Filing a roofing insurance claim after a Colorado hailstorm doesn't have to be confusing — but the order you do things in matters. Here's the process, step by step.
1. Document the Damage
Before you call anyone, take photos — gutters, shingles, vents, and anything else that looks affected. Dated photos taken right after the storm are the strongest evidence you can have if there's ever a dispute over when damage occurred.
2. Call Your Insurance Company
Start the claim as soon as you suspect damage. Most policies have a window for reporting storm damage, and starting early gets you on the adjuster's schedule sooner — especially during a busy hail season when every roofer in Denver is booked out.
3. Schedule the Adjuster Visit
Your insurance company will send an adjuster to inspect the roof and estimate the scope of damage. This visit determines what your policy will cover, so it's worth being prepared before it happens.
Get a contractor's estimate before the adjuster visits — it gives you a second, independent opinion to compare against theirs.
4. Get a Contractor Estimate First
Before the adjuster arrives, have a roofer inspect the property and write up their own assessment. Adjusters aren't always roofing specialists, and having an independent scope of work in hand gives you leverage if their initial estimate misses damage.
5. Be Present During the Inspection
Walk the roof with the adjuster if you can, or have your contractor there in your place. Damage that's pointed out in person is far less likely to get left off the final report than damage described after the fact.
6. Review the Settlement
Compare the insurance company's scope of work against your contractor's estimate line by line. If something's missing — a specific section of damaged gutter, a cracked vent — this is the stage to flag it before work begins.
7. Choose Your Contractor
You are not required to use your insurance company's preferred contractor. You can hire whoever you trust to do the work — the settlement follows the damage, not a specific company.
8. Understand ACV vs RCV
Most policies pay Actual Cash Value (ACV) upfront — the depreciated value of your roof — then release the remaining Replacement Cost Value (RCV) once the work is complete and you submit final invoices. Knowing which type of payout you have avoids surprises about when the rest of your funds arrive.
We handle this entire process alongside our clients — from the first documentation photos through the adjuster meeting to the final invoice for your RCV release.
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