Seth and Ashley Pietsch and Jessica Hale - The 10 Things You Need to Know About Roofing Insurance

By Colin Sheehan, RCS Reporter. 

The importance of knowing what’s in your contract and what questions you need to ask your insurance broker. 

In Season 3, Episode 41 of Roofing Road Trips, Heidi J. Ellsworth visits with the up-and-coming power couple in roofing, Seth and Ashley Pietsch, as well as Jessica Hale from Integrity Insurance & Bonding. Seth and Ashley are passionate about working with roofing contractors to get them the best insurance possible that mitigates risk for their company and employees. This podcast will focus on the most important things to understand about roofing insurance, and in particular what questions roofing contractors need to ask their brokers. 

Seth started in the insurance side of the roofing business in 2007, working as a commercial lines producer. Ashley got her start working for her dad’s agency doing primarily commercial construction insurance in 2004. In 2018, the couple started their own agency, Integrity Insurance & Bonding. 

Jessica has been working at Integrity Insurance for a little over a year, and previously worked in property management and banking.  

"I love it here,” said Jessica. “It's a good fit, the whole values, morals behind Integrity are why our whole team loves it here, and what will keep us busy and thriving.” 

Insurance is always complicated, but when it comes to construction and roofing there are just more moving pieces that can kick off a claim. In the Pacific Northwest, where Integrity Insurance is based, the ongoing weather elements harming a roof can cause water penetration issues, for instance, that represent a potential claim against a roofing company or contractor.  

“Whether it's a roofing issue or not, [roofing contractors] get brought in and they get blamed for weather issues or whatever related issues, even though it may not have anything to do with them,” said Seth. “So really understanding the importance of having the right coverage is going to be critical, not just if you are found to be liable and there is an actual claim that your insurance company has to pay out on, but [also if] you get brought into these claims, these construction defect claims, and the insurance has to defend you.” 

Having the right coverage plan can also help you predict defense costs which, depending on the situation, can add up alongside claim expenses or indemnity payments. Ashley also mentioned most contractors don’t know what’s in their contracts to begin with, which means they will be unprepared to deal with a claim issue in the best way. 

“At our agency, we usually review their subcontract agreement in place, and put together a sample certificate that they can send to their subs,” said Ashley. “That way, they have a guideline to go off of what they need, what requirements that they have in their contract that they need to comply with, and really sit down and train them and go over what additional insured means, what waiver of subrogation means, what primary non-contributory means, and why it's important to your business and protecting you.” 

Listen to the entire podcast to hear more from experts in roofing insurance and to learn their top ten things contractors need to know to protect their businesses.