Your Insurance Company's Adjuster Works for Them — Not You
When you file a storm damage claim, your insurance carrier assigns an adjuster to assess the damage. That adjuster is an employee or contractor of the insurance company. Their job is to assess the damage accurately — but their incentive structure is not aligned with maximizing your settlement.
Adjusters often miss damage that isn't immediately obvious. Granule loss from hail impact, lifted shingle seal strips, and compromised flashings require experience to identify. An adjuster doing a 30-minute roof walk may not see — or may not document — all of what's there.
The result is initial settlements that often undervalue the actual scope of damage, leaving homeowners paying out of pocket for costs insurance should cover, or accepting a partial repair when a full replacement is warranted.
This isn't cynicism — it's the consistent reality we see on every adjuster meeting we attend. Having a contractor present during the assessment changes the dynamic and the outcome.
The honest number: In our experience accompanying adjusters, the initial settlement offer is frequently incomplete — missing damage items, undervaluing labor, or not accounting for full replacement when a partial repair isn't viable.
Homeowners who go through the process alone often don't know what was left off the estimate. They accept the settlement, pay more than their deductible, and never realize they could have gotten more.
Homeowners who work with us from the start — through inspection, adjuster meeting, and supplementing — consistently achieve better outcomes. Our involvement costs you nothing extra. We're paid from the approved claim when the work is completed.
How We Handle Your Claim
We're involved at every step — not just at the end to install shingles. Here's exactly what we do.
Free Inspection
We get on your roof and document every piece of storm damage — hail impacts, lifted shingles, damaged flashings, granule loss, and anything else that supports a claim. You receive a written report with photographs.
Damage Documentation
Our damage reports are thorough and professionally formatted in the way insurance carriers need to process claims efficiently. This reduces back-and-forth and establishes a clear evidence baseline that's hard to dispute.
Adjuster Accompaniment
We meet your adjuster on-site and walk the roof with them. We point out every documented damage item, advocate for full recognition of the scope, and ensure nothing gets glossed over. The adjuster knows they're being held accountable to the evidence.
Supplement Writing
When the initial settlement undervalues or misses damage items, we write and submit a detailed supplement — with line-item documentation of everything the original assessment left out. Supplements are a normal, legitimate part of the claims process and carriers respond to well-documented ones.
Most Homeowners Pay Only Their Deductible
When a storm damage claim is handled correctly, your homeowner's insurance covers the full cost of replacement — materials, tear-off, labor, and disposal. Your out-of-pocket expense is just your deductible.
Insurance policies are designed this way deliberately — your premium payments fund replacement coverage for exactly this scenario. You're not asking for anything extraordinary. You're using the coverage you've been paying for.
The typical deductible for Ohio and Kentucky homeowners ranges from $500 to $2,500 depending on policy. For that amount, you get a complete new roof installation with full manufacturer warranty.
If your deductible is a concern, ask us about financing options — we offer 0–5% interest with terms up to 15 years, so you can spread even the deductible over time if needed.
Typical Claim Breakdown
Actual coverage depends on your specific policy, insurer, and claim. ACV vs. RCV policies differ. We'll walk you through your specific situation during the free inspection.
5 Mistakes That Cost Homeowners Thousands
These are the most common errors we see homeowners make when handling storm damage claims on their own — and how each one affects the outcome.
Waiting Too Long to File
Most policies have a claim filing window of 1–2 years from the date of the storm event. Miss it and the claim is denied regardless of the severity of damage. Homeowners often discover their deadline has passed when they finally get around to dealing with persistent leaks — and by then, there's nothing we can do to recover the claim. The free inspection costs nothing. There's no reason to delay.
Potential cost: Full replacement out of pocketLetting the Adjuster Inspect Alone
An adjuster completing a solo inspection has no one challenging their assessment. Without a contractor on the roof simultaneously, damage items get missed, minimized, or categorized as wear-and-tear rather than storm damage. You typically don't find out what was left off until you see the settlement letter — and by then, the adjuster has already filed their report. Getting us there first, or alongside the adjuster, changes what ends up in that report.
Potential cost: $2,000–$8,000+ in missed scopeAccepting the First Settlement Without Review
Insurance companies issue an initial settlement estimate. Many homeowners assume this is the final, non-negotiable number. It isn't. Supplements — requests for additional coverage based on missed or undervalued items — are a standard, accepted part of the claims process. Carriers receive them constantly. A well-documented supplement routinely results in meaningful increases to initial settlement amounts. Don't sign off on the first offer without having someone review it who knows what a full replacement actually costs.
Potential cost: $1,500–$5,000+ left on the tableHiring the Cheapest Contractor Post-Claim
Once a claim is approved, some homeowners shop for the lowest bid to pocket the difference between the settlement and the job cost. The math seems appealing — but a cheap contractor cutting corners on materials or installation voids your manufacturer warranty, eliminates your protection against installation defects, and often results in problems within years that you'll then pay to fix out of pocket. Use the approved settlement for exactly what it's approved for: a quality replacement that will last.
Potential cost: Early failure, voided warranty, future repairsNot Documenting Damage Before Temporary Repairs
If you have an active leak after a storm, you're required by your policy to take reasonable steps to prevent further damage — tarping, for instance. That's fine and appropriate. But make sure the underlying damage is thoroughly photographed and documented before any repairs cover it. Tarping over a hail pattern and then removing the tarp before the adjuster visits can leave you unable to prove the original damage. Document everything first, then protect the property.
Potential cost: Claim denial or reduced settlementInsurance Claims FAQ
Don't Navigate the Claim Alone
Free inspection, full documentation, adjuster accompaniment, supplement writing. We handle it — you get a new roof and pay your deductible.