Adjuster or Roofer First?
When you spot damage on your roof, it’s tempting to call the insurance company right away. However, to make sure you get enough money for the repairs, you should always bring in a professional roofer before you report anything to insurance.
Having a roofer look at the building first gives you a private expert who is on your side. They will find every bit of damage so you can hand over a complete report to the insurance company.
Why the Order Matters
The insurance adjuster’s job is to look for damage, but they often work for the company paying the bill. If they miss something, your claim might be under-scoped, which means you won’t get enough money to fix the roof properly.
- A roofer acts as your advocate to ensure no small leaks or cracks are ignored.
- They provide a detailed “scope of work” that you can use to compare against the insurance company’s offer.
- Starting with a roofer prevents surprises that could lead to you paying out of pocket later.
Will Asking Count as a Claim?
Many property managers worry that just calling to ask a question will hurt their record. Unfortunately, simply calling your insurance company to ask about a leak can often count as a claim on the property’s record.
Insurance companies track every time you call about a specific issue. Even if they don’t pay out any money, that “inquiry” stays on your history and could potentially raise your rates.
- Insurance carriers record inquiries as “zero-dollar claims,” which still look like a risk to them.
- The safest way to ask questions is to talk to your independent agent rather than the main claims hotline.
- Get a professional inspection first so you know for sure if a claim is even worth filing before you pick up the phone.
Documentation Needed
To get a claim approved without a fight, you need a mountain of evidence. For a strong insurance claim, you should collect wide shots of the roof, close-up photos of damage, recent maintenance invoices, and a professional roof impact report.
Think of your documentation as a story that proves the damage is new and wasn’t caused by neglect. If you have “before” photos from a recent inspection, those are worth their weight in gold.
- Photos from multiple angles show the full extent of the storm’s impact.
- Invoices for past repairs prove that you have been taking good care of the property.
- A professional roofer’s report provides the technical language adjusters need to see.
- Weather reports from the date of the damage can help link the leak to a specific storm event.
Avoiding Maintenance-Based Denials
If insurance denies a claim because they say you didn’t take care of the roof, it can be a major headache. To avoid “lack of maintenance” denials, you should switch to a proactive management process that includes scheduled annual inspections and keeping a detailed log of every minor repair.
Carriers often look for pre-existing wear and tear to avoid paying for a new roof. If you can show a paper trail of regular upkeep, it becomes much harder for them to blame the damage on neglect.
- Perform roof walk-throughs every spring and fall to catch small issues before they become big claims.
- Save every receipt and service report in a central property file so you can prove the roof was in good shape.
- Clear gutters and debris regularly to show you are preventing water buildup and related damage.
- Use a roof management software to store “before and after” photos that prove exactly when damage occurred.
