Frequently Asked Questions About Wegner Roofing & Solar Services

The duty of an insurance adjuster is to give you an accurate accounting of everything that was damaged by the storm and a written estimate of what it will cost to put your property back to the condition it was in prior to the storm. Remember, this is only an estimate and actual costs may be different. If there is any difference, it will be worked out with the insurance company and the contractor. In any case you are going to be liable for the amount of your deductible and no more. The adjuster will either leave you a statement of loss or you will receive it in the mail in a few days. The statement of loss will itemize your losses, and the estimated cost of repair for each.

Most home owner policies are replacement cost and will pay that amount even though the actual cost may exceed the adjusters estimate. The loss statement will reflect the replacement cost value (RCV), the depreciation, and the actual cash value (ACV) of your loss. The (ACV) column of the statement will reflect the amount of your first check minus your deductible. The depreciation column should be called the deferred column as it reflects the money held back by the insurance company until the work is complete and an invoice is submitted by the contractor for payment. The insurance company will then issue another check to you for the exact amount between the final bill, and (ACV) portion of your first check relating to that particular repair.

The (ACV) and the depreciation columns of your statement will total up to the (RCV) column of the statement. Insurance companies hold back money to track whether or not repairs are made and to ensure that they pay no more than the replacement cost of the damage. Most insurance companies send catastrophe teams into storm situations, and the adjusters come from all over the country to work the claims. Although most are well trained and experienced, some aren’t. In any case, the adjusters are representing the insurance companies and it is the company’s interest they are hired to protect.

For that reason, they will tell you to get estimates to repair the damage, most will not tell you that you are spending your time shopping for the insurance company, as they have held out money as depreciation and will pay only the (RCV) for the repairs. As time goes on many home owners will realize that it is reputable companies like Wegner Roofing & Solar that are actually looking after their interests in the repair process.

Wegner Roofing & Solar estimators have all worked numerous Insurance Repair projects before being called to your home. All are well qualified to work with you in assuring you the best possible value and the most out of the money available to restore your home.

Our estimators are also available to be your advocate, if needed, to help give you information about your project and what is required from a licensed and insured contractor. Sometimes, when requested, they will work hand in hand with your adjuster to get your repairs estimated properly according to the current building codes and manufacturers installation requirements.

You don’t have to be concerned with showing us your insurance paperwork. We will have already done our measurements and figured our price before we ask to see the statement. The most common problem we face every storm is a wrong roof measurement or missed building code required items. These are simple mistakes that adjusters often make because of a lack of knowledge or moving too quickly. It is important that the adjuster’s measurements and ours are close. Sharing the information on the statement with our estimators also ensures that you are getting a fair offer from the insurance company, and that they are allowing you money to cover everything that needs to be done per the construction trades requirements and national building codes. Remember your adjuster may have been inexperienced and might have missed something on the statement making your settlement lower than it should be so you will need to produce a certified contractor estimate for their review in this case. This ensures that you get put back to pre-storm condition or better.

If our estimators have given you a price that is close to the insurance estimate there is no reason not to sign the proposal, pick a shingle color, and get on our list to complete your project! You won’t find a better local company to deal with and any price shopping you do is for the insurance company and could put your project at jeopardy with poor workmanship from an unqualified contractor or company.

Anyone using a contractor that is not insured to save a few bucks is foolish at best, and a way bigger gambler than they may have imagined. Roofing is a dangerous business and very hard work. One slip can result in a fall causing serious injury, and back injuries are common, which makes hiring a contractor without workman’s comp very risky.

Although most state laws exempt home owners from these suits, you can rest assured some attorney is going to name you personally in a law suit, forcing you to hire an attorney to get dismissed from the suit. Just as risky is the weather when it comes to roofing. Thunderstorms can blow up rapidly, and even the most experienced crews can get caught in the rain. An uncovered roof in a rain storm can cause significant damage to the interior of a home. Most contractors without general public liability insurance are not financially secure enough to repair major damage to your home.

The option of not paying them does not work too well if they just don’t come back. Uninsured contractors can work much cheaper than properly insured ones, so weigh the risks before hiring the uninsured to save a few bucks for the insurance company.

When a severe hail storm hits an area, most if not all local roofing companies are ill equipped to handle the increased demand on their business. Most of them will be approached by “stormers or fly by night roofers” and offered a significant amount of money to lease their name and phone number and almost all of them will reach some kind of agreement with the stormer.

With bad weather, you can imagine there are a lot of these types of roofing companies. Wegner Roofing & Solar has never and will never sell out to stormers! Home improvement contractors will instantly be in the roofing business, as well as anyone else with a phone number and yellow page listing for lease. This leaves you, the consumer, with no idea who you are hiring, where they are from, or what their real reputation is. The local contractor that doesn’t sell out is forced to supplement his labor force from wherever he can, once again leaving you in the dark as to who is repairing your home and how qualified they really are.

Use caution, choose a company that is actually what and who it says it is. Wegner Roofing & Solar is a locally owned and operated family business. Our philosophy is to “Always do the next RIGHT thing!”

