Insurance, paperwork and paying for a roof

The license and insurance behind the work

Roofing work arranged through Surprise Roofing Co. is performed by contractors licensed by the Arizona Registrar of Contractors — class R-42 for residential roofing, C-42 or CR-42 where commercial work is involved. Arizona requires that license for any job over $1,000 in labor and materials or any job that needs a permit, and it comes with a surety bond, workmanship standards the ROC enforces for two years after completion, and access to the Residential Contractors' Recovery Fund, which can pay an owner-occupant up to $30,000 if a licensed contractor's work goes wrong and can't be made right. Unlicensed roofers carry none of that. The license number is on your contract and on this site, as A.R.S. 32-1124 requires, and you can confirm it — and see the bond and any complaint history — on the ROC's contractor search at azroc.my.site.com. A current certificate of general liability and workers' compensation insurance is available before you sign.

Your homeowners insurance

A standard Arizona homeowners policy covers sudden, accidental damage to the roof — a microburst that lifts the ridge tiles, hail that cracks a slope, a limb through the deck — and excludes wear and tear, neglect and a roof that simply reached the end of its life. Three things on your declarations page decide what you'll actually get. First, whether the roof is covered at replacement cost (RCV) or actual cash value (ACV): many Arizona carriers now move roofs over 15 or 20 years old to ACV, which pays the depreciated value — not much on a 25-year-old tile roof's underlayment. Second, whether you have a separate wind/hail deductible, often 1% or 2% of the dwelling coverage instead of a flat $1,000 or $2,500. Third, the deadline to report a loss, usually a year or more. Arizona has no 'matching' statute: the insurer owes the damaged portion only, and whether an unmatched partial repair is acceptable is a case-by-case conversation with the adjuster.

Arizona also writes homeowner protections into the storm-repair contract itself. Under A.R.S. 32-1158.02 a contractor may not advertise or promise to pay, waive or rebate any part of your deductible; may not act as your adjuster or negotiate your claim; may not take more than a 50% down payment; and must give you, in ten-point bold type, the right to cancel within four business days for any reason and within 72 hours of a claim denial, with any deposit refunded within ten days. Only licensed adjusters may negotiate claims (A.R.S. 20-321). Your carrier must acknowledge a claim within 10 working days and accept or deny it within 15 working days of your proof of loss (A.A.C. R20-6-801). If you have a problem with a carrier, the Department of Insurance and Financial Institutions consumer line is (602) 364-2499; for a contractor, the ROC is (602) 542-1525.

Paying for it

Most residential jobs are paid on completion by card, check or bank transfer — no deposit until the written price is approved and the work is scheduled. Insurance jobs are paid as the carrier releases funds, with the deductible due at completion. For a roof you didn't plan on, we can connect you with third-party financing offering fixed monthly payments, applied for online in a few minutes with no effect on your credit to check the rate; we don't lend money ourselves and we don't mark up the financing.

Reports and letters

When a lender, a buyer, a carrier at renewal or an HOA wants a written opinion on a roof — age, condition, remaining life of the underlayment, whether it needs a lift-and-relay — we write it, with photos. Small fee, credited toward any work we do.