KC storms blow in, and so do people coming door to door to make repairs | Opinion
Like many homeowners, I began to get unwanted visitors coming to my door a day or two after our recent spring severe weather. They either caught me working from home or left a flyer or door hanger advertising their business: roofing, contracting or overall handyman, promising to solve all my problems left behind by hair, heavy rain or high winds.
I’m not a roofer. I’m not climbing on the top of my house, and I’m not pretending I know more than they do. But I don’t know who to trust or what believe when confronted by a random and uninvited person. Let me be clear: I’m sure there are a lot of reputable and trustworthy people in this line of business. I just need more information before I can make a decision that big.
So, I called my home insurance provider. There’s a risk there, too. If you request someone to come check out your property, likely they will see this as a claim. What to do?
Did I make the right decision?
The hail storms in March were severe enough to make me wonder if I did have some damage, even though it didn’t cause any internal leaks. We had baseball-sized hail in my neighborhood. My insurance company promised to send out an adjuster. It took several weeks, and while waiting, the friendly visitors kept coming.
I stood my ground and waited on my adjuster. I think I made the right decision. Not everyone agreed with me.
A friend said she knows many people who do allow random roofers to climb up on their roofs and identify problems. Once they know this, she said, then they call their insurers to avoid claim hikes.
But others told me some uninformed people can cause damage to your roof just by improperly walking on it. Still others warned a questionable person might say you have problems with your roof, just to get a contract with you.
Again, who to believe? I did a little digging and one thing surprised me. While companies do need to be registered with the state, there is no state requirement to be licensed either in Kansas or Missouri. However, there are local licensing requirements in Kansas City. It’s always good to check with your municipality.
The Missouri Department of Commerce and Insurance offers this advice: “After storms and other disasters, fraudsters, and scam artists often arrive quickly. Watch for contractors who offer to do your repairs with upgraded or free building materials.”
The insurance process
No matter who you let on your roof, unless you’re paying out of pocket, your insurance makes the final decision as to how much your claim is worth. Most insurance agencies use adjusters to determine the extent of the damage and how much they think it will cost.
An independent insurance adjuster does not work for an agency. Andy Myers, an independent adjuster who works in the Kansas City area, said homeowners do need to be careful with dealing with a contractor.
“Something to be aware of would be if they’re a little overly pushy about signing a piece of paper. A lot of times contractors will say, ‘Hey, I’ll give you a free inspection, free estimate.’ Then they’ll have you sign a piece of paper. I urge people, when that happens, to always look at the fine print of that piece of paper, because a lot of times it could tie you into a contract with them.”
Myers said that could be a problem if your insurance doesn’t approve the job, or if the homeowner decides not to use them. “I don’t recommend signing anything. A free inspection is a free inspection. If they want to come out and take a look at your roof and give you an opinion on it, by all means, they can do that without signing a piece of paper.”
How to avoid insurance fraud?
The Missouri Department of Commerce and Insurance suggests following these tips:
- If you’re working with contractors you don’t know, find out where they’re from. Many fraudsters will travel from state to state.
- Before you sign any contracts or pay any money, ask for references.
- Never pay the full amount before the work is complete.
- Ask your local Better Business Bureau and state attorney general’s office about complaints.
- Check online for information about the contractor.
- Most important, report any suspected fraud to your insurance agent and your state’s department of insurance as soon as possible.
We’re nearing the end of storm season, but you never know when the next big blow is coming. Be careful out there.
