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Roof claims are won on documentation and lost on paperwork. Somewhere on your declarations page, roof surfacing is settled either at replacement cost value or actual cash value, and on a fifteen year old shingle roof the difference between those two phrases can be most of the project cost. This guide walks the nine step sequence that works: document with dated photographs before anything else, make the roof safe without making permanent repairs, read your declarations for the settlement basis and the wind or hail deductible, report promptly, obtain an independent itemised estimate before the adjuster arrives, attend the inspection, compare the carrier's worksheet line by line, supplement in writing with photographs attached, then complete the work and invoice to release recoverable depreciation. It includes a table of what is usually covered and excluded, the seven worksheet lines that are most often understated, and what to do when a claim is denied or the settlement falls short.
A roof insurance claim turns on two things: whether the damage is from a covered peril, and whether you can document it. Storm, hail and wind are usually covered. Wear, age and neglect are not.
| Actual cash value | Replacement cost | |
|---|---|---|
| Pays | Replacement cost minus depreciation for age | Full replacement cost |
| On a 15-year-old roof | A fraction of the cost | The cost |
| Paid how | One settlement | Usually two — ACV first, the rest on completion |
| Recoverable depreciation | No | Yes, once the work is invoiced |
Which one your policy uses matters far more than the deductible on an older roof, and it is worth checking before a storm rather than after one.
An assignment of benefits hands your claim to the contractor, who then deals with the insurer directly and is paid by them. It can be convenient. It also means you are no longer in control of the claim, and some jurisdictions have seen it abused badly. Read what you are signing, and never sign it on the doorstep under time pressure.
For damage from a covered peril — storm, hail, wind — usually yes. For wear, age and neglect, no. Which of those an adjuster concludes is what the claim turns on.
Make the property safe and stop further damage, then photograph everything with dates before any repair. Emergency measures like tarping are usually reimbursable, and the photographs are what the claim rests on.
Read it very carefully first. It hands your claim to the contractor and takes you out of control of it. Never sign one on the doorstep under time pressure.
On a replacement cost policy, the difference between the actual cash value paid up front and the full replacement cost. It is released once the work is completed and invoiced.
Insurer paying actual cash value? The roof depreciation calculator shows how much age takes off the payout.
Adjuster due soon? The roof inspection checklist is what to photograph first.
Paying for an independent report? Check the going rate with the roof inspection cost calculator.