It’s nearly September. You know what that means — the end of hail season, at last! Unfortunately, many homeowners choose to put off their Overland Park roof repair until this time, so we’re often inundated with requests for work. We advise you to call and set something up as soon as possible before the rush.

What’s A Homeowner To Do?

The storms this season have really taken their toll on local homeowners. They’ve had their travel plans dashed, the price of oil has gone up, and now we’re probably looking at increased insurance rates to boot! It’s the terrible irony of having any type of insurance — the rate jacks up when you actually need to file a claim. This is not to say you should skip making a claim and pay for your roof repair yourself because your neighbors are all filing claims and driving rates up anyway. You may as well collect on some of the money you’ve paid into the system thus so far!

How Much Damage Have We Seen In 2011?

It’s been a record year for storm losses in Kansas when you consider the losses of $502 million in April and $201 million in May alone! After a 30 percent increase in losses from 2008 to 2009, homeowners saw their insurance rates go up 10 to 20 percent, according to state insurance officials and The Witchita Eagle.

What Can We Expect?

It may be two years before you notice an increase in your rates. So far, we have only seen insurance hikes of 8 percent or less. Keep in mind that the insurance companies can’t raise rates more than 12 percent without raising eyebrows over at the state insurance department, but there’s no telling how aggressively the companies will begin to raise their rates. Thanks to increases in oil prices, the cost of roofing materials has jumped 10 to 20 percent in the first half of 2011, and unfortunately, Overland Park roof repair companies have no choice but to pass that rate increase onto the consumer.

How To Save On Repair:

So what is a cash-strapped homeowner to do — just accept the rate increase and bite the bullet? There are actually several things you can do. You may want to phone the insurance company if you are having difficulty understanding your bill, for starters. Then, you can also contact the Kansas Insurance Department to learn the lowest, highest and average rate your insurance company charges its customers.Shop around a little at www.ksinsurance.org to find the best insurance provider. It’s also possible to ask a roofing company to “lock in” the price of your roofing materials ahead of time, even if you want your roof installed at a later date. Many homeowners are now considering impact-resistant roofs to protect their asset even more.

For a reliable Overland Park Roofing Repair, contact Eclipse Roofing today!  (913) 262-4700