Metro owners battle with insurance coverage for roof replacements after Helene injury

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta Information First) Whereas metro Atlanta didn’t see widespread injury from Hurricane Helene, some Woodstock owners filed insurance coverage claims for vital wind injury. However, not everybody’s insurance coverage pays for brand spanking new roofs.

Greater than a dozen owners within the Oakhurst neighborhood have filed claims for roof injury with a really particular sort of development shingles that roofers say cannot be “mounted” and not using a full substitute.

House owner Phillip Brucker mentioned a chunk of his roof lately fell off. Greater than two months after Helene struck, he nonetheless sees shingles flying off the roof.

Brucker mentioned he was caught between his insurance coverage firm, Safeco, and the council of roofers. He received quotes from three completely different roofing corporations who all mentioned he wanted a whole roof substitute.

Safeco didn’t approve a substitute, however relatively the restoration of 57 shingles. After his $1,000 deductible, Safeco dispatched Brucker a cost of about $800.

“They mentioned, due to the age of the roof, that it is 10 years outdated and that it is nonetheless repairable,” Brucker mentioned.

Much more troubling, Safeco had dispatched Brucker a non-renewal discovery three months earlier, through which aerial footage revealed algae rising on his roof.

“I canceled my insurance coverage at one level as a result of my roof being dangerous,” he mentioned. “However, now after the wind injury, my roof is just not so dangerous.”

Brucker mentioned he cleaned up the algae and offered documentation for Safeco, which did renew his coverage.

Brucker mentioned a roofing firm suggested he ship in a video exhibiting that they had tried to restore the shingles, but had induced injury to the surrounding shingles.

“After we tried to do the restore, it broke the shingles around it, which compromised your entire integrity of the roof,” mentioned Justin Baron, co-owner of Precision Roofing, certainly one of 4 roofing corporations that submitted quotes for storm injury in Brucker’s neighborhood.

Out of 20 roof assessments, Baron mentioned they changed a dozen with comparable shingle injuries to Brucker.

Baron mentioned he was with Progressive Insurance, Auto Owners Insurance, USA, State Farm, The Cincinnati Insurance Companies, Mercury Insurance, Allstate Insurance, and Georgia Farm BBureau, all of which authorised full roof replacements.

Precision Roofing changed the roof on Brucker’s neighbor’s home. “Actually, it has been a reasonably clean expertise for me,” mentioned Jordan Lutz, who has house owner protection with Mercury Insurance coverage. He mentioned he paid a $2,500 deductible for about $12,000 in roof substitute.

“There was actually no forwards and backwards with the insurance coverage,” Lutz mentioned.

“Some insurers will suggest sure contractors to hold out the work; however, finally it’s as much as the buyer to signal the restore contract,” mentioned a spokesperson for the Georgia Office of Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner‘s workplace.

The nation’s owners insurance coverage business is struggling. Final year, the business as a whole posted its worst loss ratio since 2011 at 110%, which means the business is dropping cash on account of inflation, wildfires, and storms, in accordance with the S&P stock index.

A great loss ratio is between 40% and 60%; something above that might point out an organization is struggling to cowl prices. A more in-depth take a look at insurance coverage firm dimension and loss ratios within the score company AM Best’s industry report for 2023 present:

• State Farm is the most important property insurance coverage firm in Georgia, with 24% of house owner’s insurance policies. Its loss ratio is 70%.
• Allstate is the second largest, with 14% of the market and a loss ratio of 87%.
• Liberty Mutual is Georgia’s fifth largest, with 6% of insurance policies and a loss ratio of 81%.

The Georgia Workplace of Insurance coverage and Fireplace Security Commissioner advises anybody who feels their insurance coverage firm is just not honoring their coverage’s phrases to file a shopper criticism. File a criticism online here or name the commissioner’s workplace at 1-800-656-2298.