OCALA, Fla. – Roofing experts want residents of Central Florida to be aware of potential scams and how to avoid them after hail storms swept across the areas damaging homes.
“We inspected quite a few roofs this morning, we were up on hundreds of roofs before noon hit, we’ve seen a lot of hail damage and wind damage up on the roofs already,” said Jacob Kallhoff.
Jacob Kallhoff, the business manager of Next Dimension Construction and Roofing, said they’ve seen an uptick in calls.
A hailstorm hit Marion County as well as other parts of Central Florida Wednesday, damaging roofs.
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It’s why Kallhoff said people need to know what to look for when “stormers,” or companies looking to capitalize off a resident’s insurance, come knocking at your door.
“We would advise you to check three things, one the insurance, that the company does carry an insurance,” Kallhoff said. “You don’t want anybody on your roof without insurance because the homeowner is liable at that point in time.”
The other two are making sure a company has reviews showing its reputation, and the last is checking a company’s license.
Once verified, Kallhoff said the next step is to let your insurance go through its claims process but make sure you know where the damage is located.
" I just can’t push enough how important it is to have a professional do the inspection, said Kallhoff. “You may be able to climb on the roof and view it, but at the same time 80% to 90% of that damage can’t even be seen from the ground.”
Workers with Next Dimension were seen battling against time Thursday as they constructed a roof ahead of more storms.
One roof consultant told News 6 hail can cause homes to be exposed to the elements by damaging a roof’s shingles.
“Hail damage typically appears where granular loss has occurred, the hail essentially pelts that shingle and it knocks small pieces of asphalt off of it,” said TJ Watson.
State lawmakers this past December did pass a property insurance reform bill.
The measure helps lower costs to consumers and protect insurers.
Kallhoff said while that has been a big help to lessen scammers it’s still crucial to catch any damage, “As quick as possible after the fact is your best recourse of action.”
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