Boston Massachusetts Roofing, Gutter, Chimney, & Home Improvement Contractor

The 3 MYTHS

Three Myths You’ll Hear From Insurance Adjusters… Even Honest Ones. These are only three myths. Obviously there are many more out there but these three get the point across…

1. “Get other bids” The insurance companies have pricing already established. However, they hope a low bidder will do it for less, saving the insurance company money.

2. “If you hire a qualified contractor or public adjuster to represent you, the coverage of your insurance policy will be lost” No. The law prohibits this type of action. It is your right as the insured to use the services of a qualified roofing contractor or hire a licensed Public Adjuster to professionally assist you through the claims process.

3. “You only sustained minor/NO roof damage. The insurance company will only/NOT pay for minor repairs”

Most insurance adjusters have little experience assessing damage below the roofing system.They spend 95% of their training and field experience assessing damage below your ceiling not above it. They seem to be blind to all the wetness and deterioration to the materials between the roof and the ceiling.In most cases,the only way to find this mess is to scan with an infrared camera. and or remove the roof.Plus,removing the roof is usually the only way to replace broken rafters ,damaged roof boards and the wet insulation.

You may be entitled to a completely new roof despite what your insurance company says This is the perfect case for a roofing contractor with extensive storm damage experience or a licensed public adjuster to help with your claim and the insurance company.

Most insurance people would say that if you receive a check and cash it you accept the settlement and cannot pursue for more.

This is NOT true. An experienced contractor or public adjuster can re-open a claim with your insurance company, submit proper documentation, negotiate directly with the insurance company adjuster upon your behalf and attain a settlement that would be satisfactory to cover all damages sustained.

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WHY IS GF SPRAGUE, STORM DAMAGE EXPERTS

“WILL MY ROOF SURVIVE ANOTHER STORM?”
Many homeowners are asking just that.Like most of your neighbors,you’ve experienced the most devastating winter in New England,maybe since the pilgrims.Snow storms weekly,freeze thaw cycles causing ice dams,forcing ice into the unseen cavities above your ceilings and behind your walls.In areas that you can’t get to, water may be destroying most everything in it’s path with little chance of properly drying out.Everything is soaked,providing a perfect breeding environment for mold spores.folks are worried that this mess is not only destroying their home but more importantly this is dangerous to the health of their family.Unfortunately,attempts to dry out the interior space DOES NOT dry out that space above the ceiling, below the roof or behind the siding.

SHORT TERM DANGERS
“Will my roof survive another storm?”

Sometimes the answer is yes and you are lucky enough to last through another night of ice build up. But oftentimes, your roof becomes the victim to storm damage and whether it be snow,ice, wind, rain or hail, the damage can be substantial. Even when you can’t see it.

And when your roof has fallen victim to this kind of damage, no ordinary handyman or roofer will be able to do the job for you. This kind of work requires special expertise.

It requires G.F.SPRAGUE

THE G F SPRAGUE APPROACH—DETECT THE DAMAGE-DOCUMENT THE DAMAGE-DEAL WITH THE DAMAGE-
WE TAKE THE TIME,TO LISTEN TO YOU FIRST.THEN WE PERFORM A FULL INSPECTION WITH YOU.WE MAY GO UP ONTO THE ROOF OR INTO THE ATTIC.WE’LL DETECT PROBLEM AREAS WITH OUR INFRARED CAMERAS.WE’LL LEAVE NO STONE UNTURNED. AS A CUSTOMER,WE’LL PROVIDE YOU WITH REPORT ON THE FINDINGS SO THAT BOTH YOU AND YOUR INSURANCE COMPANY CAN SEE THE EVIDENCE.THEN WE’LL REPLACE OR RESTORE THE DAMAGE BACKED BY OUR 40 YEAR WARRANTY…AND YOU MAY JUST NEED THIS LONG TERM COMMITMENT TO PROTECTING YOUR HOME AND FAMILY.WHY?BECAUSE THE TERM FORCAST CALLS FOR 30 YEARS OF WINTERS LIKE THIS.

