Key numbers
Installing a fortified roof could save El Paso County homeowners about $388 a year on premiums, per state calculations reported by CPR (Colorado Public Radio, 2026).
| $169 million | The June 13, 2018 Fountain-Colorado Springs hailstorm caused an estimated $169 million in insured losses from about 26,000 claims, Colorado's 12th most expensive hailstorm, per RMIIA. Source: Insurance Journal (reporting RMIIA), 2018 |
|---|---|
| $321.1 million | The June 6-7, 2012 Front Range hailstorm caused $321.1 million in insured losses. Source: Denver7 (KMGH), citing Rocky Mountain Insurance Information Association, 2012 |
| 0.5% | Colorado's SB26-155 funds roof-hardening grants with a fee of 0.5% of insurers' homeowners premiums beginning in 2027. Source: Colorado House Democrats, 2026 (law signed June 4, 2026) |
Before a Colorado Springs roofing contractor replaces a roof on an insurance claim, three lines of your policy decide how much you will pay: whether the roof is covered at replacement cost or actual cash value, how the roof covering is described, and the size and type of your wind and hail deductible. A good contractor asks about all three at the first visit, because a mistake in any of them is far cheaper to fix before work starts than after.
A Monument roof listed as the wrong material
Years ago a homeowner in Monument, north of Colorado Springs, called us to replace his roof. Our founder, Jerry Fristoe, reviewed the paperwork with him and noticed the underwriter had written the coverage for a cedar shake roof at actual cash value, the depreciated “garage sale” value, instead of replacement cost. The adjuster’s loss statement assumed replacement cost. The agent was hard to reach, and the question was deferred twice.
Shortly before installation the homeowner reached an underwriter, who confirmed the policy had been written for wood shingles. The roof was actually a Masonite Woodruff composite shingle made to look like wood. Once the insurer saw the material was a composite, it corrected the classification and agreed to pay replacement cost for like kind and quality. Instead of paying the depreciated difference plus his deductible, the homeowner paid only his deductible.
The lesson: the material listed on your policy matters, and wood-look composite and asphalt shingles are common on homes around Colorado Springs and Denver.
The three lines to check
| Policy item | Where to find it | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Replacement cost or actual cash value | Declarations page or roof endorsement | Actual cash value pays depreciated value, which can leave you with a large share of an older roof |
| Roof covering description | Inspection report, underwriting notes, or ask your agent | A wrong material can change the coverage type and the price the insurer uses |
| Wind and hail deductible | Declarations page | Many Colorado policies use a percentage of dwelling coverage, not a flat amount |
Ask your agent to confirm anything unclear in writing. The policy and the claim are yours; a roofer can point out what to ask.
After the claim is approved
With replacement cost coverage, insurers usually pay the actual cash value first and release the recoverable depreciation after the work is complete and documented. Learn the timing in how long you have to complete repairs and recover depreciation, and if your mortgage company is named on the check, read how mortgage endorsements on insurance checks work.
What a good contractor does here
Reads your loss statement line by line with you, photographs the existing roof so the material and components are documented, makes sure nothing gets missed in the scope, and never offers to cover your deductible, which Colorado law forbids. Pair this with the seven steps to choose a roofer and the 15-minute legitimacy check.
Talk to us
Integrity Roofing and Painting is veteran-owned and family-run since 1990, an Owens Corning Platinum Preferred contractor with 650+ Google reviews, at 115 N Union Blvd. Call (719) 488-2800 or book a free roof inspection, and bring your declarations page; we reach out the same business day.
Sources: Colorado Division of Insurance, hail consumer advisory, May 22, 2024; C.R.S. 6-22-105 (unofficial reproduction).
