How do you get your roof replaced through insurance?

Think of this as your to-do list. Each step notes the thing that most often goes wrong.

1. Photograph what you can see safely from the ground: gutters, screens, missing shingles, interior stains. Do not climb a wet or steep roof.
2. Get a professional inspection. Pitfall: filing on a hunch. Confirm the damage first.
3. File the claim with the storm date and a factual description. Pitfall: guessing at the roof's age or how long a leak has been there.
4. Protect the house. Tarp openings and save receipts. Pitfall: tarping before taking photos.
5. Attend the adjuster inspection, with your roofer if possible. Pitfall: a quick inspection that misses slopes or soft metal damage. See preparing for the adjuster.
6. Review the estimate line by line. Pitfall: assuming the first estimate is final, when missing items can be supplemented with evidence.
7. Choose your contractor. You pick, not the insurer. Pitfall: signing with whoever knocked first. Check reviews, a local address, and written warranties.
8. Sign a clear contract. Georgia law lets you cancel an insurance contingent roofing contract if the claim is denied, so read the cancellation window in your contract. Read carefully before signing anything that assigns your insurance proceeds; Georgia bars contractors from taking one within a year of a declared disaster.
9. Handle the check. Endorse it with your lender if they are named, and pay your deductible as agreed.
10. Prepare for install day. Move cars, cover attic items, and plan for noise.
11. Submit the final invoice to release recoverable depreciation before your policy's deadline. See recovering depreciation.
12. Keep the file: estimate, invoice, permit, photos, and warranty documents, for future claims and resale.

For the filing step in detail, see how to file a roof insurance claim. Robust Roofing's guide on choosing your own contractor explains why an insurer's suggested list is optional.