G.F.SPRAGUE #1 COMMITMENT IS TO”SERVE THE CUSTOMER”.WE MUST FIRST SOLVE YOUR PROBLEMS BEFORE WE CAN EARN THE RIGHT ASK THAT YOU REFER US TO YOUR FRIENDS,NEIGHBORS AND FAMILY.YOU ARE CRITICAL TO US,EVEN AFTER YOUR PROJECT HAS BEEN COMPLETED.

That’s why, time after time throughout the past 41 years, when it comes to roofs,gutters,chimneys, some of the most respected names and institutions in the metro Boston area have repeatedly chosen G.F.SPRAGUE.

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STEPS TO TAKE AFTER DISCOVERING STORM DAMAGE

1. Notify your insurance company or agent as most damage from ice dams is covered by your insurance.

2. Protect the property from further damage – move the furniture – take down the drapes etc. G F Sprague will help with temporary repairs.

3. Get a detailed inspection of the damage (We will help you in this and with our new technology (thermal cameras) and years of expertise we have a better understanding of what is going on with your roof)

4. Complete a comprehensive claim don’t forget what was lost describe things in full detail.

5. Cooperate with the insurance company and their inspectors. Your insurance company will most likely inspect the property soon after notification of the claim

6. Assist in the claims investigation

Call G F Sprague Co. Inc. when you have a problem. We can fix it and we will help you negotiate with your insurance company by providing our expertise in determining the damage. We will make temporary repairs – quickly, and we will showing the insurance company what was wrong and getting your property back in shape with minimal delay and expert workmanship.

Actual Case Study

I had an issue with my camp in Maine several years ago as a result of the ice storm, the top half of a pine tree came down and went through the roof. The way I handled it was to call a friend and ask him if he know someone I should call. He referred me to a contractor who came and , made temporary repairs to the roof so I could use the camp for the spring and summer. The same contractor then came back in the fall removed the roof, fixed the walls which shifted when the tree came down put on new roof decking and rebuilt the chimney.

All of it was covered by insurance and in fact the contractor insulated and planked the interior for me because I waited until he got all the year round homes finished. As you can see it was a rather complex claim but the carrier agreed with everything we did and I was paid without much trouble. The contractor got the job because he got the first part of the job done quickly and had a solution for the rest of the problem.

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THE BAD GUYS

Insurance companies are not in business to pay claims; if that were their intention they would be out of business already!
Here are just a few tricks that insurance companies will use to deny your claim.
Testing: Very often, the insurance companies will
conduct a test on the roof to see if any “functional damage” has been done (functional damage refers to damage that will shorten the life expectancy of the roof) that is not in favor of the policy holder and is inaccurate. These tests are meant for a brand new roof and most often
are conducted on roofs 5 years or older with the general “wear and tear”. Therefore, getting a false reading, that they are aware of, insurance companies can claim there was existing damage before the storm and are not held responsible.

Another scheme insurance companies will use to try to deny your claim is claiming “cosmetic” damage vs. “functional” damage. For instance, if there has been a storm and you have fractures on your roof, the insurance companies are looking for “total fractures” only. A total fracture refers to complete and obviously visible, destruction to your roof. If the problem is not catastrophic, it is referred to as cosmetic damage and denied. They will only accept what they refer to as functional damage, which in definition will shorten the life expectancy of the roof. The problem is, these companies rely on the fact that you
do not know everything that is in your claim, almost all of these problems are covered in the insurance claim but the company assumes that you don’t know what you are or should be looking for and can then pull the wool over your eyes every time.

G F SPRAGUE has ability to help get your claim accepted, even after the insurance company has said that there is no
damage. We have infrared equipment to show damage that is not visible to the naked eye, we are experienced and can talk in detail to the adjuster. The insurance company may try and “define” or discount the damage to get out of paying for it, but that is not in their policies. We have tests that the insurance companies do not have and can point out damage where most
of their people would not even recognize it. We document all things possible to document, and in reading this, the insurance company will usually realize who they are dealing with and it generally compels them to do the right thing.

Areas we service in Massachusetts: