A storm roof claim follows a general pattern: the damage is reported, the opening is covered and the damage recorded, the adjuster inspects, and the insurer decides what the policy covers. This page describes only that pattern. The policy and the insurer decide the coverage, and the complaint route in California is the California Department of Insurance.
Key takeaways
- A standard homeowner policy generally responds to sudden and accidental damage, such as storm damage that opens a roof, and generally excludes gradual wear.
- Mitigation, meaning the step taken to stop further damage, is usually expected of the owner and must be recorded.
- Dated photographs, a note of the first sign of damage and the signed scope are the records that help most.
- The adjuster inspects the roof and asks about its age, its history and any earlier repair.
- A complaint about how a claim is handled goes to the California Department of Insurance.
What does a homeowner policy generally cover on a roof?
A homeowner policy generally responds to sudden and accidental damage to the dwelling, such as damage from a windstorm or a falling tree. It generally does not respond to wear, ageing or lack of maintenance.
The line between sudden damage and gradual damage is the one most claims turn on. A tile or shingle that a branch knocked off in a storm is a sudden event. A covering that has worn through over many years is gradual wear. The wording of each policy decides where the line falls.
A policy responds to the perils it names and may exclude others. The owner should read the policy's own list of perils and its exclusions, rather than rely on a general description of what a policy usually does.
What is mitigation, and why does the insurer ask about it?
Mitigation is the reasonable step an owner takes to stop further damage after a loss, such as covering an opening or drying wet material. Insurers generally expect it, and the steps taken are recorded.
A roof opened by a storm and left open to the next rain can cause much larger damage inside. The owner is generally expected to take reasonable steps to stop that, and a tarp or a dry-in is the usual step.
The steps must be recorded. A dated note and photographs of the cover, with the date it was fitted, show what was done and that the damage was not made worse by delay.
What records should the owner keep?
The records that help most are dated photographs, a note of the first sign of damage, the signed scope of any repair and the receipts for the cover and the work.
Photographs taken before anything is moved are the strongest record. They show the covering, the debris and any stain inside, labelled with the date and the room or slope.
A written note of when the first sign was seen, and what it was, sets the timeline. The owner writes it on the day, while the facts are fresh.
- Dated photographs of the roof from the ground and, where safe, from a ladder
- Photographs of any stain inside, with the room and the date
- A written note of the first sign of damage and the weather that day
- The signed scope and any change orders for the repair
- Receipts for the temporary cover and the repair
What does the adjuster look at, and what does the adjuster ask?
The adjuster inspects the damaged area, reads the age and the history of the covering and asks about the storm, the first sign of damage and any earlier repair. The findings are for the insurer and are not the same as a repair scope.
The adjuster typically asks when the damage was first seen, whether a repair has been made before and how old the covering is. Honest answers, backed by records, make the inspection quicker.
The owner can ask the adjuster to explain the findings in writing and can ask for a copy of the report once it is issued. The owner's own technician can be present at the inspection.
| Step | What usually happens | What the owner keeps |
|---|---|---|
| Report | The owner reports the loss to the insurer | The date and the time of the report |
| Mitigate | The opening is covered and wet material is dried | Photographs and receipts for the cover |
| Inspect | The adjuster looks at the damage and the covering | A copy of the report and the adjuster's notes |
| Repair | A scope is agreed and the work is done | The signed scope and any change orders |
| Decide | The insurer states what the policy covers | The written decision and its reasons |
What if the claim is denied or part is paid?
The owner can ask the insurer for the reasons in writing and can take a complaint about how the claim was handled to the California Department of Insurance. The policy decides the coverage.
A denial or a partial payment should come with reasons. The owner asks for them in writing, reads the policy's terms against them and supplies any missing record. A second look by the owner's own technician can add evidence.
A complaint about the handling of a claim goes to the California Department of Insurance, the state's insurance regulator. The department's website explains how to make a complaint, and the owner keeps the correspondence as the record.