There is probably nothing that attracts scam artists faster than disaster, and unfortunately the roofing industry has it share of shadiness. Wegner Roofing & Solar has a one goal in mind, and that is to always do the right thing and take care of our clients.

We are going to list a few to be aware of: (1) Paying money up front: Never give any contractor money for work not done, or to buy materials. Any reputable contractor has a supplier that will work with them. (2) Substantially lower bids:

This can work in a couple of ways.

The most common is adding to the contract after the job is done. Crooks know that the insurance company is paying replacement and will submit the final bill reflecting the actual cost. Most insurance companies will pay the invoice. In some cases, the bid is just flat too low and doesn’t cover all the costs involved and still allow a profit.

In most cases it is the material bill that doesn’t get paid, and the supplier has the right to put a lien on your property forcing you to pay the material bill. Remember someone delivered material to your property, and it needs to be paid for.

(3) Submitting two invoices: One to the home owner and one to the insurance company at an inflated price. This by any definition is insurance fraud and is illegal, and from time to time is prosecuted. If you decide to use a contractor willing to do this don’t be mad if you get cheated or have a job that is not done correctly or even finished at all.

Without question the most important part of our team is are our crews. Our crews have been with us since the beginning, and all of our crews are crews that we know and trust! Our hail damage crews ensure that all roofing will be done properly, to the highest standard, and that the finished product will pass inspection and the homeowner will love it. We have a 100% Customer Satisfaction Guarantee. They understand the pride and effort you have invested in your property, and will take all the precautions possible to protect your landscaping and other property. Wegner Roofing & Solar crews are the best available and have been screened carefully.

Metal has been used as a roofing material for hundreds of years, and we receive many questions from property owners curious about installing a metal roof.

While the cost to install a metal roof is often more than to use other roofing materials, metal roofs save quite a bit of money in the long run, due to the many advantages they have over non-metal roofs.

Green solutions

Many people are surprised to learn that metal roofing is an environmentally friendly choice. Metal roofing:
· helps to reflect the heat and energy of the sun, and can help to lower energy bills.
· is lightweight, requiring less energy for transport.
· can be made almost entirely from recycled materials
· can easily be recycled at the end of its life (even centuries-old copper and lead roofs can be recycled!)
· has a long service life, reducing the consumption associated with replacing less durable roofing materials

Good business sense

Metal roofing is popular with business and industry because it’s “green” in more ways than one.
· Asphalt shingles usually need replacement within about 10 years, while quality metal roofing can last more than a century.
· Good thermal performance in both hot and cold climates helps to reduce heating and cooling costs.
· A well-built metal roof rarely needs maintenance.
· Modern alloys and roof coatings give decades of corrosion resistance.
· Metal roofing panels can be made to look like most conventional roofing materials, including asphalt shingles, clay tiles, and slate.

Durable in Any Weather

A metal roof is also attractive when high winds, heavy snow or hail damage are regular concerns.
· Painted metal roofs are very good at shedding snow, reducing stressful accumulation and runoff in areas with significant snowfall.
· Metal roofing is very resistant to hail and wind, which erode and damage other common roof materials.
· A metal roof is not flammable and resists damage by flames or sparks.
· Thanks to a wide variety of metals and coatings available, the properties of a metal roof can easily be made to suit a given location (even extreme climates and marine environments).

Metal roofs tend to be quieter than other roofing, and effectively seal a house from rain, hail, and bad weather. They are a popular choice for all types of buildings. If you’re interested in metal roofing, please contact us to learn more!

We are in the business of building clients and not just customers. Because of this we take our time to make sure that you are educated on every process and step of the way. We want to make sure that all of your questions are answered and you don’t have any concerns along the way. We treat our clients like family knowing that this is often their largest investment, and it can be overwhelming at times. We offer normal manufacture warranties along with an unheard of 5-year labor and material warranty. We are able to do this because we know we have the best crews and products around. We don’t get call backs, but if we did, we want our clients to rest assured we will always do the right thing for them and their family! Our company is built on integrity and service and knowing that we are always doing the right thing makes this easy to live by. Being a family owned business word of mouth has and always will be very important to us.

Never give any contractor ALL the money for work not done, or to buy materials. Any reputable contractor has a supplier that will work with them.

The most common is adding to the contract after the job is done. Crooks know that the insurance company is paying replacement and will submit the final bill reflecting the actual cost. Most insurance companies will pay the invoice. In some cases, the bid is just flat too low and doesn’t cover all the costs involved and still allow a profit.
In most cases it is the material bill that doesn’t get paid, and the supplier has the right to put a lien on your property forcing you to pay the material bill. Remember someone delivered material to your property, and it needs to be paid for.

One to the home owner and one to the insurance company at an inflated price. This by any definition is insurance fraud and is illegal, and from time to time is prosecuted. If you decide to use a contractor willing to do this don’t be mad if you get cheated or have a job that is not done correctly or even finished at all.