How does house insurance pay for roof repairs?
How the payment is calculated
Example: the adjuster's estimate to replace a wind damaged slope is $4,200, and your deductible is $1,500, so the payment is $2,700 and you pay the deductible to the roofer. If $600 of depreciation is held back on a replacement cost policy, the first check is $2,100 and the $600 is released after the work is complete.
Who the check is made out to
- You and any co-owner on the policy.
- Your mortgage company, if it is listed, which may need to endorse it. See mortgage company checks.
- Occasionally the contractor, if you authorize it in writing and the law allows it.
When the estimate is too low for the repair
Adjusters price repairs from pricing databases and may miss items a roofer needs, such as removing and resetting flashing, replacing rotted decking found under the shingles, or a minimum charge for a small job. Your roofer can send a supplement with photos for anything missing.
Small repairs below the deductible
If the estimate comes in under the deductible, the insurer pays nothing, but the claim may still be recorded. That is why it helps to price the repair before filing; see call the insurer or a roofer first.
Keep the paperwork
Save the estimate, the roofer's invoice and before and after photos. They prove the repair was done if depreciation is held back, and they help separate old damage from new if another storm hits.