Storm Damage? Hail, Wind, or Both

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Here's Everything You Need to Know About the Roof Insurance Claim Process

After a storm rolls through, the last thing you need is more confusion, but that’s exactly what most homeowners face. Between contractors knocking on your door, neighbors sharing conflicting advice, and insurance adjusters using terms you’ve never heard, filing a roof insurance claim can feel like a second disaster. Whether your damage came from hail, high winds, fallen trees, or a combination of all three, the claims process works the same way, and it’s more straightforward than you think. Hail cracks and bruises shingles, wind lifts and tears them off, and most storms cause both. 

The three steps of a roof insurance claim — Liberty Roofing Pros, PA, OH and WV

Insurance Claims in 3 Steps

Our Simple 3-Step Process for a Stress-Free Insurance Claim

Roof Insurance Claim in PA, OH & WV By Liberty Roofing Pros

One of our experienced inspectors performs a thorough inspection of your roof, siding, gutters, soffits, fascia, and any other areas that may have been affected, whether the damage came from hail, wind, or both. We document everything with photos and detailed notes.

What this means for you: You get an honest assessment of whether you have damage worth filing a claim for before you call your insurance company. 

Why it matters: Filing a claim without legitimate damage can count against your claims history. Our inspection helps you make an informed decision.

If we confirm storm damage, we ask you to sign an agreement committing to use Liberty Roofing Pros for the repair work if your insurance claim is approved. This is a contingency agreement; you owe us nothing unless the claim is approved.

What this means for you: This agreement protects both of us. It means we can invest serious time into documenting your damage and preparing detailed estimates, knowing that when the work is approved, you’ve chosen us to do it.

We attend the adjuster’s inspection and walk them through the damage we’ve documented. We prepare our own detailed Xactimate estimate covering every line item. If the adjuster’s scope is missing items we found, we submit a supplement estimate with the additional line items and supporting documentation.

What this means for you: You have a professional roofing team that knows how to thoroughly document storm damage and prepare accurate estimates using the same software insurance companies use. You stay in control of your claim.

Why We Ask You to Sign a Commitment Agreement

The reality of what goes into supporting an insurance claim: It involves hours of professional work, initial inspection, photo documentation, preparing a detailed Xactimate estimate, being on-site during the adjuster’s visit, reviewing the adjuster’s scope against our findings, preparing supplement estimates, and sometimes attending re-inspections.

Roof Damage Insruance Claim in PA, OH & WV By Liberty Roofing Pros

Why a commitment protects the homeowner too:

When we know you’re committed, we invest everything into making sure the documentation is thorough and the estimates are accurate. That level of effort only makes sense with mutual commitment.

What the agreement IS and IS NOT:

• It IS a commitment to use LRP for the repair work if the claim is approved and funded.
• It IS NOT an assignment of benefits (AOB) — you retain full control of your insurance claim.
• It IS NOT a blank check — you’ll see every line item before work begins.
• You owe nothing if the claim is denied

The Truth About "Getting Three Estimates"

The Myth ❌
Your insurance company told you to get three estimates.” Homeowners hear this constantly, from adjusters, neighbors, and the internet. But here’s what most people don’t realize about how insurance claims actually work.

The Reality ✅
There is no law or universal policy requiring three estimates. This is an old practice that has persisted as a myth. Some adjusters still say it out of habit, but it is not a standard requirement for claim approval. 

Multiple estimates can actually hurt your claim ⚠️
• Different contractors inspect different areas — creating scope confusion, not clarity.
• If one estimate is lower, the insurance company may use it to justify paying less.
• Collecting multiple bids delays your claim — and delay doesn’t help you.
• Contractors willing to give a quick “estimate” on a storm claim may not understand the insurance
process.

Why You Should Choose Your Own Contractor

You have the legal right to choose your own contractor. In PA, OH, and WV, your insurance policy typically does not require you to use a “preferred vendor.” Some policies have a Preferred Contractor Endorsement; review the language carefully, but in most cases, the choice is yours.

Why insurance companies push preferred vendors:

• Preferred vendors agree to accept the insurer’s scope and pricing without question.
• This benefits the insurance company because it keeps costs down.
• It may not benefit you, the vendor has less incentive to document damage beyond what the adjuster already noted.

What happens when you choose a contractor who does their own thorough inspection:

• We inspect independently and document every bit of damage.
• We prepare our own detailed Xactimate estimate with every component.
• If our inspection finds items the adjuster missed, we submit a supplement estimate.
• We don’t accept an incomplete scope, we make sure our estimate reflects the real condition of your roof.

