OCALA, Fla. – Roofing experts want Central Florida residents to know about potential scams and how to avoid them after hailstorms swept through areas damaging homes.
“We inspected quite a lot of roofs this morning, we were on hundreds of roofs before noon, we’ve already seen a lot of hail and wind damage on the roofs,” said Jacob Kallhoff.
Jacob Kallhoff, the managing director of Next Dimension Construction and Roofing, said they’ve seen an uptick in calls.
A hailstorm hit Marion County and other parts of central Florida on Wednesday, damaging roofs.
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Because of that, Kallhoff said, people need to know what to look for when “strikers” or companies looking to capitalize on a resident’s insurance knock on your door.
“We would advise you to look at three things, first, reassurance that the company has insurance,” Kallhoff said. “You don’t want someone on your roof without insurance because the homeowner is liable at that point.”
The other two ensure that a company has reviews that prove its reputation and the last verifies a company’s license.
After verification, the next step, according to Kallhoff, is to let your insurance company go through the claims process, but make sure you know where the damage is.
“I just can’t stress enough how important it is to have a professional do the inspection,” Kallhoff said. “You might be able to climb onto the roof and look at it, but at the same time 80% to 90% of that damage can’t even be seen from the ground.”
Next Dimension workers were fighting time on Thursday as they build a roof ahead of more storms.
A roofing consultant told News 6 that hail can expose homes to the elements by damaging the roof shingles.
“Hail damage typically occurs where granular loss has occurred, the hail essentially hits these shingles and knocks little bits of asphalt off them,” said TJ Watson.
State legislatures passed property insurance reform legislation last December.
The measure will help reduce costs for consumers and protect insurers.
Kallhoff said that while this was a big help in curbing scammers, it’s still crucial to spot damage: “As soon as possible after the fact is your best chance of taking action.”
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