How do you make an insurance claim for missing roof shingles?
Short answer. For missing shingles, protect the roof first with a tarp or temporary patch, photograph the gaps and any shingles in the yard, and note the date and wind event that caused it. Then have the whole roof checked for creased and unsealed shingles, because that hidden damage often matters more than the missing pieces. File if the total damage clearly exceeds your deductible.
Step by step
- Safety and protection. Do not climb a wet or steep roof. Have the exposed area covered and keep the receipt.
- Photograph everything: gaps on the roof from the ground or a drone, shingles in the yard, and any interior stains.
- Pin the date. Note the storm and check local wind reports. See date of loss.
- Full roof inspection. Creased tabs and broken seal strips on other slopes show the real extent of wind damage.
- Compare to your deductible, including any separate wind or hail deductible.
- File the claim with photos and the date, and ask for a field inspection.
What the adjuster checks
- Fresh tears and clean nail holes versus old, weathered gaps.
- Nail placement, since nails set too high can be called an installation defect.
- Whether shingles lifted because seal strips had failed from age.
- How many slopes are affected and whether repairs can match.
Common outcomes
- A spot repair, paid minus the deductible.
- Replacement of affected slopes when damage is widespread.
- A full roof when shingles are brittle or discontinued. See wind damage claims and tarping duties.