New Law Prohibits Roofing Contractors From Waiving Deductibles

A new law that no longer allows roofing contractors to waive a customer's insurance deductible is now in effect, but there could be other endorsements you may want to add to your policy that could help save money.

Jarod Lane is the Director of Residential sales with A-Best Roofing. He is also the President of the Oklahoma Roofing Contractor's Association. He says before the new law, it wasn't uncommon for roofing companies to offer compensation or waive deductibles for insurance claims.

"In the past, a roofing company could waive a deductible. If they waive the deductible and they let the insurance company know that, traditionally, that wasn’t fraud because the insurance company would just lower the amount of the claim to match the roofing company,” Lane said.

Lane says the new regulations that went into effect on November 1st would make waiving or compensating for insurance deductibles unlawful.

"What the new law says is that if a roofing company or contractor pays, waives, or in any other way gives money towards a customer’s deductible on an insurance claim, then that roofing company's estimate would be considered void by the insurance company,” Lane said.

Lane says the best way to learn about lowering your out-of-pocket expenses is by talking to your insurance agency. He also says there is one endorsement you may want to add to help out.

"What they're really not telling consumers about are things like cosmetic marring. Maybe you have gutters or soft metals on your house like the vents for your HVAC system or even the vents for the roof system itself. A lot of insurance companies are putting disclaimers in there that they're not responsible for that,” Lane said.

Lane says customers should also ask about Code Upgrade coverage which helps cover the costs of meeting installation requirements set by state and local levels when installing a new roof.

If you do find yourself needing a roof repair or replacement, Jarod Lane recommends using a reputable contractor.

A list of vetted contractors is available on the Oklahoma Roofing Contractors Association website.

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