” and will not negatively impact your insurance. You can see why it is important to have someone qualified inspect your roof before you contact your insurance company. I recommend contacting a local company because you are less likely to run into a company running a scam. Also, it is wise to check out any company on the Better Business Bureau website before contacting, or hiring them.

Rafael’s Quality Construction has a good track record with only recommending a customer file a claim when there is significant damage. We will never recommend that you contact your insurance company when you have little to no damage. Please feel free to contact us and we will be happy to inspect your roof for you. We are available during office hours by phone, 704-256-4937, or email, [email protected] and also online at www.rqchomerepairs.com