Storm Restoration

Start from the ground and look at the soft metal. Gutters, downspouts, window wrapping, vents, screens and the fins on your air conditioner dent before shingles show obvious damage, so they are the honest early indicator.

Also check whether granules have collected in the gutters or at the bottom of downspouts. If a storm went through your neighborhood and neighbors are getting roofs done, it is worth having yours looked at before the claim window closes.

These two explain why the first check is smaller than the estimate. Actual cash value is replacement cost minus depreciation for age and condition. Replacement cost value is the full cost to replace.

Many policies pay actual cash value first, then release the withheld depreciation after the work is completed and documented. Some policies are actual cash value only and never release the difference. Your declarations page states which you have. We are not insurance professionals and cannot interpret your policy, but we provide the completion documentation your carrier asks for.

It depends on your carrier and history. Weather-related claims are generally treated differently from at-fault claims, and after a widespread hail event most of a region files at once. Rate changes in Colorado have been driven heavily by statewide hail losses rather than any single household.

Your agent can answer this for your policy, and it is worth a five-minute call. What we would push back on is the opposite mistake: leaving real damage unrepaired to avoid a claim, which costs more later when it becomes a leak.

After a significant hailstorm, out-of-state crews work the neighborhoods hard and leave before anyone needs a warranty honored. Some are fine. Many are not. What to look for:

• A local address and a track record you can check
• A Colorado contractor licence and verifiable insurance
• Willingness to tell you your roof is fine when it is fine
• No offer to pay or waive your deductible, which is prohibited here
• No request to sign over your claim on the first visit
• A warranty from a company that will still be here

On an approved claim, normally your deductible plus any upgrades you choose beyond what the policy covers. A common example is moving to impact-resistant shingles, where the insurer pays the like-for-like replacement and you pay the difference.

If damage is limited and falls below your deductible, a claim may not be worth filing at all, and we will tell you when that is the case.

Please do not. Hail damage is difficult to identify without knowing what you are looking at, walking a roof causes damage that can complicate a claim, and falls from roofs are a leading cause of serious home injury. Everything a homeowner needs to check can be seen from the ground.

Denials happen, most often on older roofs where the carrier attributes the condition to age rather than a storm. If we believe the inspection missed something, we can re-inspect and provide additional documentation for you to submit.

What we cannot do is negotiate the claim on your behalf, because Colorado law does not permit a contractor to act as a public adjuster. If you want someone to represent you in the claim itself, that is a licensed public adjuster, a separate profession.

It depends on your policy. Some Colorado policies carry a cosmetic damage exclusion, meaning dents that do not affect function, such as on metal roofing or gutters, may not be covered even though the damage is visible. Worth knowing before a storm rather than after, so check your declarations page or ask your agent.