when's the right time to sign a contract with roofing company (insurance, house)

[dallas_cowboy]

I talked with couple of roofing contractors for the hail damage to my house and the one I want to represent to my insurance adjuster is asking me to sign a contract so he can meet the adjuster when he is out here at my house for the inspection.

Signing a contract holds me accountable to go with this roofing company without knowing exactly what I will be responsible to pay for the repair due to hail damage.

Question:
1. When is the right time to sign a contract with the roofing contractor company?
2. Which information I should have gathered from the roofing company before I sign the contract?
3. Is it mandatory to sign the contract in order to have roofer to come out and represent me to the insurance adjuster?

[stephwin]

I did mine in a bit different order, so take this with a grain of salt. I knew my roof was trashed and I knew I would need to file a claim, so I did that first. Some people will tell you not to do that but I knew I needed a new roof and other items. So the adjuster came out by himself and sent me his report.

I contacted a roofer after that and he asked for a few things from the insurance report, like total number of roofing squares, measurements, etc. He then provided an estimate based on those. Once we worked out which shingles and colors I wanted, I signed a contract (I think it was just the estimate). They fixed the roof. I then paid them what I had gotten from insurance so far (it didn't cover the whole amount). The roofing company then worked with my insurance company to get the remainder of the amount.

Now, that being said, I would be a little leery about signing anything without a formal estimate in hand. But I realize they can't provide an estimate without measurements. Do you absolutely have to have the roofer there with your adjuster? Mine didn't meet. Can't the roofer come out on his own and take a look at things without requiring a signed contract?

[dallas_cowboy]

Originally Posted by stephwin

I did mine in a bit different order, so take this with a grain of salt. I knew my roof was trashed and I knew I would need to file a claim, so I did that first. Some people will tell you not to do that but I knew I needed a new roof and other items. So the adjuster came out by himself and sent me his report.

I contacted a roofer after that and he asked for a few things from the insurance report, like total number of roofing squares, measurements, etc. He then provided an estimate based on those. Once we worked out which shingles and colors I wanted, I signed a contract (I think it was just the estimate). They fixed the roof. I then paid them what I had gotten from insurance so far (it didn't cover the whole amount). The roofing company then worked with my insurance company to get the remainder of the amount.

Now, that being said, I would be a little leery about signing anything without a formal estimate in hand. But I realize they can't provide an estimate without measurements. Do you absolutely have to have the roofer there with your adjuster? Mine didn't meet. Can't the roofer come out on his own and take a look at things without requiring a signed contract?

Thanks!

here's my situation.....

roofer came out earlier this week and did inspect the property.
he showed me various pictures of the hail damage.
he did not provide any written estimate, but said in order for him to be here on the day when insurance adjuster comes out for a claim inspection, he needs me to sign a contract.

I am a noob about roof and don't know technical terms about list of items I should point out to an insurance adjuster to make sure he adds in the claim. That's the reason why I am thinking to have a roofer here with the adjuster.

Having said that..... I don't feel comfortable signing any legal document without knowing what exactly I am going to pay. I have a read lot of horrible stories about signing roofers contract and then getting harassed by the roofing company.

That's why I am curious to know when do others sign a contract with the roofer when you have to deal with the insurance for hail damage claim.

[stephwin]

Originally Posted by dallas_cowboy

Thanks!

here's my situation.....

roofer came out earlier this week and did inspect the property.
he showed me various pictures of the hail damage.
he did not provide any written estimate, but said in order for him to be here on the day when insurance adjuster comes out for a claim inspection, he needs me to sign a contract.

I am a noob about roof and don't know technical terms about list of items I should point out to an insurance adjuster to make sure he adds in the claim. That's the reason why I am thinking to have a roofer here with the adjuster.

Having said that..... I don't feel comfortable signing any legal document without knowing what exactly I am going to pay. I have a read lot of horrible stories about signing roofers contract and then getting harassed by the roofing company.

That's why I am curious to know when do others sign a contract with the roofer when you have to deal with the insurance for hail damage claim.

Personally, I'd just let the adjuster do his/her thing without your roofer. I mean, your roofer isn't going to be able to point out to your adjuster if you need a new garage, or solar screens, or windows, or your fence re-stained. That's not their area of expertise. All my roofer did was put on a new roof, replace the vents, and replace my gutters. I had to contract out for a new garage door, new solar screens, and a fence staining. None of those contractors ever suggested meeting with the adjuster (I realize their work is pennies on the dollar compared to a pricey roof).

If your roofer thinks your adjuster missed something, he's more than free to tell you that and work with your insurance after the fact to make any adjustments or changes to the claim. I understand that they don't want to waste time meeting with people when they don't have a guarantee of a job, but it's not a risk I would take.

[SouthernBelleInUtah]

Do NOT sign until you have the adjusters report. My roofer met my adjuster and they agreed on the scope of work. I then signed, paid the big chunk when work was done, paid the smaller chunk when I got it from insurance. No reputable company asks for $ up front.