What does an insurer usually need from a roof inspection?
A dated record of the damage, photographs with scale, the storm it is linked to, and the difference between storm damage and wear. The insurer's adjuster may also come out.
Insurers generally want to know what was damaged, when and by what. A dated inspection with clear photographs answers the first two questions and helps with the third. The insurer may send its own adjuster, and the roofer's record gives that adjuster a starting point rather than replacing the adjuster's inspection.
Keep the wording plain. A summary that says impacts on the south slope, counted in marked squares, with photographs is more useful than a general statement that the roof was damaged in the storm.
- The storm date and the event it is linked to
- Photographs with a scale and a slope label
- A count of impacts in marked areas where damage is claimed
Why does the timing of the inspection matter?
Because damage recorded close to the event is easier to tie to it. Wear, weather and later storms make the same damage harder to read.
Each season adds its own marks to a roof. Sun fades the granules, weather loosens the sealant and each later storm adds marks of its own. An inspection done soon after the event records the damage in its freshest state, which is easier to link to the storm than an inspection made months later.
Acting early does not mean filing early. It means having a record in hand so that the decision, whenever it is made, rests on evidence and not on memory.
- Inspect soon after a named storm
- Record the state of the roof before any repair
- Keep the dated record with the policy papers
What if the insurer disagrees with the findings?
Ask for the reasons in writing, provide the record and use the complaint route if the process is not handled properly.
A disagreement is normal in a claim and does not mean the claim is refused for good. Ask the insurer to explain its position in writing and to say which parts of the record it accepts. A roofer can answer specific questions about the photographs or the counts, and those answers are worth having in writing too.
If the claim is not handled properly, the Georgia Office of the Commissioner of Insurance takes homeowner complaints about claims. The office does not act as the homeowner's lawyer; it looks at how the insurer handled the file.
- Ask the insurer to explain the decision in writing
- Send a copy of the roofer's record with any reply
- Use the Commissioner's complaint route if handling is not fair
