Forums

You can have your roof done in 15 minutes if you use Assurecalc. If you buy 50 units at a time, they cost $7 each. You have to lay down the lines yourself and you have to furnish two measurements to establish reference, but then you control the accuracy yourself. When you have split level roofs overhanging each other you have to provide the overhang measurements...but if you don't do the work yourself you will never know if the satellite draftsmen got it right or not. You get oblique views which will give you pre-storm views of fascia, gutters, and windows. Of course, these are not real time, but if you want to double check your scope figures, you can know if your damage figures are all of one side or just a partial replacement. That's a lot of information for $7. If you buy more...the prices are even lower.

Posted By Ray Hall on 26 Nov 2010 02:03 PM

Randy do carriers still require the adjuster to walk each roof or will they allow good photos, the program you recommend and a good adjusters opine . I think carriers need more good closed claims that don,t reopen than all these "you have too requirements".I have always thought the right way to close files, was the right way. I still Love the London way...." the right horse for the right course". (they do stand out, two legs and a great mind)

 

I don't know about Randy, but the vendor I work for , our carriers require to walk the roof unless unstable or too high/steep and then will accept geo-estimator or Eagleview(they specifically ban the newer flyover tech) 

I've not heard of one that does not require walking the roof. The one I work for requires test squares (for hail damage) on 51% of the roof or more. Wind requires a cost evaluation comparing per shingle replacement vs. whole slope replacement. % differs but usually if the total individual shingle replacement will be more than 60% of full slope replacement, that slope will be replaced. Once 75% of the roof area is replaced...then the whole roof gets replaced. Specialty roofs like wood or tile may have different numbers.

I don't know where the idea came from that a satellite photo could replace the adjuster. It is just a tool to help. They are not real time. The photos are taken prior to the storms, thus you can't see damage...just an footprint of the roof.

In my post, I mentioned Assurecalc required two good measurements that the adjuster must provide. That is true, but those two measurements must come from sharply focused eave, ridge, fence or level driveway lines. They can not be from common rafters or slopes. Additionally all pitches must be measured as well. The photo looks down at a virtual 90 degree angle. A couple of common rafter measurements are good only to check for accuracy after the program factors in the pitch.

There is a way to use free Google photos to measure the roofs but they use only one reference measurement and do not have the second measurement to verify the accuracy. This method requires copying image in google, pasting in photoshop, converting to jpg. then importing to Xactimate as a sketch underlay. That process requires one measurement reference, then you can lay a sketch roof over the photo, size the various slope pitches in properties per your scope, use a few site verified eave and ridge measurements to verify the scale...and voila! you've got a roof. This is good for checking your measurements, maybe even to provide a particular measurement you failed to get on scope, but not true enough to base a settlement on alone.

I worked for one carrier that liked Eagleview. I used them once on a large, steep, complicated roof with many of the upper slopes covered with blue tarp. While waiting for that roof to come back, I got impatient and went back and got all my own measurements. My figures were 3 squares higher than theirs on about 70 squares. The roofer's measurement was 20 squares more than mine. I turned in both sets, but they preferred the Eagleview to negotiate with the roofer.

Interestingly enough, one carrier I've seen sends out staff adjusters in small cars. They have scoped claims next door to mine from either the ground or eave only. I've seen them do this, and once one of them stopped by and climbed my ladder to talk to me.

He asked, "Are you finding much hail damage; I'm only finding minimum damage."

Well, the roof I was on was visually totaled and the skyscape was filled with roofers on the neighbors houses. I guess a minimum repair will close the claim until the roofer comes knocking on the door or his insured talks to his neighbors. I don't know if they allow this eave evaluation or if it just happens. It's one thing to buy a roof from the ground; it's another thing to deny one from the ground.

The carriers I've worked for do not want anyone to walk a roof they are not comfortable with. If it is just a steep issue or requires a ladder we don't have, we can turn it in back in. If the roof is extremely unstable, we can evaluate it in other ways. Test squares don't have to be 10' by 10'! They have to be 100 square foot, so they might be 50' by 2'.

There are stories of storms where certain carriers were buying roofs from any damage seen from the ground or otherwise. If these stories are true, I haven't had the experience of working one...but my bags are packed. I could do that if they wanted :-)

You know, I think the latitude that Ray talks about exists...just not at my level. I was taught there exceptions to every rule. I climb the mountain, and I describe the parts of the mountain I see. Each of us climbs a different part. When we compare our descriptions there are great differences. That shows the size of the mountain.

I think that is why this site exists. It helps us see beyond our own experience.

Posted By Ray Hall on 07 Dec 2010 01:44 PM

It seems the FICUS TREE was used in the Phoenix hail storm that has been closed out in record time for at lease two of the giant  carriers. Satellite Roof Images, ZIp code zones and FICUS did a bang up job and a lot of "roof thumpers" only got 3 new losses per day, with appointment times set.Not really a get rich storm like the schools talked about.

 

This may be one of the few storms where auto made as much as property!  Ive been her since 10-8, end not yet in sight.

 

JWG