The roof insurance claim process

Every step of a roof claim, in order

Documentation, adjuster visits, estimates, supplements and state rules. Education only. We do not file or negotiate claims.

What this site is for

What you do in the first 48 hours decides the claim

Dated photographs taken before any repair are the evidence the whole claim rests on.

The adjuster estimate is an opening position

It is a document produced quickly from a limited inspection. Missing line items are normal and can be supplemented.

Deadlines are real and they are short

Notice periods, proof of loss and suits limitation clauses all run on the clock, and missing one ends the claim.

48 hrsWindow to photograph damage before anything gets touched
3Estimates worth having before you agree a scope
60 daysCommon proof of loss deadline once the carrier requests it
SupplementThe step most owners never take, and the one that closes the gap

About this reference

A process, not a fight


Most roof claims are not denied out of malice. They are underpaid because nobody on the owner's side read the estimate line by line.

This site teaches you to read it.

We are not public adjusters and we are not lawyers. Where you need one, we say so and tell you how to find one licensed in your state.

Read our methodology

The pillars

Where to start

The documentation checklist

What to photograph, what to write down and what to keep, from the storm to the final payment.

Open it
  • Dated wide and close photographs
  • Weather report for the loss date
  • Policy declarations page
  • Every call logged with a name
  • Adjuster estimate, line by line
  • Contractor scope and invoices