Roof damaged by wind, Allstate Ins Co.

[TimStudiesLaw]

This is in Illinois. Our roof was damaged by the wind a couple of weeks ago. We called our favorite roofing contractor to come out and repair the loose shingles. They sent an inspector to check it out before scheduling, and he told us he can repair it, but we actually need a new roof - there's hail AND wind damage. According to our policy, we do not have replacement cost coverage, we have "Actual cash value (ACV) coverage for our losses.

So we called Allstate and opened a claim. They agree work needs to be done, but only a portion of the amount the roofing company wants to replace. Allstate is telling us that based on their inspection, we need 100 shingles replaced on our 2100 square foot roof, and it should cost us about $3,000. We have a $1000 Deductible, and they have already paid us $2000. The shingles that need replacing are scattered all over the roof, not concentrated in any one area.

We asked for a re-inspection. The agent told us the roofing company needs to come out, provide a detailed inspection and justify every cost, line by line, and they'll consider paying more, but they would not agree to any new numbers ahead of time, and they will not send out anyone else to inspect the roof. The estimate from the roofer for the whole roof is just north of $10,000.

I know insurance is contract law, but aren't they obligated by that contract to repair the whole roof? My fear is if we only make the repairs they want to pay for and we suffer another loss, they'll tell us to pound sand. Even if they don't pay the whole claim, if they get closer to the 10K, I'll gladly pay the difference for the whole roof. Is there anything we can do to squeeze a couple more bucks from them?

 

[adjusterjack]

Actual Cash Value = Replacement Cost less Depreciation.

If Allstate agreed that the roof needs to be replaced, the cost would be depreciated. Depending on the age of the roof and the type of shingle, depreciation could result in you getting only a fraction of the cost less your deductible.

Keep in mind that wear, tear, and deterioration are not covered by your policy. No insurance company will pay for replacing worn out shingles. Based on your details my guess is that your roof has aged out and should have already been replaced - by you. A re-roof is the cost of home ownership.

Repairs are not depreciated.

The cheapest shingle is good for about 15 to 20 years.
The midrange shingle 20 to 25 years.
The high range (architectural) shingle is good for 25 to 30 years.

They may have longer warranties but if you read the warranties they are pro-rated (essentially depreciated) after a certain number of years.

An experienced roofer, or adjuster, can approximate the age of a roof.

How old is your roof?

What type of shingle? Either architectural (easily recognized by googling) or not.

How long have you owned the home?

How long have you been insured by Allstate?

How long ago did the hail damage occur? Had you reported it when it happened Allstate might have paid for a new roof with less depreciation and you wouldn't likely have had any damage in the current storm.

Why don't you have replacement cost coverage? Are you sure you don't? Most homeowners policies have it.

If you can figure out how to post close up photos of your shingles I may have more comments about their condition.

Meantime, here are some examples of shingles that have outlived their useful life:

worn-out-shingles.png (1000×743) (firstamericanroofing.com)

Worn+out+shingles_granular+loss.jpg (1600×1418) (bp.blogspot.com)

Curling-shingles-300x206.jpg (300×206) (almarbuilding.com)

In this next one the shingles have failed due to age and wind will start randomly breaking off the shingle tabs.

20200925_113921-scaled.jpg (1920×2560) (litespeedconstructionashevilleroofing.com)

The next photo shows that happening. The next windstorm will break off more tabs.

shingles_missing-300x1991.png (300×199) (innovativehomeconcepts.com)

Another roof with partial damage. Also appears to have pock marks from hail.

Shingle-Roof-Bare-Spots-Toronoto-Roofing-1-1024x768.jpg (1024×768) (torontoroofing.ca)

 

[TimStudiesLaw]

Thanks for the reply Jack, I've answered your questions below:

How old is your roof?
I seem to remember hearing it was approx 5 years old when we bought the house, but don't know for sure. If that's correct, it'd be approx 20 years old.

What type of shingle? Either architectural (easily recognized by googling) or not.
Architectural

How long have you owned the home?
Approx 15 years

How long have you been insured by Allstate?
The whole length of Ownership

How long ago did the hail damage occur? Had you reported it when it happened Allstate might have paid for a new roof with less depreciation and you wouldn't likely have had any damage in the current storm.
We never noticed any hail damage, it was pointed out by the roofer when he inspected it. We noticed a patch of shifted shingles the morning after a fairly substantial wind event.

Why don't you have replacement cost coverage? Are you sure you don't? Most homeowners policies have it.
I'm positive. It was a financial decision at the time of purchase. It looks like once this claim is over we'll have to revisit it.

If you can figure out how to post close up photos of your shingles I may have more comments about their condition.
I have bad knees and struggle on a ladder these days, but I'll see if I can get some taken later tonight, and try to post late tonight or tomorrow.

Meantime, here are some examples of shingles that have outlived their useful life:
They don't look like any of those examples, but I appreciate you showing them to me.

 

[adjusterjack]

How old is your roof?
I seem to remember hearing it was approx 5 years old when we bought the house, but don't know for sure. If that's correct, it'd be approx 20 years old.

If the seller or realtors said 5 years it was probably a lie.

What type of shingle? Either architectural (easily recognized by googling) or not.
Architectural

Architectural shingles shouldn't be fragile at 20 years.

