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Storm claims

How roof insurance claims actually work

Including the parts most roofers will not tell you — what a contractor is legally allowed to do on your claim, and what it means when one offers to do more.

Get My Free Estimate(555) 123-4567

The process

Six steps, in order

  1. 1

    Get an inspection first

    Before you call your carrier, find out whether there is actually damage. Filing a claim with no covered damage puts a claim on your record for nothing. Our inspection is free and we will tell you either way.

  2. 2

    File the claim

    You file with your carrier — it is your policy and your claim. We give you the dated photographs and written damage report to file with.

  3. 3

    We meet your adjuster

    The adjuster comes out to inspect. We meet them on the roof so the damage we documented actually makes it into the scope. This single step is where most under-scoped claims get caught.

  4. 4

    Review the scope

    Your carrier issues a scope of loss and a payment. We compare it against what is actually on the roof and tell you whether it covers the real work.

  5. 5

    Supplement if needed

    When the scope misses covered damage, we file a supplement with supporting photographs. This is normal and happens on a meaningful share of claims.

  6. 6

    Restoration

    Once the scope is settled, we do the work. You pay your deductible and the carrier pays the rest per your policy.

What we do

  • Inspect and document damage with dated photographs
  • Provide a written damage report you file with
  • Meet your adjuster on the roof so nothing is missed
  • Explain what we found in plain language
  • File supplements with evidence when covered work is left out
  • Do the restoration once the scope is settled

What we don’t do

  • Negotiate your claim on your behalf — that is public adjusting and requires a license we do not hold
  • Tell you what your policy covers — read your policy and ask your agent
  • Pay, waive, or rebate your deductible — that is illegal in North Carolina
  • Promise your claim will be approved — no contractor can know that
  • Ask you to sign a contract before you know what your carrier approved

Storm chasers: how to spot one

After every significant hailstorm around Charlotte, out-of-state crews arrive and go door to door. Some are legitimate operations. Many are not, and the pattern is consistent enough to recognize.

  • They knocked on your door within days of a storm and you had not called anyone
  • They want a contract signed today, before your carrier has scoped anything
  • They ask for a substantial deposit before any work begins
  • They offer to cover, waive, or "work around" your deductible
  • They guarantee your claim will be approved
  • They have no local physical address, only a phone number and a magnetic truck sign
  • The manufacturer certification they claim does not appear on the manufacturer's own contractor locator

A roof is only as good as the company standing behind it. Before signing with anyone — us included — verify the license number, confirm a local address, and look them up on the manufacturer's site.

Do not wait

Hail damage frequently looks like nothing from the ground. It shows up as bruising where the granule surface has been driven into the mat, and the roof fails months or years later — often after the claim window has closed.

An inspection costs you nothing. If we find no damage, we will tell you plainly and there is no claim to file. That is a good outcome, not a wasted visit.

Questions

Claim questions

Call (555) 123-4567
Do you handle the whole claim for me?
No, and be cautious of any roofer who says they will. Negotiating a claim on a homeowner’s behalf is public adjusting, and it requires a license in North Carolina that roofing contractors do not hold. What we legitimately do is document damage, meet your adjuster, and file supplements for covered work that was missed.
Will you cover or waive my deductible?
No. Paying, waiving, or rebating a customer’s insurance deductible is illegal in North Carolina. A contractor who offers to do it is committing insurance fraud and involving you in it.
Will filing a claim raise my premium?
Ask your agent — it depends on your carrier, your policy, and your claims history, and your agent is the only person who can answer it accurately for your situation. Many carriers treat weather claims differently from liability claims.
How long do I have to file?
It varies by carrier and policy. The practical point is that the window is real, hail damage is usually invisible from the ground, and waiting a year after a storm often means denial on timeliness alone. Get inspected soon after a significant storm.
What is the difference between ACV and RCV?
Actual Cash Value pays the depreciated value of your roof. Replacement Cost Value pays what it costs to replace it, usually in two payments — an initial ACV payment, then the recoverable depreciation once work is complete. Which one you have is in your policy and it makes a very large financial difference.
My claim was denied. Now what?
A denial is not always final. If we documented damage the adjuster did not scope, we can provide the photographs and reporting to support a re-inspection request. If the damage genuinely is not there, we will tell you that rather than pushing an appeal that will not succeed.

Storm came through? Get it documented.

Free inspection with dated photographs you keep — the evidence your claim depends on.

Get My Free EstimateCall (555) 123-4567