What does an insurer usually need from a roof inspection?
A dated record of the damage, photographs with scale, the storm it is linked to and the difference between storm damage and wear. An adjuster may also come out.
An insurer generally wants to know what was damaged, when and by what. A dated inspection with clear photographs answers the first two and helps with the third. The adjuster's own visit is separate, and the roofer's record gives that visit a starting point.
Keep the wording plain. Impacts on the south slope, counted in marked squares, with photographs, serves better than a general statement that the roof was damaged.
- The storm date and the event it is linked to
- Photographs with a scale and a slope label
- Counts of impacts in marked areas where damage is claimed
Why does timing matter for a claim?
Because damage recorded close to the event is easier to tie to it. Moss, weather and later storms make the same damage harder to read.
Each season leaves its own marks. Moss grows in the damp, the sealant weakens in the wet and each later storm adds marks. An inspection done soon after the event records the damage in its freshest state.
Acting early does not mean filing early. It means having a record in hand so the decision, whenever it is made, rests on evidence.
- Inspect soon after a named windstorm
- Record the state before any repair
- Keep the dated record with the policy papers
What if the insurer disagrees?
Ask for the reasons in writing, provide the record and use the complaint route if handling is not fair.
A disagreement does not mean the claim is refused for good. Ask the insurer to explain its position in writing and to say which parts of the record it accepts. A roofer can answer specific questions about the photographs and counts.
The Division of Financial Regulation handles insurance complaints. It looks at how the insurer handled the file and does not act as the homeowner's lawyer.
- Ask for the reasons in writing
- Send the record with any reply
- Use the Division's complaint route if handling is unfair
What the homeowner should avoid doing before the adjuster
Avoid repairing the damage away, cleaning the evidence or discarding the removed parts before the record is complete.
Before an adjuster visits, keep the damaged parts, do not clean the marks off the covering, and do not throw away the removed flashing or shingles without first photographing them. Those pieces are evidence of what the storm did, and an adjuster may want to see them.
Make any temporary cover needed to stop further damage, and photograph it as it goes on. A temporary cover is protection, and it is not a repair that hides the storm record.
- Keep the removed parts until the record is complete
- Do not clean the marks off the covering
- Photograph any temporary cover as it goes on
Keeping the claim file clean from the start
One folder, dated entries, the policy number on each page, and a copy of every message to and from the insurer.
A claim file is easier to read when it has a single folder and dated entries. Put the policy number on each page of the roofer's record, keep the insurer's messages in order, and write a short note after each call with the date and the name of the person spoken to.
The file is the homeowner's own record, and it will be asked for. Keep it complete, and keep copies of everything sent.
- One folder, dated entries
- The policy number on each page
- A copy of every message sent
