Not quite, because there is also the marketing and sales that brings business in the door, along with the financials that keep income and expenses in order. Many roofing contractors are also finding that an important area of continuing education and expertise is the insurance claims process.

More often than not, property management companies and homeowner associations do not understand the roofing or construction process. As such, they cannot accurately portray their needs or substantiate their claims to their insurance company. That's why it is important to seek your own insurance professional.

How is this important to the roofing contractor? Some feel that insurance companies are dictating to both the building owner and contractor how, what, when and where repairs are made.

There are many examples of claims that have been misinterpreted and underpaid by insurance companies. Recently, a large Home Owner's Association (HOA) complex contracted with a termite company. The termite company's technician walked over the entire tile roof causing significant foot traffic damage to the roof tiles.

Cal Shake, a discontinued roofing product, had been used on the roof, thus making the damage sustained not repairable. When the insurance company completed their inspection they notified the HOA of their decision not to pay for the roof because of the defective roofing material.

As we worked with the HOA, the legal team was able to establish that the cause of the broken tile was not due to defective material but rather "footfalls" from the termite technicians. The term "footfall" is a covered loss by insurance companies. Coverage was established and the HOA was paid in full to have all of the roofs replaced.

Another example was a recent El Nino storm when high winds caught the corner of a commercial building's flat roof, blowing it off. The sub-surface insulation was exposed and soaked up a tremendous amount of rainwater.

The property owner immediately notified and submitted a claim. The insurance company sent out their adjuster and followed up with a denial letter stating that the date the owner submitted as the date of loss, the winds were only 17 mph and could not have caused the damage. Frustrated, the property owner called our company. Our team pulled wind data charts for that entire week, prepared wind uplift calc's and resubmitted the claim to reflect the correct date, one day later. The entire field of the roof had received substantial damage, yet the insurance adjuster proceeded to pay for a patch repair to the severely damaged portion.

Working with a local roofing contractor, the restoration included a mold hygienist and specialized mold abatement crews, securing a clean air certificate and complete restoration to the interior of the building. A new roof system was installed to code with all new warrantees. What started out, as a $1,500 roof patch, became $380,000 in replacement services paid by the insurance company.

Insurance companies follow strict policy rules for submittal and areas of coverage. Often, one word can be the cause for a claim rejection. It is in the roofing contractor's best interest to enable the homeowner association or property management group to submit claims accurately so that all parties involved can receive fair compensation.

An insurance company will only pay for what it owes. It is up to the building owner to justify and understand what he is entitled to.

Steve Slepcevic is president of Paramount Disaster Recovery Inc.,www.paramountinc.com a nationwide company which specializes in preparing the neccessary documentation for property owners, management companies and roofing contractors.