Key numbers
Catastrophe claims made up 46% of U.S. homeowners claims across all perils in 2023, the highest share in seven years, per LexisNexis (LexisNexis Risk Solutions, 2023).
| 62% | Homeowners policies accounted for 62% (1,711,094) of U.S. hail loss claims from 2017 to 2019. Source: National Insurance Crime Bureau, 2017-2019 |
|---|---|
| 50% | The U.S. saw 50% more hail claims in 2023 than in any of the previous four years, per Verisk. Source: Verisk (ISO ClaimSearch), 2023 |
There is no single best insurance company for roof claims. Claim handling changes with management, storm volume and the adjusting firms a carrier hires, so a company that was easy to work with after one hailstorm can be slow after the next. The useful question is how your carrier handles claims now, and you can check that with public complaint data and a few policy terms before you need to file.
Check the complaint record
- Texas: the Texas Department of Insurance publishes complaint data, including complaint indexes and policy counts by company and line of coverage, on the Texas Open Data Portal. Its Help Line, 800-252-3439, can also tell you a company’s license status and complaint record.
- Everywhere: the National Association of Insurance Commissioners’ Consumer Insurance Search reports the number of justified complaints filed against a company, along with financial and licensing reports. TDI points consumers to it.
- Colorado: the Colorado Division of Insurance takes complaints at 303-894-7490 and DORA_Insurance@state.co.us, and can confirm a company is licensed to sell in the state.
Look at homeowners complaints specifically, not the company’s auto line, and compare companies of similar size.
Read the parts of the policy that decide a roof claim
The premium is the least important number on a roof claim. Compare:
- Wind and hail deductible. The Colorado Division of Insurance notes many policies now use 1, 2 or 5 percent of coverage. See the trend toward percentage deductibles.
- Roof settlement terms. Replacement cost, actual cash value, or a roof-age schedule. On actual cash value, depreciation is never returned.
- Cosmetic damage exclusions for metal roofs, gutters and siding.
- The time limit to finish repairs and collect depreciation.
What good claim handling looks like
From the roof side, a well-run claims department:
- assigns an adjuster quickly and gives you a direct number;
- inspects the whole roof and the other damaged items, not a sample;
- sends an itemized estimate that includes code-required items such as drip edge and permit fees;
- explains any denial in writing with the policy language, as the Colorado Division of Insurance tells homeowners to ask for;
- releases recoverable depreciation promptly once the final invoice arrives.
Texas puts numbers on part of this: insurers must acknowledge a claim within 15 days, decide within 15 business days of receiving what they need, and pay within 5 business days of approval. Colorado does not set a day count, but an insurer may not unreasonably delay or deny a covered benefit, and the remedy is two times the covered benefit plus attorney fees. Both are explained on your rights after storm damage in Colorado and our hail claim timeline for Colorado and Texas.
What we see across carriers
We work with homeowners insured by all of the major carriers in Colorado. In our experience the claim goes best when the adjuster can see well-documented damage, the homeowner has the policy in hand, and nobody is surprised by the deductible. Where an estimate leaves out items the roof needs, we document them with photos so nothing gets missed in the scope; the claim itself stays between you and your insurer. Before you file, read should you call your insurer or a roofer first and whether a hail claim raises your premium.
Integrity Roofing and Painting is veteran-owned and family-run since 1990, an Owens Corning Platinum Preferred contractor with 650+ Google reviews. Book a free inspection in Colorado Springs at (719) 488-2800, Denver at (303) 209-0152, or Austin at (512) 610-5897, or see how Denver storm damage repair works.
Sources: Texas Department of Insurance, Complaint data resources; TDI, Home insurance guide; Colorado Division of Insurance, hail consumer advisory (May 22, 2024); C.R.S. 10-3-1115 and 10-3-1116 (unofficial reproduction).
