Good call on waiting it out. Storm damage quotes can be all over the place, especially right after a big event when contractors are slammed. I had a similar experience a couple years back—big windstorm took out part of our fence and damaged the roof shingles. First guy who came out quoted me something ridiculous, like he was building me a whole new house or something. I almost bit because I was worried about more rain coming in, but decided to tarp it temporarily and wait.
Glad I did. After about a week, things calmed down, and I got two more estimates. Both were significantly lower, and the contractor I ended up going with did solid work for a fair price. He even pointed out some shortcuts the first guy was planning to take that would've caused headaches later on. Definitely pays off to slow down if you can manage it.
One thing I've learned over the years is that storm repairs often attract opportunistic contractors who bank on homeowners panicking and making quick decisions. If you're able to stabilize things temporarily (tarps, plywood, whatever it takes), you'll usually end up better off financially and quality-wise by waiting a little bit.
Anyway, glad you saved yourself some cash—storm repairs are stressful enough without feeling like you're getting gouged on top of it.
Yeah, waiting it out definitely helps, but costs really depend on the type of damage and your area. Roof repairs can swing anywhere from a few hundred bucks for minor patch-ups to several thousand if you're replacing shingles or dealing with structural issues. Fences usually aren't too bad, but again, depends on materials and length. Did your insurance cover any of it, or did you end up paying out of pocket? Curious how others handled that...
Insurance isn't always the best route though... I had minor fence damage last spring—repair was under $500—but filing a claim would've bumped up my premiums. Sometimes paying out-of-pocket makes more sense, especially if it's not major structural work.
Good point about insurance—it's definitely a balancing act. Last year, after a nasty windstorm, I inspected a home where the owner had some shingles blown off and minor gutter damage. Repairs were around $800, but he chose to pay out-of-pocket because his deductible was already $1,000. Made sense in his case... but it got me thinking: at what point does it become worth filing a claim? Seems like there's a sweet spot somewhere between minor fence fixes and major roof replacements.
That's a pretty typical scenario actually... usually I tell clients to first get an estimate and then check their policy details carefully. Sometimes filing small claims can bump your premiums up more than you'd expect. Ever seen a minor claim backfire like that?
