When Cumming, Georgia, homeowner Venkat Garikapati’s roof sustained heavy wind damage in 2021, he filed a claim with his home insurance company, State Farm, to have it fixed.
However, State Farm only approved the replacement of 38 shingles and estimated the cost at $1,422.15 — less than Garikapati’s $2,500 deductible — and closed the claim without paying, according to Atlanta News First. But Garikapati’s roofer, David Garner, disputed the insurance company’s assessment.
"It was torn all to pieces," Garner told the local broadcaster of the roof’s condition. "More than 70 shingles were creased or missing."
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Garner, along with a public adjuster, spent years trying to prove to State Farm that Garikapati’s roof needed a full replacement to avoid further damage and leaking, reports Atlanta News First. State Farm kept denying the claim before finally approving a full roof replacement on April 25, 2024 — more than three years after the original claim.
"They are never shy on collecting the monthly premium at all, but to get this approved took quite a long time," Garikapati said.
Garner went ahead and did the work. But after the initial "actual cash value" check cleared, State Farm refused to pay the replacement cost in full, citing a clause in Garikapati’s insurance policy that stipulates a repair or replacement must be completed within two years of the date of loss to receive additional payments. As a result, Garner is out $12,000 — and he blames State Farm fully.
Local roofer in the lurch
When a contractor does work on a home and isn’t paid for it, they may be able to place a lien on the home. However, Garner doesn’t want to do that to Garikapati.
"It’s not the homeowner’s fault that this is taking place," Garner said.
Despite the clause in Garikapati’s insurance policy, Atlanta News First reports an attachment to State Farm’s approval estimate stated: "Replacement cost benefits will be issued contingent completed of roof replacement and submission of photos, submission of photos, certificate of completion and or signed contract agreement with service provider."
But when Garner submitted the paperwork, he said State Farm wouldn’t pay up.
"What am I supposed to do?" Garner asked. "I’ve already built the roof. I paid for the materials. I paid for the labor. Everything’s done."
Garikapati filed a complaint with the Georgia Office of Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner in January, per Atlanta First News, but that went nowhere.
“The whole reason this claim took a long time to get approved is because deny and delay, deny and delay,” Garner said.
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Atlanta News First says it looked at recent complaints filed with the commissioner’s office and found that State Farm, the state’s biggest insurer, had 892 complaints in 2024, up 126% from 2022. It also found that Allstate had 770 complaints, up 77% from 2022, while Progressive had 557, up 49% from 2022. The office did not supply information about the results of complaints.
Garner feels like he’s out of options — he doesn’t think it would be financially feasible to sue State Farm, and he’s not interested in holding Garikapati responsible.
"He was operating in good faith, just like I was," Garner said.
A spokesperson for State Farm told Atlanta News First "we believe we have provided every benefit available to the customer within their policy."
What to do if your insurance company comes up short
So, what can you do if your home insurance company comes up short on funds or doesn’t pay?
First, you should read the terms of your policy carefully. What happened to Garikapati above wasn’t exactly his fault, but it seems the fine print of his policy provided the insurance company with an out. Familiarizing himself with those details may have prevented the situation above from occurring.
One thing you’ll want to check your policy for is exclusions. There are certain things your insurer may not pay for, which should be outlined in your policy agreement. It’s also important to read the terms of your claim approval carefully to make sure you and your contractor are in compliance.
But from there, if you believe an insurer isn’t paying out like it’s supposed to, you should collect evidence. Document all of the work that was done so you can show if it was in accordance with what your insurer approved. That means taking pictures and getting a write-up from your contractor detailing the work performed.
Your insurer may have tools in place for claims and payment denials. Follow those once you’ve gathered your documentation. If that doesn’t work, you can try to file a complaint with your state’s insurance agency. If that doesn’t work, you may want to seek legal guidance.
To be clear, there’s a difference between your insurance company denying a claim and refusing to pay following an approval. There should be no expectation your insurer will pay out on a claim that’s been denied.
Also keep in mind that any contractor you hire may not be as understanding as Garner, and you don’t want yours to come after you for their money. So, you should do all that you can to ensure everything is above board.
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This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
