Insurance Appraiser in York, PA

Brick rows and their roofs

Walk through downtown York, the Avenues, Olde Towne East or the West End and you'll see brick rowhouses in nearly every style from the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Many have slate or metal front roofs, flat or low-slope rear roofs, ornamental cornices and shared party walls. These homes are sturdy, but their roofs and walls tie into the neighbors', and that complicates repairs.

When water gets in at a party wall or through a failing flat roof, insurers often scope a small patch. In practice, a membrane may have to be replaced across a larger area to stay watertight, and flashing at the shared parapet has to be redone. Plaster walls, tall ceilings and original trim cost more than the drywall and stock millwork many first estimates assume. Our rowhome flat-roof claims guide goes through the details.

Hail country

South-central Pennsylvania sees more hail than most of the state, and York County's suburbs and townships, from Springettsbury and Spring Garden to Manchester, Dover, Red Lion and the Hanover area, get their share. Spring and summer thunderstorms can bring hail and straight-line winds across a wide area in minutes.

Hail claim disputes we handle

• Damage described as cosmetic when it affects how a shingle sheds water.
• Repair-versus-replace arguments on roofs with brittle or discontinued shingles.
• Matching problems when new shingles or siding won't blend with the old.
• Gutters, downspouts, window screens and soft metals left off the estimate.

Use our roof pitch and squares estimator to check the roof size in your estimate, and see our roof and hail damage appraisal service if the numbers don't add up.

The Codorus and high water

Codorus Creek runs through the heart of York, and in June 1972 the rain from Agnes sent it over its banks into downtown. Flash flooding along the Codorus and other creeks has returned in later storms. Flood from rising water is excluded under homeowner policies and is handled through a flood policy such as NFIP, which has its own process; homeowner-policy appraisal can't value it. Wind, roof leaks and a sewer backup endorsement are different, and we help separate those covered pieces from the flood portion.

Winter losses

York winters are milder than northern Pennsylvania's, but cold snaps still freeze pipes in older homes with plumbing on exterior walls, and ice dams form on steep front roofs. Heavy snow from storms like February 2010 and January 2016 stressed porches, garages and low commercial roofs. Our ice dam and frozen pipe appraisal service covers those claims.

Our approach

We inspect the property, write an independent line-item estimate based on local labor and material costs, and compare it to the carrier's. If the difference is substantial and your policy includes an appraisal clause, we can act as your appraiser. Many Pennsylvania policies limit lawsuits to one year from the date of loss, and appraisal may not stop that clock, so speak with a Pennsylvania attorney early if a dispute is likely.

Services available in York

Every Pennsylvania Insurance Appraiser service is available to property owners in York and the rest of York County, including:

• Appraisal Demand Representation
• Homeowner Claim Appraisal
• Commercial & HOA Appraisal
• Roof & Hail Damage Appraisal
• Wind & Tornado Appraisal
• Tropical Storm Remnant Appraisal
• Water Damage Claim Appraisal
• Fire & Smoke Damage Appraisal

Questions from York property owners

Nearby areas