Insurance restoration is a different business from retail roofing. The homeowner is not the only decision-maker, the price list is not yours, and the calendar has legal teeth. This guide maps the claim lifecycle from the storm to the depreciation check, and the places contractors most often leave money behind.
One line of caution before the map: this is operational guidance for contractors, not legal advice, and state rules on what a contractor may do in a claim vary widely.
1. The storm and the evidence
Every claim rests on a date of loss and proof that a covered peril hit the property on that date. Verified weather history (hail size, wind speeds, storm reports near the address) is the backbone: it anchors the date of loss, supports causation against wear-and-tear arguments, and matters more as the claim ages. Pull it early and attach it to the file. RoofGrid generates a court-ready NOAA weather evidence report for any address and date, and can scan up to three years of verified storms to find the strongest date of loss when the homeowner is not sure when the damage happened.
2. Inspection and documentation
The inspection produces the two things every later argument depends on: photos and measurements. Photograph systematically: overview shots of every slope, close-ups of representative damage (chalk-circled hail bruises, creased or lifted shingles), collateral damage (gutters, screens, soft metals) that corroborates the storm, and every penetration. Date-stamped, address-tagged photos organized by job beat a camera roll every time an adjuster pushes back.
3. Filing and the adjuster meeting
The homeowner files; the carrier assigns a claim number and an adjuster. Be at the adjuster inspection. The adjuster walks the roof once, and scope that does not make their notes has to be fought in later by supplement. Bring the takeoff, the photo set and the weather evidence, and walk the same slopes together.
4. The estimate gap and supplements
The carrier estimate usually arrives written in Xactimate against their price list, and it usually starts lower than the real scope: code-required items (ice and water shield, drip edge, ventilation), steep/high charges, tear-off layers and accessory lines are the common gaps. The supplement is where the gap closes. A good supplement is boring: an itemized list, a photo for every disputed line, the code citation where code drives the item, and a clean cover letter. RoofGrid tracks the supplement workflow per claim and drafts the supporting letters for your review.
5. ACV, RCV and the depreciation release
On replacement-cost policies the money arrives in stages: the ACV check up front, the recoverable depreciation after completion. The depreciation release is the most commonly abandoned dollar in restoration: it requires invoicing the carrier with completion documentation after the build, when the office is already three storms further down the road. Track it per claim with a date and an owner, or accept that some percentage of your settled jobs will quietly close short.
6. Deadlines with teeth
Claims run on statutory clocks: prompt-payment windows, proof-of-loss deadlines, supplemental claim windows (Florida, for example, has hard statutory limits on how long after a loss a claim or supplement can be filed), and policy-level requirements. Miss one and scope you earned becomes scope you donated. This is calendar work, not talent work: every claim needs its dates computed at intake and watched by something that does not go on vacation. RoofGrid's deadline engine watches the statutory windows per claim so a 60-day clock never blows silently.
7. Where restoration shops leave money
- Unclaimed O&P on legitimately multi-trade jobs.
- Depreciation never invoiced after completion.
- Supplements never written because the photos were never organized.
- Deadlines missedbecause the dates lived in someone's head.
- Weak storm evidence assembled months late, after the imagery and memories aged.
None of these are sales problems. They are systems problems, which is good news: systems are buildable. That is the thesis behind RoofGrid's claims engine: storm evidence, carrier intel, deadlines, supplements and the depreciation release, tracked per claim on every plan.
Common questions
What is the difference between ACV and RCV?
RCV (replacement cost value) is what it costs to replace the roof today. ACV (actual cash value) is RCV minus depreciation for age and wear. On an RCV policy the carrier typically pays ACV up front and releases the recoverable depreciation after the work is completed and documented. Shops that never invoice for the depreciation release leave that money with the carrier.
What is O&P in a roofing claim?
Overhead and profit, commonly 10% + 10% on top of the trade costs. Carriers customarily pay O&P when a general contractor is warranted, often argued when a job involves three or more trades (roofing plus gutters, siding, painting, etc.). It is routinely left off initial estimates and routinely paid when properly supported.
What is a supplement?
A supplement is a documented request to add scope or cost the adjuster's initial estimate missed: code-required items, hidden damage found during tear-off, missed line items, or market pricing gaps. Supplements live or die on documentation: photos, code citations and a clean itemized request.
Can a contractor negotiate with the insurance carrier?
Rules differ sharply by state. Contractors can document damage, provide estimates and supplement for scope, but negotiating coverage on behalf of the insured can cross into public adjusting or unauthorized practice, which are licensed activities. Know your state line; when a claim needs advocacy, that is what licensed public adjusters are for.