Kettler Roofing Frequently Asked Questions
Q. The insurance company withheld depreciation on my roof. Will I get that money?
A. Yes. The money that was withheld will be paid to you when the work is completed if you have spent all of it. Unspent portions revert to the insurance company.
Q. Why did the insurance company withhold depreciation?
A. There are two reasons that the insurance companies hold some money back. The first reason is to make sure that you get the work done. Past experience has shows them that, if they give the customer all the money up front, many people end up spending it on something else. The second reason is that they wish to make sure that you pay your full deductible. The insurance companies reason that, if you are given all the money to being with, many people would naturally try to find a contractor who would perform the job for the dollar amount in hand. By holding a retainage amount, they can adjust the amount of the final payout based on the roofing contractor's invoice, thus assuring that the customer does pay the deductible.
Q. How can I avoid paying the deductible?
A. Legally, you can't. Of course, a roofer in collusion with a homeowner can submit falsified invoices. However, doing so is insurance fraud. Please don't ask us to do this.
Q. How long will the job take?
A. Most roofing jobs are completed in one day.
Q. Will you clean up all the trash?
A. Yes, as well as is humanly possible. Reroofing a house generates an average of six to eight tons of debris. It is not possible to get all of it directly into the dump truck, although we try to. Small pieces of debris will inevitably fall off the roof. Our crew will scour the grounds, picking up debris and will drag a large bar magnet over the lawn before quitting. We also have the grounds inspected by our superintendent before we bill you.
Q. Should I get several bids?
A. It is always prudent to get more than one bid. However, when insurance is paying for the work, the dollar amount of the bid is not very important as long as it is equal to or less than the insurance company estimate. In all such cases, you will only be paying your deductible, so your cost will be the same. Therefore, your decision should be based on going with the contractor that you feel most comfortable with and whom you feel will perform the best job.
Q. What if your bid is greater than the insurance company's estimate?
A. Let us know. We can almost always work something out with the insurance company or with you by adjusting our bid to meet their allotment.