Question 1

How do I file an insurance claim for storm damage?

Accepted Answer

Once the Require Roofing inspection is complete, and if storm damage has been found, Require Roofing will raise your claim for you.

This can be done a number of ways.

a) A three-way call with Require, your Insurer and yourself on the line. You, as the owner, confirm you wish Require Roofing tobe the main contact to facilitate a fair outcome for all of your repairs.

b) Letter Of Authorisation lodged on line or sometimes both of these two options.

Require Roofing then file a claim for the storm damage found at your property and the date of storm or weather event. We will forward your claim number to you and keep you updated throughout the process.

Question 2

Will filing a claim cost me money?

Accepted Answer

No. Require Roofing offers a free service to file the claim on your behalf. The Insurance Company is paying for your restoration due to storm damage. The only cost to you is your excess (see 8.). At settlement, the insurance company will deduct the excess and forward the agreed amount into your account.

Question 3

Will filing a claim raise my individual insurance rates or drop me from coverage?

Accepted Answer

Yes and No. 
A claim filed as a result of hail, wind and/or lightning is likely to be considered an “act of God” claim.
This means there was no way you could have prevented the damages to your property. Insurance companies cannot raise your individual rates as a result of such a claim. 
Premium increases can occur but are often based across a whole region, city or state where thousands of claims are being filed for the same storm or catastrophic event.

Question 4

What if my Insurance Company sends out a “preferred contractor” versus an insurance Assessor to review the scope of my damage?

Accepted Answer

Your Insurance Company will either schedule a time for an Insurance Assessor or another Building Contractor to come out and inspect and assess your damage. The Assessor will call you to schedule a time that works for you. It is important you schedule a specific time to meet this Assessor. If possible, take down the assessor’s name and contact number. While some Builders and Assessors work for the Insurance Company, Require Roofing work directly for the property owner. We don’t take short cuts, nor are we provided bonuses for less work, from the Insurance Company, by trying to keep the amount of the claim low. Our goal is to ensure all claimable storm damage related repairs are repaired through this process.

Question 5

What if my Assessor of building contractor estimate is lower than the Require Roofing initial estimate? Do I have to use the contractor sent by the Insurance Company?

Accepted Answer

No you do not. If you have already decided on using Require Roofing as your preferred builder please inform your Insurance Company’s Claims Manager and / Assessor of your decision.

You have the right to choose a Preferred Builder.

Prior to any settlement it is most important that Require Roofing receives your insurance companies Panel Builders Scope of Works. Their Scope of Works is then checked by your Claims manager to ensure all damages have been covered on your property, It is normal to go back and forth two or three times until all Scope Of Works line up with your sustained damages. For example, if the Insurance Company send out a builder who forgot to include gutters, proper roof components, safety equipment and some damaged windows in their estimate, naturally their assessment would be lower. It is important to get a copy of this Scope of Work so that a proper comparison is made. It items that were estimated by Require Roofing were not included in the Insurance Company’s assessment, then the property owner must request a variance for those items to be included.
If reasonable and fair market pricing is provided by the Insurance Company’s assessment and the Scope of Work is identical, Require Roofing will adjust initial estimates to match the dollar amount being issued by the Insurance Company, which then allows us to live up to our guarantee of completing all properly scoped work for the insured. (except in some cases, the excess amount).

Question 6

What if my Insurance Company or one of their preferred contractors tries to pressure me into a contract when I feel a proper assessment has not been done, or interfere with my choice of contractor to complete the work?

Accepted Answer

Again, you have the choice of using Require Roofing as your preferred Builder to have all work done at a fair market price. Having a contractor (Require Roofing) on your side to ensure your interests, not the Insurance Company’s, are protected is essential. This is precisely the reason you need Require Roofing. Firstly, call the Claims Manager and file a complaint with a Supervisor and/ Manager at the Insurance Company. Tape the call. If nothing is resolved within 5 business days, contact your local Ombudsmen (Financial Ombudsmen Service 1300 78 08 08) online and fill out a complaint. You can also call them for advice. We also assist with this process.

