Should you endorse an insurance check to your roofer?
Why caution makes sense
Once you endorse a check to someone, the money is theirs to deposit. If the roofer disappears, stalls for months or does poor work, you have lost your leverage and possibly your claim money. That pattern sits behind many storm chaser complaints.
Safer ways to handle it
- Deposit and pay by contract. Pay a reasonable deposit, often tied to materials, and the rest when the job is complete and you have looked it over.
- Pay by a traceable method. Check, card or bank transfer, with an invoice and a receipt.
- Ask for a lien waiver with the final payment, so a supplier or subcontractor cannot later file a lien against your house.
When the mortgage company is on the check
Both you and the lender must endorse it. Lenders commonly hold the funds in a loss draft account and release them in stages, sometimes after an inspection, and your roofer may need to provide a W-9, the contract and a final invoice. See the mortgage company on your insurance check.
Endorsement vs assignment
Endorsing a check pays one check. An assignment of benefits transfers your rights to the claim proceeds to the contractor. Some reputable roofers, Robust Roofing among them, offer an assignment as an option, but Georgia makes it an unfair practice for a contractor to take one within a year of a declared natural disaster. Read anything you sign; see assignment of benefits in Georgia.