Roofing Insurance Claims

Most residential roofing insurance claims are due to hail or tree damage. The process is simple to us, but complicated in the eye of homeowners. We start with a FREE inspection by our Top That Roofing crew and give you 30 photos of your roof along with our opinion as to whether it needs to be replaced, repaired, or left alone. If an insurance claim is recommended, you call your company and they send out an insurance adjuster. We try to meet with the adjuster at your house.

6 things to know before you file a claim

  1. Make sure there is damage on your roof before you call your insurance company to file a claim. Have Top THat Roofing come make a FREE inspection.
  2. How much is your deductible? Do you have a deductible that is a % of the claim amount or a flat amount? Deductibles are normally $1,000 up to $2,500 flat fee. Find out what your deductible is.
  3. If you do not have the cash to pay your deductible, we offer financing. Check out our financing page.
  4. Do you have a total roof replacement policy? Depreciation is the reduction of the value of a product based on factors including use, age, and type of product. Replacement cost value (RCV) is a product at 100 percent, with no use or diminished life span. Actual cash value (ACV) is the use (or life left) of a product after reduction for depreciation. If you are on an ACV policy with a 10 yr old roof, you will be paying a substantial amount out of pocket since they deduct the depreciation.
  5. Do you get a discount on your home insurance policy for replacement with a class IV hail resistant shingle? Some insurance carriers offer discounts as high as 28%; check on your discount.
  6. Make sure that the damaged sustained on your roof is more than your deductible. Sometimes a $1,300 repair should be paid out of pocket if you have a $1,500 deductible.

The Residential Insurance Payment Process

Most home insurance companies use the following process.

  1. The insurance company sends out their adjuster to inspect your roof for hail, wind, or tree damage. They mark it with chalk and take pictures. TTCR likes to be on-site with your adjuster to make sure everything is examined.
  2. Your insurance adjuster will send a report listing all the damage, what they want fixed or replaced, the total dollar cost of the roofing job, the ACV (actual cash value) of the job, the depreciation, your deductible, and how they will handle payments.
  3. Usually the insurance company will send a check made out to you and your mortgage company.
  4. You may need to have your mortgage company endorse the check locally.
  5. Your roofing contractor will ask to be paid the amount of your 1st insurance check.
  6. After the roofing, skylights, and gutters are finished the roofing contractor sneds a final invoice to your insurance company.
  7. Your insurance company will send you a check for the depreciation and any extras (supplements).
  8. The roofing contractor will send a final invoice to the homeowner for the job total minus the first check. This is usually equal to the depreciation + supplements + your deductible.