The questions homeowners actually ask after a storm
What follows is the plain-language version. No contractor should be giving you coverage determinations — that is between you and your carrier — but you are entitled to understand the process before you are standing on your driveway with an adjuster.
Before you call anyone
- Do not sign anything that assigns your claim to a contractor. If a door-knocker wants your signature the day after a storm, that is a reason to slow down, not speed up.
- Photograph interior damage now — stains, drips, buckets. Dated photos are evidence.
- Do not get on the roof. Storm-damaged roofs are genuinely dangerous, and walking a hail-bruised roof can worsen the damage.
- Get an independent inspection before the adjuster arrives, so you know what is up there.
Per-city claim help across all 140 cities we serve
Claim handling differs by market — carriers, adjuster availability and storm history are all local. Every city we serve has its own insurance claim page with local detail, and every one connects to the local office that would handle your roof.
Where claims go wrong
Three failures account for most denied or underpaid roof claims: the damage was never documented properly, the claim was filed after the policy's reporting window closed, or the scope the carrier approved left out work the roof actually needs — flashing, ventilation, code-required items, or a second slope that was never inspected.
All three are preventable, and none of them are preventable after the fact. That is the whole argument for a free inspection while the storm is recent.
Frequently asked questions
- Will my insurance cover a hail-damaged roof?
- That depends on your policy and the inspection findings, and only your carrier can make that determination. Most homeowners policies cover sudden storm and hail damage while excluding normal wear and age. What decides a real claim is documentation: photographed, measured evidence of storm damage, submitted within your policy's reporting window.
- How long do I have to file a roof claim after a storm?
- Policies set their own reporting deadlines, and many are far shorter than homeowners expect — sometimes a year or less from the date of loss. Because hail damage is often invisible from the ground, roofs get inspected long after the window has closed. If a storm has hit your area, have the roof looked at now rather than when a leak appears.
- Will filing a claim raise my rates?
- Rate decisions belong to your carrier, and a widespread storm event is treated differently than an at-fault claim. Ask your agent directly — and be skeptical of any contractor who answers that question for you as though they know your policy.
- What if my claim is denied?
- A denial is not always the end. Denials frequently rest on incomplete documentation or an inspection that missed damage. You can request a re-inspection, and thorough slope-by-slope photo evidence is what re-opens files. We are glad to inspect and document a roof that has already been denied.
- Do I have to use the contractor my insurance company recommends?
- No. You choose your own contractor. A preferred-vendor program works for the carrier's interests; your roof is yours.
- Who pays my deductible?
- You do — it is your share of the loss under your policy. Be very careful with any contractor who offers to waive, absorb or eat your deductible. In many states that is insurance fraud, and it puts you on the wrong side of it.
- What is the difference between replacement cost and actual cash value?
- Replacement cost policies pay what it costs to replace the roof, usually in two payments with the depreciation released after the work is complete. Actual cash value policies pay the depreciated value only, leaving a larger gap for you to cover. Your declarations page states which you have — it is worth knowing before a storm, not after.
- Do you meet with the adjuster?
- Yes. We meet the adjuster at your property, walk the roof with them and present the documented damage. It is far easier to agree on scope standing on the roof together than to argue about it in writing afterward.