Storm claims are decided largely on evidence collected in the first few days - and much of the relevant damage sits where nobody looks. Hail bruising on shingles is often invisible from the ground. Wind damage frequently shows as lifted or creased material rather than anything obviously missing.
Two things then work against the claim. The evidence degrades, because subsequent weather alters what the original storm did. And repairs get made, because a leaking roof cannot wait for an appointment.
Make the property safe and stop further damage
Temporary protection such as tarping is normally expected under the policy. Photograph before covering anything.
Document everything before repairs
Exterior, interior, and dated wide shots that establish the whole property.
Check the declarations page
Wind and hail may carry a separate percentage deductible.
This is where the surprise usually is
Report the claim
Policies contain notice requirements and states set their own limits.
The adjuster inspects
Be present if you can. Point out what you found rather than assuming it will be seen.
The estimate and settlement offer arrive
Often depreciated on roofs, with a portion withheld until work is done.
Repairs completed and documented
Where replacement cost applies, the withheld amount is released against evidence of completion.
The claim is largely won or lost at step two, before any insurer has looked at anything.
The deductible is often not the one you remember
This catches more people than any other feature of storm claims.
Many property policies in hail and wind-exposed regions carry a separate wind and hail deductible, calculated as a percentage of the dwelling coverage rather than as a flat amount. A policy with a modest standard deductible can carry a percentage deductible for storm damage that runs to several times that figure.
It is disclosed on the declarations page. It is also easy to miss, because a percentage does not look like a deductible until it is converted into money.
Read that page before you do anything else, and work out the actual figure in dollars. It determines whether a claim is worth making at all - and a claim made and then abandoned still appears in your claims history.
Document before anything is touched
Take far more than seems necessary, and take it early.
Wide shots that establish the property. Each elevation from a distance, so individual damage photographs can later be located on the building.
The roof, safely. Do not climb it after a storm. A drone, a zoom lens from ground level, or a licensed inspector are all safer, and hail bruising frequently does not show at all from below - a professional inspection may be the only way to record it.
Interior evidence. Water staining on ceilings, damp patches, and anything that has begun to lift or discolour. Interior damage often appears days later, so repeat the walk-through.
The surroundings. Damage to fences, outbuildings, vehicles, garden furniture and neighbouring properties helps establish storm severity at your specific address, which matters when an insurer questions whether a storm reached you.
Dates on everything. Photograph a dated newspaper or ensure device timestamps are on. Establishing when damage appeared is frequently the disputed point.
Keep any material that comes off the building - shingles, siding, flashing - somewhere dry. Physical evidence carries weight that photographs sometimes do not.
Temporary repairs are expected; permanent ones are not
Policies generally require reasonable steps to prevent further damage. Tarping a roof, boarding a window or shutting off water are normally expected rather than held against you.
Two rules make this safe:
Photograph before covering. Once a tarp is on, the damage beneath it is unverifiable.
Keep every receipt. Materials, labour, equipment hire. Reasonable emergency mitigation costs are commonly recoverable, and they are recoverable only against documentation.
Permanent repairs before the adjuster has inspected are a different proposition. Where they cannot wait, tell the insurer in advance, in writing, and document exhaustively before the work starts.
Why the roof cheque looks small
Roof settlements are the most common source of surprise in storm claims, and the explanation is usually depreciation rather than an error.
Many policies settle roofs on an actual cash value basis, or apply a depreciation schedule geared to the age of the roof. A twenty-year-old roof carries substantial depreciation, so the initial payment can fall well short of what replacement costs today.
Where replacement cost cover applies, the withheld difference - often called recoverable depreciation - is commonly released once the work is actually completed and evidenced. That has a practical consequence: if you never do the work, or do it without documenting it, the withheld portion may be lost. The distinction between the two settlement bases is set out in more detail separately, and it is worth understanding before the offer arrives rather than after.
Storm damage documentation checklist
Make the property safe first
Nothing here is worth an injury. Do not climb a storm-damaged roof.
Photograph every elevation from a distance
Establishes the property and locates later close-ups.
Record the roof safely
Drone, zoom lens, or a licensed inspector. Hail bruising rarely shows from the ground.
Walk the interior and repeat it after a few days
Staining and damp often appear later.
Photograph surrounding damage
Fences, outbuildings, vehicles, neighbouring properties.
Keep detached material
Shingles, siding, flashing - stored dry.
Check the declarations page for a wind and hail deductible
Often a percentage of dwelling coverage. Convert it to dollars.
Photograph before any tarping or boarding
Covered damage cannot be verified afterwards.
Keep receipts for all emergency work
Reasonable mitigation costs are commonly recoverable with documentation.
Note the storm date and keep local weather reports
Establishes that a storm reached your address on the date claimed.
Be present at the adjuster inspection
Point out what you found rather than assuming it will be noticed.
Request the estimate and read the depreciation lines
Understand what is withheld and what releases it.
Log every call with date, name and what was said
Storm seasons generate volume, and files change hands.
Policy terms, deductible structures, notice requirements and roof settlement rules vary by policy and by state. Read your own declarations page and policy wording, and confirm state-specific questions with your department of insurance.
Contractors who arrive uninvited
After a significant storm, contractors canvass affected neighbourhoods. Some are established local firms. Some are not, and the difference matters more than the initial conversation suggests.
Be careful what you sign. Some agreements presented at the door assign your rights under the claim to the contractor, or commit you to using them regardless of what the insurer ultimately approves. Read anything before signing it, and decline to sign on the doorstep.
Be wary of offers to cover your deductible. Absorbing a deductible is a misrepresentation of the loss, and it exposes the homeowner as well as the contractor.
Check licensing and local presence. A firm with a permanent address in your area is reachable when a repair fails two winters later.
Get more than one estimate, and get them in writing with a breakdown by line rather than a single figure.
None of this means declining help. It means treating a doorstep contract the way you would treat any other contract signed under time pressure.
Keeping the claim file
Storm claims run for months and pass between people. The file is what holds the position together: the dated photographs, the weather records, the receipts for emergency work, the estimates, the insurer's own estimate, the correspondence log, and the proof of loss if one is required.
A standing home inventory makes contents claims dramatically easier, and it is far easier to build before a loss than after one.
If the claim is denied or the settlement falls well short of documented evidence, the appeal process sets out the escalation route.
When to take advice
This explains how storm claims are usually documented and settled. It does not tell you what your policy covers, what your claim is worth, or whether a particular settlement is reasonable on your facts.
Speak to a licensed attorney in your state if a substantial claim is denied and the reasoning does not match the policy wording, if you are asked to sign a release you do not fully understand, or if a contractor asserts rights over your claim. A licensed public adjuster can represent you on the claim itself for a fee, which is sometimes worthwhile on larger losses. Your state department of insurance accepts complaints about claims handling at no cost, and storm-season handling is among the more common subjects of them.