Question 7

How do I request an allowed amount settlement to begin repairs with Require Roofing as my preferred builder?

Accepted Answer

Before accepting any settlement from the Insurance Company, stop and advise your Require Roofing Project Manager so we make sure all your claimable damages have been allowed for. Payment amounts for the various stages of the repair will be discussed with you. Also you can request cheques made payable to Require Roofing Trading as Require Roofing. Each of these cheques is retained by you, the home owner until the particular stage of the job is complete. After completion you can mail the cheque to Require Roofing or directly deposit it to our bank account after you are satisfied with the quality and service. Should the Insurance Company refuse to issue cheques in this way, contact your Require Roofing Project Manager or alternatively you can authorise settlement of the claim and send the Insurance company your banking details.

Question 8

Will I have to pay my excess?

Accepted Answer

Require Roofing will absorb the excess cost depending on the total settlement amount to your excess dollar value.
Perhaps, the insurance company is obligated to pay a fair market rate for the damages to your home less the amount of your excess. If you choose to have all the damages your Insurance Company assess as claimable repaired, you may have to pay your excess. You may choose to use funds assigned to a less important part of the restoration to pay the excess (the work you are opting to shift funds from would obviously then not be done) thus eliminating your out-of-pocket expense.

Question 9

What if my Insurer asks me to pay my excess at the time I file my claim?

Accepted Answer

There is no reason you should have to pay your excess before the claim is assessed by the Insurer. Simply indicate that you would prefer to pay your excess once your claim has been assessed and that you will pay the excess directly to the Contractor you have chosen to conduct the work.

Question 10

What happens if my insurance company approves a dollar amount less than the Require Roofing estimate?

Accepted Answer

You should not worry about significant out-of-pocket expense. The contract between you and Require Roofing guarantees you that we will complete the approved repairs at the insurance approved price and in return, you have committed to using Require Roofing. Our estimate is based on the current fair market pricing. The Insurance Company utilizes a network of contractors who may be incentivised to reduce the amount of you claim. It may be necessary for Require Roofing to address insufficiencies in the estimate prepared by your Insurance Company’s contractor, but this is common. Regardless, you will never be asked to pay more than the Insurance Company pays for the approved Scope of Work, plus your excess(see 8.)

Question 11

What happens if the Insurance Company does not cover me for all the damages assessed by Require Roofing?

Accepted Answer

We are committed to working on your behalf. If your Insurance Company does not cover damages that Require Roofing feel are justified, you are not out of options. Require Roofing will forward supporting photos and data to your provider and work towards having them included in the Scope Of Works Having a contractor on your side to ensure your interests are protected is essential in protecting yourself as a property owner.

Question 12

What should I do if the Insurance Company is taking an excessively long time to settle my claim?

Accepted Answer

This can be common depending on the provider. It is in the Insurance Company’s responsibility to act fairly and to keep the claim moving. The damages to your home may be more serious every day that passes from the date they were incurred. Your Insurer is obligated to assess and pay for the damages to your home in a timely fashion. During some large Storm events nationally, insurance companies can be inundated with claims and this can increase the time for settlement. This often delays a claim if it has been more than 30 days since the date you reported your claim, you should call your Claims Manager and ask they settle your claim immediately. If your request is unsuccessful, you may register a formal complaint with the Financial Ombudsman. A complaint can be lodged by visiting their website: www.fos.org.au (resolving disputes tab) email: info@fos.gov.au or phone: 1300 78 08 08.

Question 13

How long will the repairs take?

Accepted Answer

Our standard turnaround for repairs to be completed from start date is 1 – 2 weeks which allows for re-installation of items after the roof is completed such as solar panels / hot water systems.

Question 14

What is a lifetime warranty?

Accepted Answer

A lifetime warranty covers the life of the products. The standard warranties are: 6.5 year structural, 12-36 year for Colourbond and 15 years for Ultra.