Roof Questions from Insurance

[PAUL J. MAGRONE]

Does anyone have the best wording for a response to an insurance company or lender that is asking if the roof currently has a leaking issue or if the water stains noted in the inspection report are cosmetic when the inspection was performed in dry conditions and the water stains were not wet at the inspection? It is clearly noted in the inspection that the roof is near the end of its useful life. I have run into this recently where the insurance company or the lender is contacting me months later to answer their questions, many of which can be answered by reading the inspection report. Any advice?

[mnahrgang]

Give them the wording you used in the report. They don't want to read the whole report, and they are too lazy to look it up. Just do a quick copy/paste and be done with it.

Be sure to re-state, that there is no way of knowing if the roof was leaking if it were dry conditions, and the water stains were dry.

[ldapkus]

Your inspection report was for conditions you observed months ago. Stick with your report. If someone wants an updated roofing condition report they can pay you to go out and update your findings.

[Greg Bell]

Hi Paul,

I would tell them that they should contact a licensed roofer for a new evaluation given the conditions I observed at the time of the inspection (which was several months ago).

If I was forced to put something in writing then I would tell them that the roof is at the end of its life.

[gporter]

Originally Posted by gbell

Hi Paul,

I would tell them that they should contact a licensed roofer for a new evaluation given the conditions I observed at the time of the inspection (which was several months ago).

If I was forced to put something in writing then I would tell them that the roof is at the end of its life.

Ditto. Hi Greg. My hero

[kgreeson]

Paul,

Try to use the exact same verbiage you used in your report. (that helps with your liability) Remind them that the inspection was for that brief moment in time and would not be reliable today, however you would be able to reinspect it to see if there are any changes from the last inspection, for a fee of course. Then as usual, have them contact a roof specialist to give some type of specific inspection results. The insurance companies and lenders are trying to get you to speak over and above our standards of practice. They already have your inspection report from the first inspection if they are looking for something in writing.