Hail & Wind Damage Insurance Claims
Hail and wind claims are rarely denied outright. They are underpaid through scope — what gets counted, what gets called repairable, and what depreciation is applied to it.
How the underpayment happens
- Omitted scope. Slopes not walked, elevations not inspected, and collateral damage — gutters, screens, soft metals, wraps, vents, HVAC fins — left off the estimate entirely.
- Repair specified where replacement is required. Test squares and spot repairs on a roof whose damage pattern does not support them.
- Matching. When damaged materials cannot be matched to the undamaged remainder, the question of uniform appearance is a real coverage question, not a courtesy.
- Depreciation applied without support. Age-based depreciation on components whose condition does not justify it, with no stated expected life.
- Overhead and profit omitted. Where a repair reasonably requires a general contractor to coordinate multiple trades, contractor overhead and profit is part of the cost to repair.
What to document
- Date of loss, and any weather data supporting it.
- Every elevation and every slope, photographed — including the ones the adjuster did not walk.
- Collateral damage away from the roof: window wraps, screens, fascia, downspouts, decking, outdoor units.
- The carrier's estimate itself. Line-item variance is where the argument gets made: omissions, quantity, unit price, improper depreciation, and mis-scoped repair-versus-replace.
Who to call, and what each one costs
Your insurance companyFree
First call, always. They assign an adjuster and issue any advance. The catastrophe adjuster assigned to you may be genuinely helpful — they also work for the insurer, which is a fact about the role, not an accusation about the person.
Your state Department of InsuranceFree
The most underused resource after a loss. They answer coverage questions, take complaints about claim handling, and confirm whether anyone contacting you is actually licensed. No cost, and they take no percentage of your recovery.
A public adjuster (that’s us)Paid
Represents you rather than the insurer, normally for a percentage of the claim agreed in writing before any work begins. Useful on scope disputes, contents inventories and undocumented depreciation — and not worth it on a small claim or a pure coverage dispute. See the questions below.
An attorneyPaid
Attorneys are there to litigate claims. That is the difference: a public adjuster works out the amount of the loss and negotiates it with the carrier; an attorney takes the carrier to court. If the carrier says the loss is not covered at all, or there is a question about causation or accusation, that is litigation and it belongs with a lawyer. A public adjuster is not a lawyer and cannot give legal advice.
Read next
Common questions
The adjuster says my roof is repairable. Can I challenge that?
Yes. Repair-versus-replace is a scope question and it is supported or not by the damage pattern, the number of affected slopes, the age and condition of the covering, and whether matching materials are available. Ask for the basis in writing.
What is matching, and does my policy cover it?
Matching concerns whether repaired areas can be made to look uniform with undamaged areas. Some states and some policy forms address it directly; others do not. Your policy language and your state's law control, so ask rather than assume.
The carrier depreciated my roof heavily. Is that allowed?
Depreciation is normal on a replacement-cost policy, but it should reflect condition rather than age alone, and the basis should be stated. You can ask, line by line, what age and expected useful life were applied.
Request a claim review
Utah properties: contact us to discuss your claim.Kansas: commercial claims only.Send the basics and we will look at where your claim stands and tell you plainly what we see — including if the honest answer is that you are being treated fairly and do not need to hire anyone. There is no charge for the review and nothing to sign to get it.
Who wrote this, and what we get out of it
Public adjusting work is performed by William J. Addis, individually licensed in 18 states. Like nearly all public adjusters, we are paid a percentage of the claim, agreed in writing before any work begins and subject to any applicable state limits. There is no charge for the review itself. You should weigh that interest when reading anything here.
Free help exists too. Every state’s Department of Insurance assists policyholders with claims at no cost and takes no percentage of your recovery, and will confirm whether anyone contacting you is actually licensed — including us. See where we are licensed, and verify any public adjuster before hiring them.
This is general information, not advice. It is not legal advice, not an interpretation of your policy, and we are not a law firm. You have the right to negotiate your own claim directly with your insurer and the right to consult an attorney; you are not required to hire a public adjuster.
Our role, when we are engaged, is to help policyholders reach a fair and reasonable settlement of a covered loss under the terms of their own policy. Each claim turns on its own facts, policy language and jurisdiction. Kansas readers: under K.S.A. 40-5500 et seq., Kansas public adjusters are limited to first-party commercial property claims and may not represent residential homeowners.