Can you get a free roof from insurance?
Free roof is one of the most common door-knocking pitches after a Georgia hailstorm. Here is what usually sits behind it.
What free roof offers really mean
- Deductible waivers. The contractor promises you will not pay the deductible. Illegal in Georgia.
- Disguised rebates. A yard sign fee, referral bonus, or advertising payment that happens to equal your deductible. Same problem, different label.
- Inflated estimates. Padding the claim to cover the deductible. That is insurance fraud, and it is the homeowner who signs the claim.
- Manufactured damage. Damage created on the roof, or photos from a different house. Also fraud.
Why it matters to you
Your policy requires you to pay the deductible. If an insurer learns the deductible was waived or the claim was inflated, it can deny or reduce the claim, and fraud carries criminal penalties. A contractor willing to cut that corner is also likely to cut corners on your roof.
What a legitimate claim does give you
On a covered replacement, the insurer pays most of the cost. Your share is normally the deductible, any upgrades you choose, and any depreciation that is not recoverable under your policy. You can lower your real cost legitimately by making sure the estimate includes every required item, recovering withheld depreciation on time, and using financing for any gap.
Read whether a roofer can pay your deductible in Georgia and how storm chaser scams work.