Your claim
Your claim, step by step
This is the order things usually happen after wind or hail. Your policy and your insurer set the details, so read yours. We aren't your adjuster and we don't decide what is covered.
- 01You
Step 1: Call your insurer
Report the damage and ask for a claim number. Write down the date, the name of the person you spoke to and what they said to expect.
Photograph each side of the house from the ground
Photograph anything inside that got wet
Don't throw damaged material away yet
- 02Us
Step 2: Close the house up
If the roof is open, a window is broken or water is coming in, call us for a tarp or board-up. Most policies ask you to prevent more damage, and the cost is usually part of the claim.
Keep every receipt
We photograph the roof before and after the tarp
- 03Insurer
Step 3: The adjuster visits
Your insurer sends an adjuster to inspect the damage and write an estimate. You can ask us to be there, on the roof and at the walls, so both of us are looking at the same things.
Ask when the visit will be and tell us
Ask for a copy of the estimate the same day if you can
- 04Us
Step 4: We read the estimate with you
We sit down with the adjuster's estimate and our own measurements and photos, and go line by line. Each difference gets one of three marks: matches, missing, or a question for your insurer.
Bring the estimate and your policy's declarations page
Bring your mortgage lender's name if you have one
- 05Us
Step 5: The supplement
For anything marked missing, we write a supplement request: the item, the photo and the reason, in the order of your insurer's own estimate. You see it before it goes. Your insurer reviews it and decides.
We don't promise what the insurer will add
If it's refused, you see the lines in dispute and choose what to do
- 06You
Step 6: You sign, we schedule
When the number is settled you get a written contract that matches it. The deductible, any upgrades you choose and the start window each sit on their own line.
Materials are ordered after you sign
The start window depends on the season and the crew's calendar
- 07Us
Step 7: The build
A named lead runs the job. The floors and the yard are protected each day, and we tell you before a day that will be loud, wet or without power.
Daily sweep, with a magnet pass for nails
Changes are priced on a written change order before the work
- 08You
Step 8: The last check
We walk it with you, fix the short list and send you the invoice and the completion photos. Many policies pay part of the money after the work is done, so you forward the paperwork to your insurer.
If your lender is on the check, ask them how they release it
At a glance
Who does what
A claim has three people in it. This is how we split the work.
| The job | You | Your insurer | Section Line |
|---|---|---|---|
| Report the damage and open the claim | YouYou do | Your insurerGives you a claim number | Section LineCan tell you what to photograph |
| Tarp or board up | YouYou call | Your insurerUsually counts it in the claim | Section LineWe do the work and keep the photos |
| Inspect and write the estimate | YouYou let them in | Your insurerThe adjuster does | Section LineWe can be there if you ask |
| Read the estimate | YouYou decide what to question | Your insurerAnswers your questions | Section LineWe go through it line by line |
| Ask for what is missing | YouYou approve the request | Your insurerReviews it and decides | Section LineWe write it and send it |
| Pay for the work | YouYou pay the deductible | Your insurerPays what the policy covers | Section LineWe bill what the contract says |
Before you sign
What we check an estimate for
Not every estimate needs a supplement. These are the places we look, so you know what we mean when we say something is missing.
The edges and the underlayment
Drip edge, starter strip, the water barrier at eaves and valleys, and flashing at walls and chimneys.
The deck under the roof
Boards or sheathing that were wet or cracked. We price this per sheet before we start, so a surprise has a written number.
Every slope and every wall
A slope the adjuster couldn't reach, or siding on the side away from the street.
What the code asks for
Items the city or the manufacturer requires when a roof is replaced. We name the rule beside each line.
The extras
The permit if your job needs one, haul-away of the old roof, and a steep or high roof, where the crew needs more equipment.
Matching
Siding colors and profiles get discontinued. We photograph and test what is available, then you ask your insurer how your policy treats matching.
The photo report
What a hail count looks like
On a roof we mark a ten-foot square on each slope and count the hits inside it. That's a standard way to compare what each slope took.
The count goes in the report with a photo of each square, the slope, its direction and its pitch. You get the same report we send. Wind damage is photographed lifted shingles, creased tabs and missing pieces, slope by slope.
In the report
A photo of each slope, wide and close
A numbered square on each slope
Siding, gutters and soft metals (vents, flashing) photographed too
Notes on anything we couldn't see from the roof
Plain words
The words on your estimate
Your policy defines each of these. If the policy and this page disagree, the policy is right.
Replacement cost (RCV)
What it would cost to replace the damaged part with new material of similar kind and quality.
Actual cash value (ACV)
Replacement cost minus depreciation. Some policies pay this first and the rest later.
Depreciation
The value your insurer takes off for the age and wear of what was damaged.
Deductible
The part you pay before the policy pays. It's yours, and it's written on its own line in our contract.
Supplement
A request for more money for items or damage the first estimate didn't include. It goes to your insurer, who decides.
Code upgrade
A cost to meet a building rule that wasn't required when the house was built. Some policies cover it up to a limit.
Claim questions
Who calls whom
Do you talk to my insurer?
We send documents to your insurer when you ask us to, and we answer their questions about our estimate. You stay the person who files the claim and decides what to accept.
Can I use the contractor my insurer suggests?
In most cases you can use any contractor you choose. Check your policy, and ask your insurer to confirm.
What is a public adjuster, and are you one?
A public adjuster is licensed to negotiate a claim for you, usually for a share of what's paid. We are builders, not public adjusters, and we don't negotiate claims.
Should I sign anything the day after a storm?
Take your time. Be careful with any paper that gives a contractor the right to deal with your claim for you. Ask for a copy of anything you sign, and read the cancellation terms.
My lender's name is on the check. What now?
Ask your lender how they release the money. Some release it in stages and want a completion form. We'll fill in our part.
What if the claim is denied?
We can still do the repairs as a private job, and we'll write the estimate the same way. Ask your insurer for the denial in writing, with the reason.
How long does a claim take?
It depends on your insurer and how many houses were hit. We can't promise a date, and we'll tell you when we'll know more.
Bring us the estimate
Text a photo of the adjuster's estimate, or bring it to the visit. We'll read it with you and mark what we see.