Roofers who follow storms get new rules

Roofers tend to flock to neighborhoods after hailstorms and other roof-wrecking weather. Sometimes they offer to take the homeowner’s place in negotiating claims with the insurance company.

Now the state is cracking down on that after complaints from insurers and consumers. A new law makes it illegal for roofers to advertise that they’ll pay a homeowner’s insurance deductible. Another law requires roofers to give a homeowner 72 hours to cancel a contract if an insurer denies the damage claim.

A state bulletin this month advises that roofers need a public adjuster license if they want to negotiate directly with insurers and notes that state law prohibits public adjusters from having any interest in a construction company.

"We received complaints from consumers and the insurance industry regarding language that was now appearing in a small group of contractor’s contracts that in some cases requires payment even in the event that the consumer did not ultimately pick that contractor to do the repairs," said Nicole Garrison-Sprenger, a spokeswoman for the Minnesota Department of Commerce.

Garrison-Sprenger noted that other states, including Iowa, Oklahoma and North Carolina, have taken similar action or issued alerts on this topic.

What has your experience been with roofers who appear after storms?