Free reference

Storm claim answers

The mechanics that decide a wind, hail or hurricane claim, explained by a source that does not want your roof job and does not take a percentage of your settlement. All of this is free and always will be.

POLICY MECHANICS

Your wind and hail deductible is not $1,000

Why storm claims carry a separate percentage deductible of 1 to 5 percent of your dwelling limit, what that costs in real dollars, and where to find yours.

MONEY LEFT BEHIND

Recoverable depreciation, and the invoice that releases it

Your first payment is deliberately less than the full amount. The rest is released only when you ask for it correctly, and many homeowners never do.

ESCALATION

The appraisal clause already in your policy

A binding dispute process for the amount of a claim that costs far less than litigation, plus the situations where invoking it is a mistake.

CONTRACTOR RISK

How to spot a storm chaser

They no longer only knock on doors. The screen that separates a crew passing through from a firm that will still exist when your warranty matters.

WHEN IT GOES WRONG

Your storm claim was denied. Here is the sequence that follows.

The five largest US home insurers denied or closed without payment 44 percent of claims in 2025. A denial is a position, not a verdict. The documented steps that follow one, in order.

START HERE

How to file a storm damage insurance claim

The order you do things in decides what your claim is worth. Photograph before you report, check your deductible before you file, and start a dated log before your first phone call.

IDENTIFICATION

What hail damage actually looks like on a roof

Genuine hail damage on asphalt shingles is a soft, dark bruise with granules missing and the mat exposed, random in placement, with matching dents on soft metal nearby. What it is not, and why the difference decides your claim.

THE HONEST COMPARISON

Is a public adjuster worth it?

Public adjusters charge 15 to 25 percent of settlement on claims between $10,000 and $50,000. Sometimes that is excellent value and sometimes it is not. The thresholds that decide which.

THE INSPECTION

What not to say to an insurance adjuster

Not because you should be evasive, but because casual speculation gets recorded as fact and repeated back months later. The five phrases that cost homeowners money.

DEFINITIONS

ACV vs RCV, and why your first cheque is smaller than the estimate

Replacement cost value is the full cost to replace with new. Actual cash value is that figure minus depreciation, and it is what most policies pay first. The gap is released later, if you ask.

ESCALATION

The supplement: how to ask for the money the estimate left out

A supplement is a written request to add specific missing line items to the carrier's estimate. It is the least adversarial escalation available and the one where most underpaid claims move.

COVERAGE

Does homeowners insurance cover a roof replacement?

Sudden storm damage is generally covered. Age, wear and deferred maintenance are not. What sits between those two is where most roof claims are actually decided.

CONTRACTOR RISK

Assignment of benefits, and why not to sign one on your doorstep

An assignment of benefits transfers your rights under your insurance policy to a contractor. Sometimes convenient, often the start of a problem, and several states have restricted it after widespread abuse.

DEADLINES

How long do you have to file a storm damage claim?

Two clocks run, and the one that ends claims permanently is not the one people watch. The suit limitation period in your policy usually starts at the date of loss, not the date of denial.

Free calculators

All of them run in your browser. Nothing is uploaded and none of them ask for an email.

Claim Position Check, eight questions on where your claim stands
Wind & Hail Deductible Calculator, percentage deductibles are shown on policies as a percentage, not a dollar figure. this converts it.
Claim Deadline Calculator, the deadline that ends storm claims permanently starts at the storm, not at the denial.
Recoverable Depreciation Calculator, your first payment is deliberately less than the estimate. this shows the rest.

Compare your options

Including, honestly, the cases where the answer is not us.

By state

Deductible norms, complaint routes and escalation paths differ by state. Ours cover the most storm-exposed markets first.