Storm Damage: How Do I File an Insurance Claim?

Storm damage is stressful enough without the insurance process on top of it. The good news is that the process is more predictable than it looks, and knowing the sequence in advance removes most of the anxiety.

Here is how a storm damage claim works from start to finish, including the part that catches most homeowners by surprise.

Before You File

Get the damage inspected before you call your carrier.

Filing without knowing what you have can work against you. A denied claim goes on your record, and if the damage turns out to be wear rather than storm related, you have spent a claim for nothing. An inspection tells you whether you have a covered loss before you commit to the process.

Timing still matters, though. Policies carry reporting deadlines, and hail damage in particular often does not produce a leak for eighteen months or more. Waiting until you see water means the window has likely closed.

Our inspections are free, including the ones where we tell you the damage does not support a claim. See our storm damage services.

1. Locate Your Policy

Find your homeowners policy and write down:

• Insurance company name
• Policy number
• Claim number, once you have one

While you have the policy open, look for three things that determine how the rest of this goes:

• Replacement cost or actual cash value. This matters more than anything else in the document.
• Your wind and hail deductible, which is often separate from your standard deductible and sometimes calculated as a percentage of insured value.
• Any roof age or cosmetic damage exclusions. Both have become more common.

2. File Your Claim

Call your agent to confirm your coverage details and the correct filing procedure. Many carriers also allow filing online.

Write down your claim number as soon as you receive it. Every conversation from here forward will start with someone asking for it.

3. Meet With the Adjuster

After filing, you will typically hear from the carrier within a couple of days to schedule an appointment with a claims adjuster.

Give the adjuster your sales representative’s contact information so the two can coordinate directly. Having your representative present at that inspection matters, because the adjuster is documenting the scope of work that the claim will pay for, and anything missed at that meeting is difficult to add later.

Two things to avoid before the adjuster arrives: do not get on the roof yourself, since walking damaged shingles scuffs granules and breaks seals in ways that muddy the difference between storm damage and foot traffic. And do not sign a contract with any contractor before the scope is agreed.

4. The Adjuster Itemizes the Scope

Once your representative and the adjuster agree on the work required, the claim is approved and the carrier issues paperwork itemizing that scope line by line.

Have your representative review it before you accept. This is where errors surface: missing line items, quantities that do not match the roof, or omitted components like flashing, drip edge, or ventilation that the job actually requires.

If something was missed and is discovered once work begins, it can usually be submitted as a supplement. That is a normal part of the process rather than a problem.

5. Your Check Is Issued

The carrier issues payment for the work. Two things about that check surprise people.

It is often made out to you and your mortgage company jointly. The lender has an interest in the property and requires endorsement before funds are released, sometimes in stages as work progresses. Your representative can walk you through that process, which is routine but slow if you are unfamiliar with it.

It may not be the full amount. Which brings us to the part that causes the most confusion.

The Part Nobody Warns You About

If your policy pays replacement cost, the carrier typically issues the first check for the actual cash value of the work, meaning the replacement cost minus depreciation based on the age of your roof.

That withheld amount is called recoverable depreciation, and you get it in a second check after the work is completed and documentation is submitted. It is not lost. It is held back to ensure the work actually happens.

So the sequence on a replacement cost policy is:

• First check: actual cash value, minus your deductible
• Work is completed and invoiced
• Second check: the recoverable depreciation

Homeowners who do not know this see the first check, conclude the claim was underpaid, and sometimes accept less work than they are entitled to as a result.

If your policy pays actual cash value rather than replacement cost, there is no second check. The depreciation is simply not covered, and the gap is yours. This is why knowing which policy you have matters before a storm rather than after.

Your deductible is yours to pay

Your out of pocket cost is your deductible, plus any upgrades you choose beyond what the claim covers.

Any contractor offering to cover, waive, absorb, or “eat” your deductible is proposing insurance fraud. It is illegal in most states, and the exposure lands on the homeowner as well as the contractor. It is also a reliable indicator of how that company operates generally.

Why Work With Kaiser on Storm Damage

We specialize in storm restoration, and we inspect the whole envelope rather than just the roof: shingles, siding, gutters, and soft metal including window wraps. Soft metals dent at lower impact energy than shingles bruise, which makes them the most reliable evidence that hail was severe enough to matter.

Storm damage is frequently invisible from the ground. A hail bruise looks like nothing and still means that spot will fail years early.

When we find damage, we guide you through the claim and negotiate the correct scope of work with the adjuster. Once the scope is agreed, we complete the installation for the amount your carrier has approved.

Kaiser is an Owens Corning Platinum Preferred Contractor and BBB Accredited, serving Charlotte, Atlanta, and Cincinnati. See our warranty coverage.