Following the recent storms in Kansas, roofing and fencing companies have been inundated with calls.
“Our phones are absolutely ringing off the wall as I’m sure they are for many businesses in town that do this type of work,” Charles Rutter, the General Manager at Faith Roofing Company.
Even though those companies are getting a large volume of calls, insurance companies are getting even more. A report from the Kansas Insurance Department says people submitted 66,000 claims in the month of April alone, setting a record of nearly $502 million in insured property loss damage. Kansas Insurance Commissioner, Sandy Praeger says this unusual spike may come at a cost to customers.
“There could be, some companies may just based on that month of April, may just have to increase their premiums for those homeowners in those areas,” Commissioner Praeger said.
Most of the claims come from wind and hail damage, and insurers and roofing companies alike say it’s important to get someone out to view your home as soon as possible.
“But I think at the upper end, when you start getting baseball size hail or tennis ball size hail, it’s imperative that the homeowner contacts us, so we can get somebody up on the roof regardless,” Rutter said.
“Try to stabilize the situation and keep it from suffering additional damage. We’re in a storm season right now, so anybody who had roof damage could potentially get water damage as a result of the roof damage,” Praeger said.
Commissioner Praeger says insurance companies cannot just raise rates at their discretion, but they must be approved. She also advises homeowners to keep records of their losses.
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