Wind Claim On Wood Shake - Possible to get approved?

Have a customer in a county that has passed a bill forcing wood shake roofs to be replaced with composite by the year 2014. Customer says his roof has sustained wind damage, and wants an inspection... and subsequent claim filed.

Haven't worked with woodies much, but I haven't heard of wind claims getting approved for a woody. To me it sounds more like he has an old beat up roof he wants his insurance to pay for. Do I just inspect the roof and file the claim regardless of what I believe to be the cause of damage? Sounds like natural wear and tear more than weather related damage.

Don't want to file a pointless claim for the potential customer, but I also don't want to tell him he's wrong...and lose the possibility of winning a bid on a roof that he has to replace in the next year, regardless of if him or his insurance pays for it. Any advice is appreciated.

Which insurance company?

thanks guys... somewhat new to the game, and haven't worked with woodies a bunch. appreciate the advice.

in the end, if the customer wants a claim filed... who am I to say no? He has very little to lose, and my job is to work for the homeowner.

Do your due diligence. get out there and inspect. Wind or hail damage is normally quite visible. Wind will either snap off the wood leaving fresh redwood visible instead of weatheredwood. Or depending on your deck and fasteners, wood shakes can have up lift as well. You'll have shakes that are lifted 1/2"-2" before they pull out completely. These will many times pull the fastener with the shake and sometimes pull them right thru the shake. I have seen inspectors try to say the fasteners were over driven and that's why they failed. Of course if you're missing a bunch of shakes.....Do your client a favor and look at it, give your honest opinion. If it's questionable , by all means let the Ins. adjustor make the call, with your expertise over his right shoulder.

I'll get up on the roof, take a look...and tell the home owner I will do whatever he pleases. Let the claim adjuster figure it out I suppose.... unless the homeowner has filed alot of claims in the past, he has nothing to lose and I do not believe this to be the case.

As for roofers who try to talk homeowners into filing a claim for a scuff mark on the roof, what a waste of time.

Time is $$$

Inspect it and have the insurance company decide if it was wind or not. We are Roofers not claim adjusters or miracle workers. Let the trained or untrained insurance companies man do that leg work. That way it leaves you out of the picture. I don't understand why on earth the insurance companies would want Roofers inspecting for damage. Only those of us with any kind of integrity will tell the homeowner the truth about damage. Others, I have seen will say a scuff mark is from damaging hail.

Just my two cents

Inspect it and tell him the truth