By admin
•
27 Aug, 2022
Have you heard that adjusters are not the same legally as roofers? In today’s modern economy, there are a lot of people that will come around when there is a storm to check your roof. They will ask you to do an inspection and promise to work with your homeowner’s insurance company to get your roof fixed. However, is this legal or wise with new laws like H.B. No. 1183? Interestingly, there are 3 laws separating roofers from adjusters. Once you have the correct information in mind, you can navigate getting your roof fixed after a storm with no surprises. What is H.B. No. 1183? In the state of Texas, a law was passed that prohibits certain conduct coming from insurance adjusters, public insurance adjusters, and roofing contractors. In short, this means that a roofing contractor will not be able to also be an adjuster for properties they complete roofing projects on. For this reason, you should avoid anyone that claims otherwise. What is a public adjuster? Sadly, many property owners do not learn about using legal public adjusters until after they lose a considerable amount of money. Whether you are a homeowner or commercial property owner, it pays to know how a public adjuster can help you get the help you need to find a roofer that will also satisfy your insurance company. Simply put, a public adjuster will work for the insurance policyholder to get the insurance company to cover your claim that you need a new roof or other repairs. Contractors are not licensed attorneys. When a big storm hits a community, adjusters work overtime to get homeowner’s the help they need to fix their property. Alternatively, when times are tough, it is easy to assume that a roofing contractor will have the power to get your insurance company to sign off on a bid to fix your roof without needing an adjuster. Legally, this simply is no longer the case. It is also illegal for adjusters and roofing contractors to negotiate a claim made by a property owner without the property owner’s permission. Roofers are not licensed public insurance adjusters. Again, if someone is a both a roofing contractor and a public insurance adjuster or licensed attorney, they are qualified to negotiate insurance claims. Regardless, this will never be the case. In general, having these dual roles would put the person at risk of being banned from the Bar Association of America because they would be working as a contractor and legal counsel simultaneously — and that is a conflict of interests. Ready to get a roof legally? When the time is right, contact us for your roofing needs. We will file all the proper paperwork and ensure that you comply with the letter of the law. Give us a call, and we will answer any of your questions concerning repairing, replacing, and remodeling your roof. We can also provide you with more information about the new laws that protect homeowners from shifty roofing companies.