If you know you have had a severe storm in your area, and/or you see your neighbors getting work done to their home, it is a good possibility you could have damage as well. 

Often time damage from a storm is not visible to the untrained eye. That’s why it is very important that after a storm you have a qualified roofing contractor to come and inspect your home.

If there is damage to your home, contact your insurance company as soon as possible for an adjuster to come to your home and appraise the damage. Remember, in a disaster situation, someone may not come immediately. Try to be patient.

In most cases you have one year from the date of the storm to file a claim, However all policies are different and some states you have as little as six months. The best thing to do is call a roofing contractor soon after the storm to do an inspection.

ACV means “Actual Cash Value.” This is what the damage to the property is worth at the time of loss.

RCV means “Replacement Cost Value.” This is what the insurance company will pay after all the work in completed. The first ACV check will get work started and after the work is complete the contractor will file for depreciation and another check will be sent that equals the RCV.

Filing a single claim should not raise your premiums especially from an “act of God” However if a region is hit by a major storm the whole regions premiums could go up.