Nebraska’s storms can affect our homes in many ways, from strong winds that blow off shingles to softball sized hail that breaks through roofs. Choosing the right roofing contractor is critical, ensuring that the roof protecting your home is safe right now and for years to come.

But this is a unique situation, with unique needs, and going with the lowest bidder isn’t always a good thing — especially when that lowest bidder comes in the form of an out-of-town contractor you aren’t familiar with. Since storm damage means your insurance company will be picking up at least a good chunk of the tab, it’s more important to make sure you have a reputable company doing the work than finding the cheapest labor to do it.

So what’s the most important thing to remember? You don’t necessarily need a lot of bids. You need reputation.

The contractor you choose should…

• Be local. If something goes wrong, you want someone who will be around to fix it, not an out-of-state outfit that has since moved on in search of the next hailstorm.
• Be well-respected in the community. You should always want quality, regardless of the situation, but in this case especially (when the price tag is set by insurance), you’ll want to pick the best quality, not just the lowest cost.
• Work within the parameters of your insurance company. Since the price of the work will be set by the insurance provider, according to industry standards, it isn’t the contractor determining the cost. So instead of looking for ways to exploit you or your insurance company, you should choose a contractor who will work within that scope, choosing the best materials to maximize the insurance payment without charging you additionally.

Still need more information? Download our handy side-by-side printable comparison of a typical competitive bid process and an insurance claim process, and then head over to our Storm Damage information page to learn more. If you have further questions, you can always contact us by phone, e-mail or website for more details and assistance, and we’ll be happy to walk you through the process.