The Texas weather can be brutal, with rainless summers reaching over 100 degrees and storms producing hail stones some of which are tennis ball size, our roofs take a beating. More often than not when it's time for a new one, hail/wind damage is the culprit and covered by insurance.
I recently had my roof replaced and between Billy Harris Roofing, who are a local company and have been in business for over 40 years, and a wonderful adjuster from Allstate, the process was easy.
Tips:
Before calling your insurance company, have your roof inspected by a roofing company. They will be able to tell you if you need repairs or a new roof. Don't just go with whoever your neighbors are using.
A couple of years ago I had repairs to the roof done by a recommended company, Robinson Roofing. It was some time later that I discovered the roof (over the garage) had continued to leak (over a year later). An insurance adjuster confirmed the work had been done inadequately and took pictures to show me. I called Robinson Roofing but no one responded nor came out to look.
When I called again I was told that the repairmen had not returned to the office. A week later, I filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau and Robinson Roofing's response was that their work was neither guaranteed nor was it under warranty. They also felt they were not given adequate time to respond. I never did receive a direct call from them or a response other than the letter they sent to the BBB. Note: Most roofers warranty their work for at least two years, apparently Robinson Roofing do not.
Do an internet search of any roofers that have been recommended to you, and also check with the Better Business Bureau, for complaints, but don't rely on the BBB because even Robinson Roofing has a A+ rating.
The roofing company I used (Billy Harris Roofing) has good standing with the Better Business Bureau and is also a member of Angie's List. I found no complaints against them. They have also replaced other roofs on my street and my neighbors were happy with their work. The roofing guys offered to meet with the adjuster to walk over the roof. What impressed me most about the process was how well the adjuster and the roofing guys worked together to make sure they spotted any problems with the roof.
The Allstate adjuster declared the roof "totaled" and printed a check for a portion of the payment (the rest is paid on completion). The roofing estimate and the Allstate total was pretty close. Once the roof is completed, the roofer will send a completion form to the insurance company and a final check will be issued.
They were able to replace the roof four days later and were finished within six hours. The roof looks great, they even painted the vents (both new and existing) to match the color of the roof and added a few extra ones to release some of the hot summer air. Billy Harris Roofing also did a thorough clean up job and a magnetic sweep of the house perimeter to remove any nails. All through the process the Billy Harris guys, who did the initial inspection, were accessible, returned calls quickly and were on site throughout the day checking on the workers' progress.
