The insurance claim process has long been a thorny, stressful, and highly technical battlefield for roofing contractors, public adjusters, and policyholders alike. But what if artificial intelligence could step in to level the playing field, ensuring claims are paid fully, fairly, and fast?
In a recent episode of The Roofer’s Helper podcast, industry veteran Mathew Mulholland sat down with Richie Rossouw to discuss his incredible journey from the roof to the classroom, and how a new AI platform called Brelly is set to revolutionize how claims are handled.
The Man Behind the Mission: From Contractor to Educator
Mat is no stranger to the grind of the roofing and insurance industries. After starting out selling cars during the Great Recession in 2007, he quickly transitioned into roofing sales and launched his own company, All Good Roof Systems, in Georgia within six months. Realizing he had a knack for dealing with insurance companies, he became a public adjuster and founded All Good Adjustments, which grew into the largest public adjusting firm in Georgia, processing a staggering 3,000 claims a year.
However, the immense volume led to burnout, prompting Mat to sell the company and pursue his true passion: teaching. He founded the National Claims Institute, a brick-and-mortar school in Florida that took professionals from “zero to hero in five days,” and later created the Building Experts Institute (BEI) to offer comprehensive online courses. Today, Matt serves as the Dean of Education for Brelly, an AI platform for claims handling that recently purchased the Building Experts Institute.
Enter Brelli: An AI Co-Pilot for Claims
According to Mat, handling claims improperly can leave a policyholder financially ruined. Brelly was designed to directly empower policyholders, guiding them through the complex process to ensure they are paid “fully, fairly, and fast”. While the ultimate goal is for homeowners to use Brelly themselves to manage claims, contractors, attorneys, and public adjusters are currently the primary professionals utilizing the software.
But does using AI cross any legal lines, such as the unauthorized practice of law? Mat clarifies that Brelly is a tool, much like Microsoft Word’s spell check. It provides advanced guidance, but it does not replace the human element. Professionals must still rely on their experience to verify AI-generated information before sending it to carriers.
The Most Unexpected Benefit: Peace of Mind
When asked about the most unexpected benefit of using Brelly, Mat’s answer was simple: Peace.
In the past, complex files required hours of research, collation, and writing just to draft a response to an insurance carrier. With Brelli, tasks that used to take days of procrastination can now be completed in just five minutes. The result? Contractors and adjusters are sleeping better, experiencing less stress, and making it home in time for dinner with their families. The software has become so ingrained in users’ workflows that when the system experienced a temporary third-party outage, professionals chose to wait for it to come back online rather than manually process their claims.
Mat’s Technical Deep Dive: Stop Saying “Consequential Damages”
To prove he is a true “man of the trade,” Mat shared two highly specific, technical insights that commonly trip up contractors in the claims process:
1. The Flashing Code Conflict: Building codes in many states vaguely state that roofers can use “continuous or step flashing”. This creates a massive headache on sloped roof-to-wall transitions. Shingle manufacturers typically require step flashing in these areas, but because the building code uses the word “or,” insurance carriers frequently refuse to pay to replace the required step flashing, arguing that continuous flashing is technically code-compliant.
2. The Misuse of “Consequential Damages”: Mat offered a passionate warning about the term “consequential damages”. Contractors often use this phrase colloquially to describe collateral damage that happens during a repair—such as accidentally tearing a neighboring shingle while replacing a damaged one. However, in case law, consequential damages are legally defined as indirect losses. The damage caused during a repair is actually a direct physical loss. When a contractor mistakenly claims “consequential damages,” they are effectively telling the insurance carrier they are claiming an indirect loss, giving the carrier a valid reason to deny the coverage based on their policy language.
Ready to Level Up Your Claims Game?
If you are tired of the paperwork pile-up and want to start sleeping better at night, it might be time to bring AI into your workflow.
To see if Brelly is the right fit for your company, you can schedule a demo at https://www.brelly.com. If you’re looking to expand your technical knowledge and get certified in inspection criteria, you can check out Mat’s extensive training courses by becoming a member at BuildingExperts.Institute.
By Rich Prue
