What the Hail? For Home Insurers, Getting the Roof Right has Never Been more Important
Losses from hail are following a volatile, largely upward, path.
Good imagery, often matched to claims data from other losses, including auto, can give insurers a more accurate picture of likely losses.
Higher resolution drone cameras and smarter sensors are bringing greater accuracy to loss exposures.
Insurers are moving beyond a reliance on drive-by inspections and self-reporting by insurers to get more accurate and faster assessments of roof vulnerabilities.
Satellites, radar and other improving technologies are allowing insurers to assess roofs under a variety of conditions and across time.
Artificial intelligence and machine learning are helping insurers to convert images into indicators of likely loss.
Roofs of commercial building tend to be larger, flatter and more exposed to collecting water than those of residential homes.
New methodologies of roof scoring, based on sensors, cameras and data analytics, are enabling insurers to better compare roof risks across regions.
Insurers can mine weather and claims patterns to better assess exposure across geographic regions.
The Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety is overseeing the Fortified program, which assesses and scores roof material for durability to a variety of perils.