Storm Damage Resources
How to Choose a Roofing Contractor
After a Storm.
After a significant weather event the KC Northland roofing market fills up fast. Some of those contractors are excellent. Some will be gone before your second check arrives. Here is how to tell the difference.
Five questions to ask before signing with any contractor.
Are you licensed to work in Missouri?
Missouri requires contractor licensing for roofing work. Ask for the license number and verify it. Contractors crossing from the Kansas side of the metro may not carry Missouri licensing. Out-of-state storm chasers operating in Missouri without a license have no regulatory accountability to you or the state.
Where is your physical business address?
A phone number and a website are not accountability. A physical Missouri address means a contractor with a real stake in this market. Ask where their office is located. Ask how long they have operated in KC Northland. A contractor who cannot answer both questions clearly is a risk regardless of how professional their materials look.
Who physically gets on my roof?
Many larger roofing companies use subcontracted crews. The salesperson and the installation crew may have never met. Ask who oversees the inspection and who oversees the installation. A contractor where the owner or a senior team member is physically present on every job has accountability built into the process.
What are your storm damage inspection credentials?
HAAG certification is the engineering standard for storm damage assessment. Ask whether the person inspecting your roof is HAAG certified. Ask whether they have experience working with insurance adjusters directly. A contractor who cannot speak specifically to their inspection credentials is likely using the same approach as every other yard sign in your neighborhood.
Will you be present at the adjuster meeting?
This single question separates contractors who understand the insurance claim process from those who just install roofs. A contractor willing to attend the adjuster meeting alongside you has confidence in their inspection documentation and understands that this meeting determines your claim value. If the answer is no ask why.
Red flags that should end the conversation.
Offering to waive your deductible. This is insurance fraud. Both parties can face legal consequences.
Pressure to sign before the inspection is complete or before you have received any documentation.
No physical address or a post office box as the only business location.
Asking you to sign over assignment of benefits before you understand what that means for your claim rights.
A very low bid on an insurance claim. Insurance sets the price. A bid under the insurance estimate reduces your depreciation release and may indicate the contractor plans to cut scope.
Choosing the right contractor before the adjuster comes is one decision. Everything after that follows from it.
Related questions.
Want a second opinion before you sign?
Free inspection. No pressure either way.
We will inspect your roof independently and tell you honestly what we find. You decide who you want to work with from there.
(816) 866-4235 · Smithville, Missouri · Missouri Licensed and Insured