An Act prohibiting roofing contractors from waiving insurance deductibles as an advertisement or inducement for sale has taken effect on November 1st, 2022.
Before the new law, it wasn’t uncommon for disreputable roofing companies to offer compensation or waive deductibles for insurance claims. The new section of law in the Oklahoma Statutes Section 1151.30 of Title 59 would make waiving or compensating for insurance deductibles unlawful.
The best way homeowners can learn about lowering their out-of-pocket costs is by talking to their insurance company.
Brooke Laizure of Whirlwind Roofing and Construction in Bixby, OK is a Board Member with the Oklahoma Roofing Contractors Association. She says customers should ask their insurance agent to include Ordinance & Law coverage which helps cover the costs of meeting installation requirements set by state and local levels when installing a new roof.
“Ordinance & Law (O&L) coverage includes building code items that meet bare minimum requirements. It’s important to have this coverage because it covers current building code requirements, not the building code requirement when your home was built. On an older home, this could add up to thousands of dollars of out-of-pocket expenses,” Laizure says.
She also says to look at your insurance policy for disclaimers or words like cosmetic or metal exclusions. This could mean your gutters or metal roof accessories are not included in your insurance claim. This would also increase your cost of replacement since roofing contractors cannot reuse old materials.
If a homeowner needs a roof repair or replacement, Laizure recommends using a reputable contractor. A list of verified reputable contractors is available on the Oklahoma Roofing Contractors Association website.
She also recommends asking the company for a copy of their general liability insurance and verify their Construction Industries Board registration to make sure they are in good standing with the State of Oklahoma.