A Tale of Two Roofs

It’s been a big month for roofs. At least in my world.

Four weeks ago, I had two listings go onto the market the same weekend. Both had a lot of showings. In fact, one had 136 showings!! Both had multiple offers. In fact, one had 27 offers!!

And, as we discovered in inspection, both had extensive hail damage and needed new roofs. So we swung into action.

In both cases, we called the sellers’ insurance agent. On House #1, we discovered that the damage happened earlier, when the sellers were insured with a different carrier. No problem. An adjuster was there the next day. Four days later, the house had a lovely new roof. And four days after that, we closed.

House #2 was a different story. Agent couldn’t get an adjuster out right away. So we brought two of our own roofers out to confirm the damage. Both said the roof had to be replaced. It couldn’t be repaired because the shingles had been discontinued.

It took a week to get an adjuster out to House #2. He told us that the roof replacement had been denied. Incredulous, I called the sellers’ insurance agent. He confirmed that yes, the insurer didn’t have to repair their roof just because the shingles are discontinued. Apparently, deep in the fine print of their policy, there is a clause that states that in cases like this, the insurer can simply replace the damaged shingles with different, unmatched shingles, and leave the homeowner with a patchwork roof. Kind of like the quilts my grandma used to make.

Let me say that again: with this clause, an insurer can refuse to replace the roof, and instead replace damaged shingles with completely different shingles that don’t match the existing roof.

The story is still unfolding, so I can’t give you a Happily Ever After. But I can share a couple of morals to the story.

First, check your insurance policy. If you have a “patchwork clause” you’ll want to know about it. And perhaps get rid of it at your next renewal opportunity.

Second, remember that the cheapest insurance policy may not be the best one when things go sideways. In this particular case, the insurance agent is a dedicated agent of one company. (I won’t tell you the name, but it rhymes with “BallSlate.”) As discerning insurance shoppers, I think we’re all better off with agents who shop multiple companies. Not only do they offer a wider selection, but they are better able to fight when they are not on the insurance company’s payroll. If you want a name, let me know. I have learned about some very good ones (and some not-so-good-ones) throughout this process. 

And third, from now on I am planning to offer a pre-listing roof inspection (and sewer inspection, but that’s a subject for another post) to any seller who wants it. It will be SO much easier to deal with these issues before listing, when we aren’t working under deadlines and we don’t have buyers watching over our shoulders and threatening to terminate. We can either fix the issues or disclose them and price accordingly. And, best of all, we can fight insurance adjusters with no time limit.

And nobody needs to have a heart attack during the inspection period.

Happy Spring (if it ever comes!) And as always, let me know if you or anybody you know is looking to buy or sell, or just find answers to questions.