Does the depreciation check go to the roofer?
Short answer. Usually not directly. The recoverable depreciation check is normally issued to the policyholder, and often the mortgage company too, after the roofer's final invoice shows the work is done. You then pay the roofer the balance under your contract, and the roofer appears on the check only if you added them as a payee or signed an assignment of benefits.
How the release works
- The roof is replaced.
- The roofer sends a final invoice, often with completion photos, to you or to the insurer at your request.
- The insurer reviews it and releases the held-back depreciation, plus any approved supplements.
- The check is issued to the named insureds and any mortgage company listed on the policy.
Why the roofer is involved anyway
The roofer's paperwork triggers the release, so many roofers submit it and track it for you. On most insurance roofing contracts, the price is the insurer's approved replacement cost and your share is the deductible, which makes the depreciation part of what the roofer is owed. Once the roof is done, the depreciation check is often the final payment.
When the roofer is on the check
- You asked the insurer to add the contractor as a payee.
- You signed an assignment of benefits, which gives the contractor rights to the claim proceeds. Some contractors, including Robust Roofing, offer that as an option, but Georgia makes it an unfair practice for a contractor to take an assignment within one year of a declared natural disaster. See assignment of benefits in Georgia.
If a mortgage company is on it
Endorse it and follow the lender's loss draft process; see the mortgage company on your insurance check. For the deadlines that apply to the release itself, see recoverable depreciation.