Do you have a house with roof damage from a storm? Have you been trying to find ways to make the most of your homeowner’s insurance? Navigating the ins and outs of insurance and contractors can be challenging when your home is in disrepair. If you’re looking for help to get your roof fixed, Res Reps is on your side.
At Res Reps, we understand insurance claims and home repairs very well; we work through them every day, after all. What most homeowners don’t know, however, is that there are ways to maximize your insurance coverage, even if the damage seems minor. One way is to utilize the 25% Rule, which is part of Section 708.1.1 of the Florida Building Code.
Explaining the 25% Rule
According to the Florida Building Code, “not more than 25 percent of the total roof area or roof section of any existing building or structure shall be repaired, replaced or recovered in any 12-month period unless the entire roofing system or roof section conforms to requirements of this code.” Simply put, this means that if more than 25% of the roof has been damaged within a one-year length of time, it has to be replaced. Otherwise, if the damage is less than 25% of the entire roof, it can be patched instead.
How Can the Rule Be Used?
Unfortunately, many insurance claims will attempt to use the 25% Rule to their advantage instead of helping the homeowner replace their roof. Sometimes, insurance adjusters will “try to break roofs down into different sections to get around the complete replacement requirement when just one section has damage that exceeds 25%”, according to Silver, Brass, and Brams.
This can be confusing for homeowners, who may not realize that they might be entitled to an entire replacement. Insurance companies try to keep payouts as low as possible to increase profits, which means the homeowner must be highly diligent in understanding the caveats presented. That’s where we come in.
At Res Reps, we can help you understand these types of hidden benefits and potentially hefty payouts. We know what to look for when insurance reports and can work with contractors and insurance companies to help you get the most of your insurance claims. For example, we can look over an insurance report and find places where information is presented in a confusing or misleading way. We can then help you file a dispute and provide true evidence that can help you get your roof replaced entirely.
Possible Complications
Unfortunately, there are some ways that insurance companies may get around the 25% Rule. According to Merlin Law Group, some insurance policies “specifically [exclude] causes of loss based upon the enforcement of ordinance or law” and that some policies “did not provide full coverage for full roof replacement when said replacement is due solely to the enforcement of ‘ordinance or law’ requirements.”
Because of these clauses, it is essential to comb through your insurance policy to see if this is the case. We can help you go through your policy to understand plainly what you are and aren’t entitled to; insurance policies can be purposefully tricky to understand, and legal verbiage can be hard to navigate. With our years of experience, we can decipher your insurance policy and help you get the coverage you deserve.
Matching Regulations: How Can They Help?
Depending on whether or not the roof will be replaced or patched, you may decide to look into matching regulations. Matching regulations are typically set by the state to protect homeowners. If a roof needs to be patched, for example, a contractor can’t place completely different shingles on your roof because they would significantly decrease the home’s aesthetic and value. There are various caveats to these regulations, so it’s important to speak to a professional to determine if they can benefit you and your roof.
To establish the value of an insured property, insurance companies typically use two terms: ACV and RCV. ACV, or actual cash value, pays for the item’s true value based on depreciation, wear, and more. RCV, or replacement cost value, is usually a more expensive type of coverage and will replace the item with a new one.
When determining the best course of action in dealing with property damage, it is important to understand the options available. To help you decide what type of coverage you should get or understand what you have, here are a few facts:
- Replacement Cost coverage typically provides more coverage than Actual Cost Value.
- RC, however, can cost much more over time.
- ACV is a popular choice for homeowners to save money while still having protection.
- Depending on what your policy covers, it might be worth having a professional take a closer look for you.
Have a Question? Let’s Talk.
At Res Reps, we want to help homeowners and policyholders understand the best way to save money and make the most of their insurance claims. To do this, we perform all of our services for free for our clients, because we believe that homeowners should not have to struggle further just to live in their homes while insurance companies hold out. If you have any questions about your insurance policy, our services, or anything else, we would love to help. Please give us a call at (321) 537-9991 or send us an email to shoe@resreps.com. Let’s get started today.
Recent Comments