Water damage to a homeowner’s property as a result of a leak or unanticipated thunderstorm is the leading cause of insurance claims in the roofing industry. Unfortunately, even if you and the homeowners do everything right, water damage can still occur and lead to expensive insurance claims. If these claims are not handled quickly and effectively, it can have adverse effects on your company’s reputation as well as lead to a loss of time and money. Here, the experienced team at Certified Contractors Network discusses five tips to help your roofing business avoid losses and insurance claims due to water damage.
Proper Training for your Employees and Subcontractors
One of the best ways to avoid water damage on your customer’s homes is to invest time into properly training your employees on how to spot the potential for water damage and the best ways to address them. Even a short training program or training sessions can help your employees better understand how to prevent the risks of leaks and water damage. In addition to mitigating risk, well-trained employees can help reassure your customers and ultimately add a competitive advantage to your roofing business.
Be Prepared for Sudden Weather Changes
While on the jobsite, always have a backup plan to account for sudden changes in the weather. Ensure that you and your employees are conscious of changing weather conditions that can potentially affect your jobsite. This should consist of daily weather check-ins, as well as overseeing unforeseen changes. Roofs are the more inclined to damage when winds are more powerful than the structure of the roof. Debris carried from powerful winds can also cause damage. It’s important to have tarpaulin materials available to protect open sections of the roof and prepare as much as possible for the unexpected.
Properly Cover Exposed Roofing With A Tarp
Regardless of the weather forecast, it is important to always cover up exposed sections of roofing before leaving a job site. Sudden thunderstorms can happen and cause significant damage. When choosing a tarp for your jobsites, always inspect the tarp prior to use to check for holes, rips or worn areas that could rip during high winds. Also, consider choosing one that is textured to reduce the chances of slipping and falling and one that is non-reflective.
Be Aware Of Other Contractors Work
On most jobsites, there are many people working on different areas of the home at the same time, meaning that roofers are not the only contractors who might be doing work near the roof. If another contractor does any work near the roof, it is important to take note of it. If any damages occur later, you may be able to prove that it was not your fault. Work that another contractor did could have affected the work you did, which resulted in a leak or water damage. But, in order to prove this, you have to be able to prove that other contractors came into contact with the roof.
Quickly Respond to Water Damage Calls
Water damage is always unexpected. When you get calls related to water damage emergencies, be sure to respond and return to the home quickly. A rapid response can drastically cut down on the damage done and the costs associated with mitigating. This also helps keep the customer satisfied with your services. Even if you have to cover the costs for these quick repairs, it is certainly cheaper than an insurance claim and a damaged reputation.
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