Supplements are a normal and necessary part of the overall insurance claim process. When a loss occurs, your insurance company is obligated to repair or replace damaged items on your property as they currently exist. A reputable contractor will know that there will always be items not included on the first adjuster’s estimate that will be necessary to complete your repairs properly and according to current municipal codes. It takes a great deal of skill, patience and persistence to get to an agreement with the carrier on a final scope of work for an exterior repair project.
So, what is supplement? Supplement is the process of resolving through negotiation your insurance company’s initial observation of the damage versus our detailed estimate of what is needed to restore your property to its prestorm condition. Since your insurance company can only pay for the damage it sees, it is essential for your contractor to point out and document everything they could not or did not see during their first visit to your property. This may include items required by local ordinances, the construction process itself, or component installation issues.
Building codes are always changing, and most municipalities use modified versions of the International Residential Code to establish the locally enforced code. These codes are enforced via required building permits and the inspections required to close those permits. Often, the code in place when your home was built has since been modified requiring additional components to be added if you remodel. One common example of this, especially in the Chicagoland area, is the ice and water shield requirement. The ice and water shield is a rubber membrane that protects the components under your shingles from getting wet in the event you have water back up over your roofline. This occurs when there are freezing temperatures overnight, and warmer temperatures throughout the day.
Requesting coverage for code items is only one part of supplement. Frequently, the construction process itself requires additional work to be done so that the damaged items can be replaced while maintaining a weatherproof exterior. A common example of this is the request to detach and reset particular items on top of the damaged roofing or siding. For example, we may request to detach and reset your power attic fan or your exterior light fixtures because the attached flashings for these items are installed on top of the shingles or siding that will need to be replaced. In these situations, the integrity of the construction process requires the additional work, not necessarily the storm damage itself.
The third example (and one often forgotten) is the installation of required components. Most people wouldn’t think about the metal flashings on their home as being important or valuable-- until they are not replaced properly. The L and Z shaped flashings can be found on windows, where roof lines meet walls on split level homes, and along most siding terminations. These metal flashings must be replaced whenever your roof or siding is replaced because, if reused, they have lost their integrity as a watertight barrier. For example, if we repair your roof, and you have a split-level home, there are likely several linear feet of endwall- and step-flashing that will need to be removed and replaced to make sure all of the areas where water can penetrate have been properly sealed.
Although there are several other items that may come up, these are the most common supplement issues that are addressed while your project is being planned and approved by your carrier. Our agreement with our clients is to do the work correctly, even if the insurance company does not acknowledge all the items we require. This is why we can guarantee our workmanship for up to seven years. Whether you choose to work with Top to Bottom Construction to replace your roof, or another contractor in the Chicagoland area, you should make sure they hold an Illinois Roofing License because this will help you to be confident they are aware of the necessary components, flashings, and processes involved in the project. You don’t want to have to pay for your roof work twice, so whomever you work with must do it right the first time! In short, supplement is the completion of the process your insurance company started with its initial estimate of the visible damage.
