The issue is once you sign the Assignment of Benefits, you've basically tied the hands of your insurance company. Sure, they can contest the claim filed by the contractor which is invariably 30-40% higher cost than if you contracted with a reputable roofer. The roofing companies have hired a battery of lawyers that will ultimately cost the insurance company much more money in legal fees than if they simply paid the inflated claim. Or, they can roll over and pay it. You can suffer in two ways: (1) the aforementioned poorer quality may result and (2), your insurance company may annotate your file as having filed a fraudulent claim, which they share with all the other insurance companies. You make out this year, but expect to either see your homeowners insurance canceled the following year or they jack up your premium so high it is out of sight. If you have your homeowners insurance canceled, good luck in getting another company to give you a good deal ...... remember that fraudulent claim information sharing.
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