Tips for Filing a Roof Insurance Claim

Looking to file a roof claim with your insurance company? Here’s how to go about it.

1. Review Your Insurance Policy.
   The first good step in making a roof claim is to try to understand your policy. There’s no point going to battle for coverage that you never had. For example, is the roof damage actually covered, or did you choose to exclude wind and hail damage? Is your coverage for replacement cost or actual cash value?

2. Assess the Damage.
   If you suspect there is roof damage from a storm, inspect your entire home, not just the roof. You’ll want to know the scope of the damage when you contact your insurer to start a claim.

3. Get a Repair Estimate.
   Get an estimate for repair based on what you had, not on how you want to change things. Don’t rely on the adjuster to determine the repair cost of the roof. Make sure to get a written estimate on a roofing company’s letterhead with the company’s contact information.

4. Act Quickly.
   Time is of the essence when dealing with a roof claim. “The longer a roof sits with damage, the more weather and dirt makes it less obvious what the damage is since it looks like wear and tear,” says Severaid.

5. Keep a Log of Correspondence About Your Insurance Claim.
   What starts out as a seemingly simple claim could blow up into a nightmare. You’ll be glad if you kept records from the start, including photos, who you spoke to when and what they told you.