Can Hail Damage a Concrete Porch?

Properly formulated and poured concrete cannot be damaged by hail. This fact is the basis of that determination. They feel, and I agree, that it is not their responsibility to fix something that was already predisposed to damage.

Since there was something wrong with the pour you could try to go back and get damages from the company that laid the concrete. Other than that I see no recourse though I am not familiar with the laws in your state,

No, unless the concrete was not manufactured correctly.

we just had a new concrete driveway poured July '09. we noticed the chipping just after all the snow and ice melted this year. it is heartbreaking after all of the $ we spent less than 2 years ago. we've had several people out to look at it and they have all agreed that our pour job was done well but that they are seeing a lot of driveways doing this. most are saying it was because of the tough winter we all had this year. some have mentioned that they've been seeing it a lot with concrete just a couple of years old which means that the quality of concrete has been poor. we have looked into sealing the driveway to stop the crumbling. we are trying to get different ideas/products in order to control/preserve the investment!

No but salt can.. we salted our concrete driveway during one of the ice storms this year and it just destroyed our drive - and we are told that it will continue to eat away at it until we have it sealed..!!! Go figure.

Concrete can be damage by hail, but the only thing with concrete is that it's always going to crack and break. It's doesn't matter if their is hail or a hot sunning day in Missouri, that's just what it does. Yeah, I'm sure that the hail didn't help, but it was probably just a weak point and the hail finished it off. You will never find a concrete company that will promise you that it will last forever. If they do, then you need to find another company, because they don't know what they are talking about. I have had a lot of people tell me about this website http://www.TheSTLConcrete.com , this website offered pre-screen concrete companies in St.Charles and St.Louis County. All companies can do stamped concrete, driveways, custom design patios, stained concrete and a lot more.

Http://www.TheSTLConcrete.com

It all boils down to understanding the insurance agreement you purchased and knowing how to hold the company to the agreement. I have had to deal with American Family in the past. They actually tried to tell us that when a storm damaged 3 places on one side of the roof and 2 places on the other, they would only pay to put new shingles on the most damaged side and use the old shingles taken off that side to repair the other side!! I know people who let them get away with this and went ahead and paid out of pocket for the less damage side to be given new shingles so they all matched well. I cannot believe what people will fall for! I worked in insurance and saw my fair share of people trying to defraud the insurance company. But, I have also seen my fair share of time that State Farm and American Family defrauded their own customers.

Today, the type of homeowners insurance that most people have is called a 'named exclusion policy'. This means that, instead of the wording in the policy listing the causes of damage that the company is responsible to cover, such as storm, fire, vandalism, etc, the policy has to actually name in writing what causes of damage it will not cover, such as flood, acts of war and vermine (yes, that means you are not covered if squirrels eat their way into your attic or mice chew holes into your cabinets). So, it is my understanding that, unless they can show you that your policy actually says that it will not cover hail damage to concrete, they are legally bound to cover it IF there is ample proof that the damage was, indeed, caused by the hail. I have to admit that I would not trust a concrete porch that could not hold up to hail. We have a lot of crete that was poured 37 years ago and has stood up to a lot of hail. So, if I were you, my first call would be to a concrete contractor to ask about the industry standard in this regard. Another thing to keep in mind is that not all hail storms are as severe as others, just like tornadoes. Some tornadoes mess up roof shingles while other pick up whole buildings and uproot trees. Some hail storms can really give things an extraordinary pounding. You might call a local news station to see if you can obtain specific information about the severity of the hail storm from their weather department.

If, after you have gathered this information, you find that your porch was built to professional standards, and the hail storm was deemed severe enough to cause such damage, and your insurance policy does not specifically exclude hail damage to concrete structures, I would still make one more call before calling my insurance adjuster. Most states have an office at the state's capitol for handling consumer grievances with insurance companies. So, call your state government and ask for that department. Then ask what you need to do to file a grievance.

So, if you have determined that this coverage is NOT excluded, the porch was was built to standards, and the hail was severe enough, you are now in a good position to call the adjuster and tell him that their insurance company is not responsible for setting standards for the concrete industry, but are responsible to cover damage to concrete caused by hail unless they can produce proof that this is a named exclusion in the policy (which is a legally binding contract). Then, you can tell him that you have already talked with the state office that does set the standards for insurance practices and that you have already requested the forms to file a grievance because of the manner in which they have avoided their responsibilities. Finally let them know that unless they overnight a check to you in the amount that will repair/replace the damages according to industry standards, you fully intend to file that grievance.

When I approached the American Family adjuster in this way, they not only sent a check to cover the entire roof, but to pay for the interior water damages that occurred because of their delay. I should have asked them to compensate me for the additional time I had to spend in order to force them to provide the coverage we had paid for. I actually knew someone who bought a State Farm policy from a friend and when a storm toppled a tree onto their house, State Farm actually claim it was not covered because the storm was 'an act of God'.

Another thing to keep in mind is that the combination of the Enron fiasco and 9/11/2001, changed the insurance industry. Homeowners used to enjoy low rates and low deductibles because the home insurance industry was able to make most of their money from investments. Today, filing claims on your homeowners insurance is treated a bit like accidents on your auto policy. The company may be able to raise your rates, force you to raise your deductible, or cancel your policy altogether after you file just a couple of claims. So, keep in mind that it may not be worth filing a minor claim when it is possible that the porch was faulty in the first place.

Not that I want to add to your worries, but I feel you would be wise to find out if the concrete of your home's foundation was poured by the same contractor that poured your porch.