After a hurricane, the roof is usually the first part of a Florida property to take the hit and often the most important part of the insurance claim. It is also where the property owner and the insurance company most often see the same damage differently. Those differences are normal, and most of them come down to one thing: evidence. This guide explains the questions that come up most often in hurricane roof and wind damage claims and how a public adjuster documents and presents the claim on your behalf.
Shingles or tiles, underlayment, decking, flashing, vents, and gutters all work together, and hurricane winds can damage each layer in ways that are not obvious from the ground. When wind opens the roof, rain follows, which means a roof claim often includes interior water damage to ceilings, insulation, walls, and floors.
Florida roofs also face sun, heat, and salt air every day, so nearly every roof shows some age by the time a storm arrives, which is why roof claims call for careful documentation.
If your roof was damaged in a hurricane, you can start a free claim review with United Claims Specialists, and we will go over your policy and your roof claim with you.
One of the most common points of disagreement is whether roof damage was caused by the hurricane or by age and normal wear. Most property policies cover sudden wind damage and exclude gradual deterioration, so the cause of the damage matters a great deal.
Wind damage tends to leave specific signs: shingles that are missing or torn, tabs that are creased or lifted from being bent back by the wind, broken seal strips, and damage that follows the direction the storm came from. Granule loss, curling, and cracking from years of sun look different. A thorough inspection separates the two and connects the damage to the storm with photos, measurements, and weather data for your area on the day the storm passed.
When part of a roof is damaged, replacement shingles or tiles may not match the rest of the roof in color, style, or profile. Manufacturers discontinue product lines, and even the same product can look different after years of Florida sun.
Whether matching is covered depends on your policy and on Florida's rules for repairs, and it is a frequent point of discussion. Good documentation shows whether a matching product is still available, how the repaired area would look next to the existing roof, and how the policy language applies.
Insurance estimates sometimes include repairs to a section of the roof rather than replacement of the whole roof or a full roof slope. Sometimes a repair is the right answer. Other times, it is not practical because of brittle materials that break when handled, damage spread across many slopes, or building code requirements that affect how much of a roof can be repaired.
The answer depends on the roof itself. A detailed inspection that maps damage slope by slope, tests whether existing materials can be repaired without causing more damage, and accounts for current code requirements gives the insurance company a clear picture of what a proper repair actually involves.
If any of these questions have come up on your roof claim, start a free claim review and we will tell you honestly whether we think we can help.
A public adjuster is a licensed professional who works for you, not the insurance company. At United Claims Specialists, our roof and wind claim documentation typically includes:
With that documentation in hand, we present your claim to the insurance company. We review the insurer's estimate line by line, point out items that were missed or underestimated, and meet with the insurer's adjuster at follow-up inspections when needed.
If more damage is found once repairs begin, we prepare a claim supplement so it can be considered. If the two sides still disagree on the amount of the loss, many policies include an appraisal process, and our appraisal claim help page explains how it works. Throughout the claim, you get calm, clear updates, and you never have to argue with the insurance company yourself.
United Claims Specialists has handled tens of thousands of claims and has successfully negotiated and settled hundreds of millions of dollars in property damage claims over nearly two decades in business. We work on contingency: no recovery, no fee.
For more on wind claims, see our wind damage insurance claims page. If your property is in the western Panhandle, our Pensacola public adjuster page and our checklist on what to do after hurricane damage in Pensacola are good next reads. Business owners and condo associations can turn to our guide to commercial and condo hurricane claims on the Gulf Coast.
Related reading: What to Do After Hurricane Damage in Pensacola · Commercial and Condo Hurricane Claims on the Gulf Coast · How to File a Hurricane Damage Insurance Claim
The insurance company may take that position, especially on older roofs. Wind damage and normal aging leave different signs, and a thorough inspection with photos, measurements, and local weather information helps show which damage came from the storm.
It depends on your policy, the extent of the damage, whether the existing materials can be repaired without causing more damage, matching, and building code requirements. Each roof has to be evaluated on its own facts.
Matching refers to whether replacement materials will reasonably match the undamaged parts of the roof or building. When a matching product is no longer made, the question becomes how the policy and Florida's repair rules apply.
A roofer focuses on the repair itself. A public adjuster focuses on the insurance claim: reading the policy, documenting the loss for the insurance company, preparing the estimate, and negotiating on your behalf.
Talk to United Claims Specialists about your Florida claim. Call (855) 321-5677, or start a free claim review with the form on this page.