To file a claim or not?

FREE ROOF ESTIMATES AND REPAIRSIf you are new to filing a claim on your homeowners insurance, you might get your free report from CLUE before doing anything. Oh, you haven't heard of CLUE? Comprehensive loss Underwriting Exchange.....it's short for all the claims you've been denied on, or paid on are listed in a National Data Base. Doesn't that make you feel better?

When you are faced with deciding whether to file a claim or not. Look through your policy and see what your out of pocket expense will be. Out of pocket will be your deductible. If the claim you have is smaller than the deductible, don't bother calling. I've had many customers that called in a $300 dollar claim, when the deductible was $2500. Guess what? They now have an entry in the CLUE system. These are they type of issues that can cause your rates to increase and in some cases, cause your policy to not renew. Your CLUE report will have info such as your name, social security number, date of birth. It will list any insurance claims you've had in the past five years. Not just to the insurer you have at the time, but any.

Next time something small happens at home, don't pick up the phone and start telling your insurance agent all the problems your having. Back up and assess what the damage is, vs. what it would take to fix. Some insurance agents are obligated by the company to report any incidence, whether a claim is filed or not. Now if you have some sort of really good relationship with your agent, he or she might be someone you can discuss the question of filing or not. It's a tricky situation. It's a good time to use the off the record conversation. Discuss with your agent the difference in a claim and a simple inquiry. Your CLUE report may list property damage, or water damage even if your insurance company didn't pay anything on your claim.

You should get a free copy of your CLUE report. Call 866.312.8076

If you're not sure, call a contractor and have them give you an opinion on whether the damage is bad enough to warrant a claim. If it's a roof claim, give us a call or email us. We give free estimates. It's what we do.