Storm damage - and how the claim actually works

What is storm damage roof repair?

Storm damage roof repair is different from ordinary roof repair in one respect that changes everything about how you approach it: somebody else may be paying. That makes documentation and the claim process as important as the roofing itself. Insurance covers sudden accidental damage - hail, wind, impact - and does not cover a roof that has simply worn out, so the whole exercise turns on proving which one you have.

Signs you need storm damage roof repair

• Circular bruises on shingles that feel soft when pressed, with granules missing and the mat exposed - the hail signature
• Shingles lifted, creased across the middle, or torn away entirely, usually concentrated on one elevation - the wind signature
• Dents in soft metal on the property: gutters, downspouts, vents, flashing, the AC condenser fins. This is what an adjuster checks first because it dates and sizes the hail
• A sudden spike in granules in the gutters or at the base of downspouts after a storm
• Impact damage from a branch or debris, whether or not it broke through
• Interior staining that appeared within days of a named storm
• Neighbours on the same street having roofs replaced under claim - hail is a neighbourhood event, not a house-by-house one

Seeing something not on this list? Browse roofing problems by symptom →

How storm damage roof repair actually works

1. 1

   Document before anything is touched or tarped

   Wide and close photographs of each elevation, of the soft metal, of the gutters, of interior damage, all dated. Note the date of the storm and keep any weather report or local news coverage naming it.

   Watch forRepairs made before documentation. Once the evidence is off the roof, you are asking an adjuster to accept a description of something they cannot see. Emergency stabilisation is expected and covered - just photograph first.

2. 2

   Get an independent assessment of whether there is a claim at all

   A roof inspection tells you the extent and, importantly, whether the damage plausibly exceeds your deductible. Small, genuinely repairable damage on a policy with a high wind-and-hail deductible often should not be claimed at all.

   Watch forFiling first and finding out afterwards. A claim that is filed and then withdrawn or denied still appears on your claims history, and claims history influences renewal pricing.

3. 3

   File the claim - and start a paper trail on day one

   Report the date of loss, the type of storm, and the damage. Keep the claim number, the adjuster's name and every piece of correspondence. Follow up phone calls with a short email summarising what was said.

   Watch forAgreeing anything verbally. Insurance disputes are resolved on documents. A two-line email confirming a phone conversation is the cheapest insurance you will ever buy.

4. 4

   Understand your deductible before the adjuster arrives

   Many policies in hail-prone regions carry a separate wind-and-hail deductible calculated as a percentage of the dwelling coverage rather than a flat amount, which makes it considerably larger than people expect. Read the declarations page.

   Watch forA contractor offering to "cover", "waive" or "eat" your deductible. Insurance requires you to pay it. An arrangement that hides it - usually by inflating the invoice - is fraud, and you are a party to it.

5. 5

   The adjuster meeting - the part that decides your settlement

   Be there. Have your contractor there too if you can arrange it. Walk the roof together where possible, point out each elevation you believe is damaged, and make sure the soft-metal evidence is seen and recorded. Adjusters often use a test square - a marked-out area where hail hits are counted to establish density.

   Watch forOne elevation inspected and the rest assumed. Damage is directional; the slope facing the storm may be destroyed while the opposite slope is untouched. If only one slope was walked, ask for the others in writing.

6. 6

   Read the scope of loss line by line

   You receive an itemised estimate. Check it against your roof: are all damaged slopes present, is the correct number of squares listed, does it include tear-off, underlayment, ice barrier, drip edge, flashing, ventilation, ridge, permits and disposal? Check whether it is settled at replacement cost or actual cash value.

   Watch forActual cash value settlements mistaken for the whole payout. Under replacement cost cover, the insurer withholds depreciation until the work is done and you claim it back - so the first cheque is deliberately less than the job. Under actual cash value, depreciation is gone for good.

7. 7

   Supplements - how the number gets corrected

   A supplement is a formal request to add to the approved scope: items missed, quantities understated, code-required upgrades discovered at tear-off, or price changes. It is a normal part of the process, not a dispute, and it is submitted with documentation and photographs.

   Watch forA contractor who says the settlement is what it is and signs you up to the shortfall. Supplementing is routine work for a competent storm contractor. If yours will not do it, that tells you something about who they are set up to serve.

8. 8

   If the claim is denied or underpaid

   You can request the adjuster's report and photographs, ask for a re-inspection with a different adjuster, invoke the appraisal clause in your policy where one exists, or escalate to your state insurance department. Each of these is a normal consumer remedy.

   Watch forAssuming the first answer is final. Denials citing "wear and tear" on a roof with a documented storm date are routinely revisited when the counter-evidence is organised and the request is specific.

What does storm damage roof repair cost?

What you personally pay is usually your deductible, not the repair price - assuming the claim is approved and the scope is right. Uninsured storm repairs are priced like ordinary roof work, by area and access. Our cost guide covers both paths.

See the full storm damage roof repair cost guide - by material, size and region →

If the number is the problem, here are the ways people pay for it →

Check your roof's age before you argue wear versus storm → Roof age is the first thing an adjuster weighs against a storm date.