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 |
The roof insurance claim process is the same nine steps almost every time: get the roof inspected, report the claim, meet the adjuster, review the claim summary, settle any missing items, deposit the first check, pull the permit and build the roof, send the final invoice to recover depreciation, and pay the balance. You own the claim from start to finish. The steps below say who does what at each stage and how long it usually takes in Colorado and Texas.
1. Get the roof inspected
Before you call your insurer, find out whether there is storm damage worth a claim. Hail bruises, cracked shingles and lifted tabs are easy to miss from the ground. A free inspection with photos gives you an honest answer. If the roof has no storm damage, you have spent nothing and opened no claim. If it does, you have photos to back up your report. More on whether to call your insurer or a roofer first.
2. Report the claim
Call your insurer or file online, give the date of the storm and describe the damage. Write down the claim number; you will use it on every call, document and check. Ask for the adjuster’s direct phone number when they call to schedule. The Colorado Division of Insurance’s advice is to contact your insurer as soon as you can, and Texas policies can carry a one-year deadline. See how long you have to file a hail damage claim. If you need your insurer’s claims line, use our insurance company contact list, or read the carrier guide for your insurer, such as State Farm, USAA or Allstate, for how that company handles a home claim.
3. Meet the adjuster
The adjuster inspects the roof, measures it, photographs the damage and often looks at gutters, siding, windows and fences too. Tell the adjuster your roofer will be there; that roofer is your choice, not the insurer’s (see whether to hire your insurance company’s roofer). The adjuster decides what the insurer will pay; the roofer’s role is to point out damage and make sure nothing gets missed in the scope, not to negotiate the claim.
4. Read the claim summary
The adjuster’s estimate, often called the claim summary or loss statement, usually arrives within a couple of weeks. It lists every line item by side of the house and shows the replacement cost, depreciation, deductible and the amount of your first check. Our guide to reading a roof insurance claim summary walks through every column. Compare it line by line with your contractor’s scope.
5. Settle anything the estimate missed
If the estimate leaves out items the roof actually needs, such as drip edge, ice barrier, extra layers to tear off, or code-required work, your contractor documents the difference and you ask your insurer to review it. Approved additions come as a supplement, often paid with the final check. If the insurer denies the damage, see your options when an adjuster denies a roof claim; if you agree there is damage but not on the amount, insurance appraisal is the policy’s dispute process.
6. Deposit the first check
The first check is the actual cash value: replacement cost minus depreciation and your deductible. If you have a mortgage, the check is usually made out to you and your lender, and the lender must endorse it. Each lender has its own forms and some inspect before releasing money. See mortgage company endorsements on insurance checks.
7. Permit and build
Before work starts you sign a written contract. Then the permit, which depends on where you live:
- Colorado Springs and El Paso County: the Pikes Peak Regional Building Department requires a permit for any roof repair or replacement over 100 square feet, and new asphalt shingles may not go on until all existing layers are removed. More in our Colorado Springs roofing codes guide.
- Denver and the metro towns: each city sets its own permit trigger and inspections. Our Denver roof replacement page compares them.
- Austin: inside city limits, replacing asphalt shingles with asphalt shingles is exempt from a building permit unless the home is in the Wildland-Urban Interface area and half or more of the roof is replaced; replacing more than 128 square feet of decking needs a permit.
8. Send the final invoice and recover depreciation
After the roof is finished, the contractor’s final invoice goes to your insurer so it can release the recoverable depreciation and any approved supplements. Insurers set deadlines for this, which is why it pays not to wait. See how long you have to complete repairs and recover depreciation. The invoice must show the real price; an inflated invoice is insurance fraud.
9. Pay the balance
The roof’s full price is the first check, plus the depreciation check, plus any supplements, plus your deductible. You pay the contractor the balance once those funds arrive, and the manufacturer warranty is registered.
Claim deadlines insurers must meet in Texas
The Texas Department of Insurance says that once you file, your insurer has 15 business days to acknowledge the claim and start its review, 15 business days after getting everything it asked for to approve or deny it in writing (it can take 45 more days if it tells you why), and five business days to pay once it approves. TDI can add 15 days after a weather catastrophe. In Colorado, if a claim is denied, ask for the reason in writing; the Division of Insurance advises getting a written letter explaining the denial.
Most of these steps have a detailed guide in our roof insurance claim guides, and our storm damage guides cover what to do in the first hours after hail or wind.
Get help with step 1
Integrity Roofing and Painting is veteran-owned and family-run since 1990 and an Owens Corning Platinum Preferred contractor with 650+ Google reviews. We reach out the same business day you contact us. Book a storm inspection in Colorado Springs, Denver or Austin, or call (719) 488-2800, (303) 209-0152 or (512) 610-5897. For an overview of what claims cover and who does what, start with our roof damage insurance claims guide.
Printable companions to this guide: our after-hail storm damage checklist and our scope of loss checklist.
Sources: Texas Department of Insurance, Steps to getting your home or car insurance claim paid (updated 4/16/2025) and Home insurance guide (updated 6/1/2026); Colorado Division of Insurance, consumer advisory after the metro Denver hailstorm; PPRBD Reroofing Guidelines; City of Austin, Work Exempt from Building Permits.
