Senate Bill 101: Why You Should Choose More Professional Roofing Companies in St. Louis In 2011, Governor Jay Nixon signed a law that bans the use of insurance deductibles to refund or discount a repair job. This is part of Missouri’s campaign to prevent homes from scams by storm chasers. Known as Senate Bill No. 101, the law amends Chapter 407 of the Missouri Revised Statutes, namely the part relating to home exterior contractors. This includes St. Louis roofing companies. The amendment cautions residents about exterior reconstruction work that costs less than the estimate from the insurance company. The revised Section 725 (407.725) states that “a residential contractor shall not advertise or promise to pay or rebate all or any portion of any insurance deductible as an inducement to the sale of goods and services.” In this form, it’s quite difficult to digest. Here’s an explanation of what SB 101 aims to do for the Missourians. An insurance deductible (or simply, “deductible”) is the amount an insurance holder has to pay before the insurance company covers the rest of the insured value. This amount is usually set by the insured himself. If you arrange for a $300 deductible on a $2,000 insurance plan, you have to pay $300 before the insurance company shoulders the remaining $1,700. According to the amendment, the deductible has to come from you alone. Some contractors promise to waive or settle all or part of the deductible, as an incentive for you to hire them. In a $2,000 repair job estimated by the insurance company, for example, the storm chaser might offer to pay the entire $300 deductible for you. The cost of your repair job will then be reduced to $1,700. This contract price will be the company’s working capital for your house repair. Many things can go wrong if you allow these storm chasers to do that, however. For starters, they may not fulfill their end of the bargain and you’ll be in hot water with the insurance company. Michelle Corey, CEO of the Better Business Bureau in St. Louis, also says that since the operating amount has been reduced, contractors tend to use shoddy materials and perform poor repair work to be within the slashed budget. So when a roofer offers to shoulder your deductible, politely refuse and hire only trusted St Louis roofers such as Storm Solutions. It doesn’t hurt to pay extra when you know you’ll get the right quality of materials and services.
