Understanding The Hailbelt & Roofers
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natty
CIAK Said: . Natty your post indicate your roofing business is in Texas. Your replies indicate another area.Like I said, I am right in the middle of the "hail belt". I live in Dallas and work the entire N.Texas area. I can report unequivocally that most of my jobs are paid for by insurance claims, yet very few of those jobs have actual storm damage. The system is broke and it is a racket. Most if not all roofers in N.Texas have become storm chasers. It is pitiful. Yes-there is cataclysmic hail. But it is infrequent and reported way out of proportion to reality. The funny thing about hail is there can be 2" hail, yet across the street, nothing. My gripe is with the propensity to turn every storm into one of epic proportions. The result, of course, is the creation of a false sense of urgency, good roofs hauled to the dump, and pure crap installed in its place because of all of these fortune seekers and cheap labor. roofguy wants to make all of this a race between roofers and insurance people. That just feeds the racket and deceit. Right now, for what homeowners are paying in insurance premiums, I could install a new roof for them every three years...that is insanity. The insurance companies don't care because they just raise rates and increase deductibles. Roofers don't care- the CONtractors just line their pockets because they have a steady stream of guest workers to exploit. We have reached the tipping point.
Roofguy
So let me see if I have this straight, Natty. You make a big deal out of the "racket" that is hail claims, and yet you are willing to profit off those hail claims where there is no damage? What makes that different than the very roofers you're complaining about, degree?
The insurance companies don't care? Is that why they spend tens of millions to lobby for rules that tie the hands of roofers? Who do you think is behind the August statute that made it illegal for a roofer to negotiate a claim with an adjuster? The insurance lobby did that. I know, a friend of mine is a Texas congressman.
I have been doing this 35 years. In that time, - as I said once before - by a ratio of at least 100-to-1 I have seen a lot more insureds denied or underpaid than I have seen overpaid claims.
I'm not sure what alternate universe you operate in, but it sure doesn't seem like you know anything about roofing/hail in Texas. I'm beginning to suspect you do not operate here.
RoofDude
Tim...
Don't know much about hail. Never really experienced a big or significant hail storm. Thought that was gonna change the other day. Was pretty nasty outside, looked very ominous. Like that storm chasing show...
Next thing you know, it started hailing at my house. At first was pea sized. Then marble sized hail started falling....wow. Sure was noisy. For a brief moment, I started to get excited...lol.
Only lasted about 15 minutes. Didn't see any damage, & didn't hear any reports of damage...... maybe next time :)
Roofguy
Roofdude, outside temp at time of hail makes a difference. I saw marble sized hail damage a lot of roofs in Spur, Tx coz is was only 40 degrees outside. That makes for hard hail and brittle roofs.
Roofguy
Lets beat a dead horse, shall we! :-)
natty
Roofguy Said: So let me see if I have this straight, Natty. You make a big deal out of the racket that is hail claims, and yet you are willing to profit off those hail claims where there is no damage? What makes that different than the very roofers youre complaining about, degree?I didn't say that those roofs I have done didn't need new roofs. I said that they didn't have storm damage. I really don't care who pays me as long as I get paid. My concern is with the insanity of the system between storm chasers, insurance people, and crappy installers- and ignorant property owners who think they are gaming the system. It is really sad.
natty
Roofguy Said: The insurance companies dont care? Is that why they spend tens of millions to lobby for rules that tie the hands of roofers? Who do you think is behind the August statute that made it illegal for a roofer to negotiate a claim with an adjuster? The insurance lobby did that. I know, a friend of mine is a Texas congressman.There is nothing illegal for a roofer to negotiate a claim with an adjuster. You can meet with the adjuster and negotiate all you want. What is illegal is for a roofer to present himself to a property owner as someone who can negotiate a claim for the property owner with the insurance company. That is suppose to eliminate those phony contingency contracts. A roofer can't be an adjuster and an adjuster can't be a roofer. That is suppose to eliminate the conflict of interest. If a property owner doesn't like the settlement offer, they can hire a public adjuster to negotiate with the insurance company. No where is the roofer left out of this process. So what law ties the hand of roofers other than those roofers whose intent is fraud? There is a law against covering deductibles but that doesn't seem to stop any of them from offering a free roof.
Roofguy
Natty, thats fine so long as that is just your opinion and you don't actually do those things. Because they are illegal, since August they are. That is why I have whined so much about it, it has taken away a big part of my income.
natty
Roofguy Said: That is why I have whined so much about it, it has taken away a big part of my income.What you are whining about is that the law took away your delusion that you could double dip-- first, as a licensed adjuster, and second, as the roofer. The truth is you were always just a roofer acting as an expert witness. You can still get hired as the expert witness and still get the roof job if there is indeed a claim to be had.
Back in the 90s while I was trying to figure out this hail storm racket, I was convinced adjusters were taking kickbacks and bribes from roofers just to get the jobs. I think they still do. It just is not so out in the open as it use to be.
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