Insurance, paperwork and paying for a roof

Our license and insurance

Since 2019 Alabama has required a Home Builders Licensure Board roofer license, backed by a $10,000 bond homeowners can claim against, for any residential roofing job over $2,500, and the Board says roofing quotes and contracts must be in writing. The roofers who work through us hold that license and carry general liability and workers' compensation insurance, and the numbers are on every contract. Workers' comp matters because if a roofer is hurt on your roof and the company doesn't carry it, the question of who pays can land on you. Ask for the Board's license card and the certificate of insurance; we provide both before anyone climbs.

Your homeowners insurance after a storm

A standard homeowners policy covers sudden wind damage to the roof, the interior damage the water caused, reasonable emergency measures like a tarp, and removal of a fallen tree from the structure. It generally doesn't cover a roof at the end of its life, long-term wear, algae or a leak that predates the storm, and flood and surge are a separate policy. On the coast the hurricane deductible is often 2 to 5 percent of the dwelling coverage, and many policies now pay actual cash value rather than replacement cost on older roofs. We document storm damage before you file, write an itemized estimate, meet the adjuster, and build to the approved scope. We never waive or absorb a deductible. Read how a hurricane roof claim works.

The FORTIFIED discount and endorsement

A 2009 Alabama law requires insurers to offer premium discounts for FORTIFIED homes; IBHS reports most Alabama carriers give 25 to 35 percent off the wind portion for FORTIFIED Roof, 35 to 45 for Silver and 45 to 55 for Gold. A 2020 law made a FORTIFIED endorsement available on every Alabama homeowners policy, which pays extra toward the FORTIFIED upgrade when a roof is replaced after a covered loss. The data behind both: the University of Alabama's study of more than 40,000 Mobile and Baldwin County homes through Hurricane Sally found FORTIFIED homes had 55 to 74 percent fewer claims and 14 to 40 percent lower losses. Ask your agent for both the discount and the endorsement.

The $10,000 grant and the tax deduction

Strengthen Alabama Homes, run by the Alabama Department of Insurance and funded by the insurance industry, pays 100 percent of the FORTIFIED mitigation cost up to $10,000 for a primary residence in Mobile or Baldwin County, with no income test, in quarterly windows (Mobile and Baldwin on separate days; 1-800-433-3966; strengthenalabamahomes.com). Alabama residents can also deduct the lesser of half the retrofit cost or $3,000 from state income tax. Read the FORTIFIED guide.

When a tree did it

Nearly half of the Sally claims in the two counties involved a fallen tree. If a tree is on the roof, call us anyway: we coordinate the tree crew, tarp the deck the moment it's clear, and document for the claim. If a power line is involved, Alabama Power makes it safe first. Mobile County residents who can't reach a roofer after a storm can call 211 for a tarp.

Paying for it

Most residential jobs are paid on completion by card, check or bank transfer, with no deposit until the written price is approved and the work is scheduled, and a materials deposit at delivery on larger jobs. For a roof you didn't plan on, we can connect you with third-party financing with fixed monthly payments; approval and terms come from the lender. On a claim, the carrier's payment minus your deductible covers most of a covered replacement, and the grant and the endorsement can cover the FORTIFIED upgrade.

Reports and letters

When a buyer, a lender, an insurer or an HOA wants a written opinion on a roof's condition, we'll write it with photos and measurements for a small flat fee, credited toward any work we do. FORTIFIED verification is done by an independent certified evaluator, whom we schedule.