Storm damage
We will not sell you a claim that is going to be denied
Oklahoma City gets hail most springs and a storm-chasing industry follows it. Here is what actually constitutes damage, what the claim process looks like, and where it can go wrong.
What roof damage actually looks like
Most of it is invisible from the ground, which is why the free inspection exists and why the door-knocker who says your roof is totalled without going up has not looked at it.
Hail bruising
A soft, dark circle where the granules have been knocked off and the mat underneath is exposed. It does not leak today. It will in two years.
Granules in the gutters
A handful of grit at the downspout after a storm is the shingle surface that is no longer protecting the mat. Useful supporting evidence, not proof on its own.
Creased or lifted shingles
Wind damage. A shingle that has been folded back and laid down again has a crease across it and has lost its seal, even when it looks flat.
Damaged metal
Dents in vents, flashing, gutters and the air conditioner fins date the storm and size the hail. Adjusters look at these first because they cannot be argued with.
Staining in the attic
Dark patches on the deck or the rafters. By the time it is on your ceiling the deck has usually been wet for a season.
Nothing at all
Plenty of roofs come through a hail storm intact. We will tell you that, in writing, and you will have documentation of the roof's condition for the next one.
Guidance only. Whether damage is covered depends on your policy, your carrier and the date of loss. An inspection is the only way to know.
The process
Six stages, start to finish
Written out so you can see how long it takes and where your part of it falls.
Stage one
Free inspection and report
We get on the roof, photograph every slope and mark the damage against a diagram. You get the report by email the same day whether you file or not.
- Who does it
- Us
- Typically takes
- 30 to 60 minutes
What you need to hand
- Somewhere we can park a truck
- Access to the attic if there is any staining
Worth knowing. If we do not think the damage will support a claim we will say so here. A denied claim is not free to you and it can affect your renewal.
Illustrative timeline for demonstration. Claim handling varies by carrier and policy. Replace with your own process before launch.
The words on your settlement document
Insurers write in a dialect. These are the six terms that decide what you actually receive.
| Date of loss | The day the storm happened, not the day you noticed. It starts the clock on your filing window. |
|---|---|
| RCV | Replacement cost value. What it costs to rebuild the roof today, before anything is subtracted. |
| ACV | Actual cash value. RCV minus depreciation for the age of the roof. This is usually the first cheque. |
| Recoverable depreciation | The gap between ACV and RCV, released once the work is finished and invoiced. On a policy that is not replacement cost, it is not released at all. |
| Deductible | Your share, subtracted from the settlement. In Oklahoma it is often a percentage of the insured value rather than a flat sum. |
| Supplement | A line item added after work starts, usually for damage that could not be seen until the roof came off. It needs photographs. |
Active leak or storm damage?
We tarp emergency leaks seven days a week.
Emergency tarping is billed separately from the repair and is almost always covered by the claim. We photograph the damage before we cover it, which is what the adjuster will want to see.
What people ask in the driveway
Sample answers for demonstration. Replace with your own before launch.
They may be, but they did not get on the roof to find out. After a hail event this metro fills up with out-of-state crews working door to door. Some are competent. The ones that are gone by autumn are the problem, because a workmanship warranty is only worth the company still existing.
No. Carriers maintain preferred contractor networks and you are free to use them, but you are not obliged to. You choose who works on your house.
We put together a supplement with photographs and measurements and submit it. That is routine, and it is most of what happens between the first cheque and the last.
Check your policy. One year from the date of loss is common in this state, and carriers do enforce it. If a storm went through last spring and you have not looked, that is the call to make this week.
Yes, seven days a week. Emergency tarping is billed separately and is almost always covered. We photograph the damage before we cover it, because that is what the adjuster will want to see.
Storm went through and you are not sure?
We will climb up, photograph it and tell you, free, whether or not there is a claim in it.