When your roof has been damaged by a windstorm, hail, or other major weather event, your first instinct is to contact your homeowner’s insurance to file a roof replacement claim. While that is the logical initial step, you need to double-check your policy before you pick up the phone. Most homeowner’s insurance policies will cover roof replacement if the damage was caused by wind, hail, heavy snow, lightning, fire, ice, and other disasters. They will usually not pay out if your roof was damaged due to homeowner neglect or if the roof is old. (The industry standard is 20 years.) If you’ve overcome that hurdle, the next step is to review your policy.

Insurance provides two types of coverage for roof replacement and it’s important to understand the terms of your policy. Actual Cash Value (ACV) covers only the depreciated cost of your roof and Replacement Cost Value (RCV) covers the cost to replace the roof minus depreciation. In other words, you can get a new version of your current roof. Once the roof is replaced, you will receive a second check from the insurance company for the depreciated amount. If you want to update your roof, such as using a different type of shingles, then the additional cost is out of pocket. One important note is that you can’t negotiate with an insurance company. You must abide by the terms of the policy. However, you can fight for extra money by filing a roofing supplement. This is a request for extra money if you run into unforeseen issues such as an increase in materials prices or alterations to your roof need to be made to comply with updated building codes.

Before you file an insurance claim, you’ll need proof of damage. This is where a trusted roofing company can help by conducting a roof inspection. A roofer will get up on your roof to survey and document the damage. Don’t try this yourself. Not only is it dangerous, but you won’t know what you’re looking for. A skilled roofing company will have experience working with insurance companies and understand what type of claims substantiation is required.

After the roof inspection is completed, you can file the claim. At that point, your insurance company will send a claims adjuster to your home to assess the damage and approve the claim. Many insurance companies prefer to send the reimbursement check directly to the roofing company instead of the homeowners. Many of these safeguards have been put in place to prevent insurance fraud.