Insurance Claims in PA, OH & WV By Liberty Roofing Pros

Scope of Work vs. Price

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1. The adjuster visits. After a storm, they may inspect dozens of properties per week  typically 20-45
minutes per roof.
2. They enter what they find into Xactimate. If they miss an item, it doesn’t get priced. If it’s not priced, it’s not covered.
3. Common missed items: Starter course, step/counter flashing, valley lining, ice and water shield, drip edge, soffit/fascia damage, pipe boot flashing, code upgrades.
4. Wind vs. hail: An adjuster might document hail hits but miss wind damage to ridge caps or flashing. When both are present, the scope must account for all of it.
5. The result: An estimate that looks complete but is missing thousands in necessary work.

My Insurance Asked Me for an Estimate

Why We Can't Just "Give You an Estimate" at That Point

The scope hasn’t been determined yet. An estimate is a price for a defined scope of work. But nobody has agreed on what work needs to be done. Should we estimate just the roof? What about gutters, soffit, fascia, vent boots, flashing? If we write an estimate for “roof replacement” and you also have siding and gutter damage, our estimate looks incomplete, and the insurer may use that number as the ceiling.

A premature estimate can anchor your claim too low — or create confusion:

• We price a roof replacement at $12,000. The adjuster determines that the full scope is $19,000. Insurance says, “But your contractor said $12,000.”
• Or we include everything at $19,000. Insurance covers the roof only at $12,000. Now it looks like we’re inflating when we just included work they haven’t agreed to cover.

The right sequence is:
1. The insurance company inspects and determines its initial scope.
2. We review their scope against our own inspection findings.
3. If our inspection found items not in their scope, we prepare and submit a supplemental estimate.
4. Once the scope is determined, the price follows — Xactimate calculates it based on local rates.

Insurance Claim process in PA, OH & WV By Liberty Roofing Pros

The Supplement Process

A supplement is a detailed estimate we prepare and submit to your insurance company that includes items we found during our inspection that weren’t in the adjuster’s original scope. It’s standard practice that most storm damage claims require at least one.

Why Supplements Are Necessary

• Adjusters handle a high volume of claims after a storm. Things get missed.
• Some damage isn’t visible until the tear-off.
• Building code requirements change, new components may be required.
• Wind and hail damage affect different parts easy for one type to be overlooked.

Item What Is It Why It's Often Missed
Starter Course Shingles First row at eave, separate from field shingles Often not listed as separate line item
Step / Counter Flashing Metal sealing roof-to-wall junction Not always visible without close inspection
Ice and Water Shield Self-adhering membrane at eaves and valleys Required by code but often left off older roof estimates
Drip Edge Metal edge strip at eaves and rakes Required by code; many older roofs don't have it
Valley Lining Underlayment in roof valleys High-flow area; inadequate lining causes leaks
Pipe Boot / Vent Replacements Rubber/metal boots around plumbing vents Can't be reused after tear-off
Pipe Boot / Vent Replacements Rubber/metal boots around plumbing vents Can't be reused after tear-off
Code Upgrades Requirements added since last installation Adjusters may price "like kind" without code changes
Soffit, Fascia & Gutters Components under/around roof edge Adjusters may focus on roof surface only
Ridge Cap Shingles Specialty shingles at roof peak Wind damage here is very common but sometimes missed
Asphalt Roof
Durability 20-30 yrs
ImpactX
Wind110 MPH
EffciencyMedium
Best ForBudget Homes
Metal Roof
Durability40-70 yrs
Impact✔️️️
Wind140+ MPH
EffciencyHigh
Best ForREsi

Roof Insurance Claim FAQ's

No. Insurance companies use Xactimate software to price claims based on local rates, not contractor bids. Multiple estimates can delay your claim and create scope confusion.

In most cases in PA, OH, and WV, no. You have the right to choose your own contractor. Some policies have a Preferred Contractor Endorsement, so review your policy.

Almost always because the scope of work is different, not because the contractor is overcharging. Your contractor likely found damage the adjuster missed. This is addressed through supplements.

A detailed estimate a contractor submits to your insurance company for items missed in the adjuster’s original scope. Standard practice, most claims require at least one.

Ask your contractor to attend the adjuster’s inspection so full scope is documented. Providing an estimate before the scope is determined can anchor your claim too low.

Thoroughly documenting damage and preparing estimates takes significant effort. The agreement is mutual: we invest our expertise, and you commit to working with us when repairs are approved. If denied, you owe nothing.

Most storm damage claims take 2-6 weeks from inspection to scope approval. Supplement reviews can extend this. We keep you updated at every step.

Depends on your carrier and policy. Storm damage is generally an “act of God.” Filing a legitimate claim is what your policy is for. We’ll give you an honest damage assessment so you can decide.

The claims process is the same. What matters is that all damage types are documented. Many storms cause both hail cracks shingles while wind lifts them and tears ridge caps. Our inspection covers everything.

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Know the Process. Choose Your Contractor. Get It Done Right.

Now you know how the process works. You know why scope matters more than price. You know why three estimates is a myth. And you know what to say when your insurance company calls. Let us inspect your property for and if you have legitimate storm damage, we'll provide the thorough documentation and detailed estimates your claim needs.

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