They’re going to use the cheapest materials, they’re going to use the laborers that are really the ones that aren’t currently working, they’re looking to get a job, and their work is usually subpar. I’m sure there are some storm chaser companies that care a little more, but they’re not the ones invested in the community and they’re not the ones who are here for the long haul. So when the storm’s gone, they’re no longer around to stand behind their work, be here when you have the small leak, be here when the water heater breaks and you need the water cleaned up and your house dried properly, be here when the sewer backs up, be here when your roof is old and needs to be replaced or is aging or just needs a minor repair. I think that’s a big difference.
Markus: That makes a lot of sense. So, what would you say are some of the misconceptions that homeowners have about insurance restoration or the insurance restoration industry in general?
Steve: Put in plain English, they just feel like if the deal’s too good, it’s too good to be true. If I knocked on your door and said, “Hey, Markus, my name is Steve. You don’t know me from anywhere. However, our technology shows that you probably have this type of damage and your insurance is responsible for replacing your roof, and that would happen at no charge,” I think your first instinct is, “Well, first of all, why is this person knocking on my door? Second of all, if it’s too good to be true, it probably is.” So they tend to want to shy away from it.
But what we’re doing is we’re getting out there and we’re trying to educate the homeowner. Yes, there were three major storms last year. Those storms directly affected your home, and you more than likely have this type of damage and there’s no way for us to know unless we physically do an inspection.
Then the problem becomes, well, how do you know who are the real insurance restoration companies and who are the storm chasers, and who are the scammers who are going to knock on my door and take your check or your deposit and just run? Well, you want to research who you’re dealing with. Just because somebody’s knocking on your door doesn’t mean that they’re bad. You as the homeowner need to do your due diligence and look the company up online, verify the licensing, see if they have special certifications, verify those certifications, and know who you’re dealing with. And once you do a little research on them, you should be very comfortable in knowing that they’re here for your best interest.
Markus: Absolutely. Sounds like those are some of the common fears that people have about insurance restoration. “What if it doesn’t work?”, “What if it’s a scam?” That sort of thing. So that’s good that you help them to get past those fears.
Steve: Absolutely. And I would say the only other apprehension that we run into is, “Well, are my rates going to go up if I file a claim?” The insurance companies call it an act of nature – an act of God type of claim where the homeowner can’t just pick the house up and move it when there’s a storm coming or build a structure over it to protect it. It’s what’s called a no-fault claim – the claim can’t be held directly against the homeowner. It’s not like somebody was smoking and left a cigarette on the couch and caused a fire or left the stove on that could be traced back to an accident that was avoidable. This is something that the homeowner just can’t avoid or the business owner can’t avoid, so it’s a no-fault claim.
Insurance companies are in the business to make money. So generally, when there’s a substantial storm, they would have already raised the rates regionally because they expect that these type of claims are coming in. So in a way, you’ve already paid for your neighbors to get their roofs, their siding, their windows replaced if the damage is there, and you’re entitled to get that as well.
Markus: For sure. Are there any other perceived obstacles that you see which might be preventing homeowners from seeking help from an insurance restoration contractor like yourself?
Steve: Yeah, absolutely. So their deductible and the amount of their deductible is one. The insurance company not covering the roof and then the knowledge that they do need to replace the roof, and it might not be claim worthy is two. They’re thinking to themselves, “Now where am I going to get the money to do this?”
So let’s discuss the deductible. It’s the law that the homeowner has to cover the deductible. Any company that would come out and tells you, “I can save your deductible,” there’s something fishy going on there because it’s against the law to do that. I would be skeptical. So what we’ve done is we have financing plans available for homeowners that might have a high deductible or might need some help, but a lot of times, cash is tight. We all know that with certain investments, it takes time to free up cash. So we take credit cards and we will finance the deductible at very low-interest rates.
And the other thing is if it’s not claim worthy and they know that their roof definitely needs to be replaced. It’s a pretty substantial investment for a roof, for siding, for windows, for doors, etc. So when it comes to that, we have financing available to help the homeowner. We always try to have a solution to help with the situation and through experience, working with a lot of customers, we’ve been able to put things in place to help them take care of the problem and get it rectified.