How long have you owned the home?
Approx 15 years

How long have you been insured by Allstate?
The whole length of Ownership

How long ago did the hail damage occur? Had you reported it when it happened Allstate might have paid for a new roof with less depreciation and you wouldn't likely have had any damage in the current storm.
We never noticed any hail damage, it was pointed out by the roofer when he inspected it. We noticed a patch of shifted shingles the morning after a fairly substantial wind event.

Talk to neighbors in your subdivision to find out who had a roof replaced due to hail damage and see who still has documentation of their insurance claim.

Why don't you have replacement cost coverage? Are you sure you don't? Most homeowners policies have it.
I'm positive. It was a financial decision at the time of purchase. It looks like once this claim is over we'll have to revisit it.

Doesn't cost much. You might also ask for the difference in price between a $500 and $1000 deductible.

If you can figure out how to post close up photos of your shingles I may have more comments about their condition.
I have bad knees and struggle on a ladder these days, but I'll see if I can get some taken later tonight, and try to post late tonight or tomorrow.

See if your roofer will take the photos for you. Allstate will want photos anyway.

New questions:

What was the wind speed at the time of the storm that damaged the roof? You can find out at Weather Underground's historical page.

Weather History & Data Archive | Weather Underground (wunderground.com)

Does your roof have pock marks or dimples from hail. The following link has several photos of hail damage to architectural shingles. Your roofer will have to take close up photos of numerous sections of the roof to document the hail marks.

hail damage to architectural shingles at DuckDuckGo

 

[TimStudiesLaw]

How old is your roof?
I seem to remember hearing it was approx 5 years old when we bought the house, but don't know for sure. If that's correct, it'd be approx 20 years old.

If the seller or realtors said 5 years it was probably a lie.

Realtors lie??? Who knew.


How long ago did the hail damage occur? Had you reported it when it happened Allstate might have paid for a new roof with less depreciation and you wouldn't likely have had any damage in the current storm.
We never noticed any hail damage, it was pointed out by the roofer when he inspected it. We noticed a patch of shifted shingles the morning after a fairly substantial wind event.

Talk to neighbors in your subdivision to find out who had a roof replaced due to hail damage and see who still has documentation of their insurance claim.

I'll see what I can round up, great idea.

Why don't you have replacement cost coverage? Are you sure you don't? Most homeowners policies have it.

If you can figure out how to post close up photos of your shingles I may have more comments about their condition.
I have bad knees and struggle on a ladder these days, but I'll see if I can get some taken later tonight, and try to post late tonight or tomorrow.

See if your roofer will take the photos for you. Allstate will want photos anyway.

He'll be out on Monday to do that very thing - photos & a report for Allstate.


New questions:

What was the wind speed at the time of the storm that damaged the roof? You can find out at Weather Underground's historical page.

It was 8/11/21, 41 MPH was the high wind speed in zip code 61108 that day. Great source BTW - I'll use that for work too, thanks!



Does your roof have pockmarks or dimples from hail. The following link has several photos of hail damage to architectural shingles. Your roofer will have to take close-up photos of numerous sections of the roof to document the hail marks.

My shingles don't have obvious hail marks like the ones in the photos at that link. I'll be interested to see what the roofer comes up with.

 

[STEPHAN]

I always check the age of the roof by looking up the permits in the building department records. Often you can call them.

You can also use Google Earth and go back in time. You will see when the roof color changed.

 

[adjusterjack]

What was the wind speed at the time of the storm that damaged the roof? You can find out at Weather Underground's historical page.

It was 8/11/21, 41 MPH was the high wind speed in zip code 61108 that day. Great source BTW - I'll use that for work too, thanks!

That suggests to me that your roof is a lot older than 20 years. Architectural shingles are rated for 80mph to 120 mph winds. They are 50% thicker and heavier than 3 tab shingles. I don't see a 41 mph wind causing damage on 20 year old architectural shingles.

Yes, it's a very good source for historical data. I used it frequently as a property claims adjuster before I retired.


Does your roof have pockmarks or dimples from hail. The following link has several photos of hail damage to architectural shingles. Your roofer will have to take close-up photos of numerous sections of the roof to document the hail marks.

My shingles don't have obvious hail marks like the ones in the photos at that link. I'll be interested to see what the roofer comes up with.

You wouldn't ordinarily see them from street level but a close inspection up on the roof should reveal them and other conditions.

Make sure your roofer used your digital camera so you can keep a set of the photos. You can email a set to the roofer for his report. For a 2100 sf roof I suggest at least a dozen close up photos of various sections of the roof.

 

[LdiJ]

I will share my experience. I have known for quite a while now that I needed a new roof. I have been trying to save up for it. A few months back we had a major hail storm and I have major damage from that. I placed a claim with my insurance company and they determined that my roof needed to be replaced, would cost about 10k, and they were willing to give me about 3k in depreciated value towards that. That was exactly what I expected.

However, because I have replacement coverage, they will also give me the rest of the cost of replacing my roof (minus my deductible) AFTER they are provided proof that my roof has actually been replaced.

 

[adjusterjack]

However, because I have replacement coverage, they will also give me the rest of the cost of replacing my roof (minus my deductible) AFTER they are provided proof that my roof has actually been replaced.

That's how replacement cost works on dwelling, other structures, and contents. For any claims over $2500 you get the ACV (depreciated value) first and the balance after replacing the item.