What is the role of the roofer in a claim?
The roofer scopes the repair and writes the lines the insurer will review. The roofer does not decide the coverage, and the scope should not promise the insurer's decision in advance.
A scope that names each line of the work, the materials and the method helps the adjuster and the owner compare the repair with the damage. The scope is written before the work and signed by both parties.
The roofer's licence and workers' compensation certificate are checked before any work is agreed, as they would be for any roof job. A claim does not change that requirement.
How does a claim treat the age of the roof?
The age of the roof helps show whether a fault is sudden or gradual, and it can affect how a repair is valued. The policy and the insurer decide how age is treated, so the owner should read the policy's wording on it.
An adjuster will often ask how old the covering is and when it was last replaced. The answer helps the adjuster judge whether a fault is the result of a sudden event or of a covering that has reached the end of its life. A dated scope or receipt from an earlier repair is the best answer to that question.
Some policies settle a roof repair on a different basis from others, depending on the age and condition of the covering. The owner should read the policy for how that is set, and ask the insurer to explain the basis in writing if the settlement is lower than expected.
What should the owner do straight after a storm loss?
In the first days the owner reports the loss, covers the opening, keeps the room dry, photographs everything and writes a note of the events. These steps are simple and they make the rest of the claim easier to prove.
Reporting the loss promptly and in writing gives the insurer a clear start date. The owner keeps a copy of the report and any reply, and notes the name of the person who took the call.
The opening is covered and the wet material is dried as far as the owner can safely do it. Receipts for the cover, fans or drying equipment are kept, since the insurer generally expects the steps taken to be reasonable and recorded.
Why are the contents and the structure treated separately?
A roof claim usually concerns the structure of the building, but the damage it causes often reaches the contents of the rooms beneath. The policy may treat the two separately, so the owner lists each damaged item with its age and value.
A ceiling stain can lead to damaged furniture, carpets and stored items below. Those are personal property on many policies and are claimed on a different schedule from the roof itself. A list with photographs and dates helps the owner present them.
The owner should keep damaged items until the adjuster has seen them, unless they are a health risk. A discarded item cannot be inspected, and that can slow the claim.
What happens when the roof is only partly damaged?
A partly damaged roof is scoped in parts. The damaged slope or section is named as the claim, and the sound parts are recorded as sound, so the insurer and the owner can see the line between the two.
A storm may open one slope and leave the others sound, and the scope names each. The insurer's inspection and the roofer's scope are then compared part by part, which is clearer than a single total for the roof.
Where the damaged part and the sound part share a valley, flashing or ridge, the boundary is recorded in writing. The owner keeps the photographs that show where the damage stops, since that line is the one most often questioned.
Why does the roofer's scope matter to the claim?
The roofer's scope is the document that sets the repair against the damage, and it is what the adjuster and the owner compare. A vague scope makes the comparison hard, while a line-by-line scope makes it quick.
Each line of the scope names an item of damage and its repair, with the reason for it. The adjuster can match each line to the photographs and the inspection, and the owner can see whether the repair is complete.
The scope is signed before the work begins and kept in the claim file. Any change to it during the work is written as a change order and sent to the adjuster as well as kept by the owner.
Frequently asked questions
Does a policy cover an old roof that is worn?
A policy generally does not cover wear and ageing, but it may cover sudden damage to an old roof. The wording and the insurer's inspection decide which applies.
Who do I contact about a claim that is not moving?
Start with the insurer in writing. If the handling is still a concern, the California Department of Insurance takes complaints about how claims are handled.
Can a roofer tell me what the insurer will pay?
No. The roofer scopes the repair. Coverage and payment are for the policy and the insurer, and the owner should read the policy directly.
Sources
- California Department of Insurance, consumer information and complaints
- National Weather Service, Bay Area office
This guide is general information for Santa Clara County homeowners, not a substitute for an on-site inspection. Prices are estimates. See our disclaimer.