What does an insurer usually need from a roof inspection?
A dated record of the damage, photographs with scale, the storm it is linked to, and the difference between storm damage and wear. The insurer's own adjuster may also come out to inspect.
Insurers generally want to know what was damaged, when, and by what. A dated inspection with clear photographs answers the first two questions and helps with the third. The insurer may send its own adjuster, and the roofer's record gives that adjuster a starting point rather than replacing the adjuster's inspection.
Keep the wording plain. A summary that says hail impacts on the south slope, counted in marked squares, with photographs is more useful than a general statement that the roof was damaged in the storm.
- The storm date and the event it is linked to
- Photographs with a scale and a slope label
- A count of impacts in marked areas where hail is claimed
Why does timing matter for a storm claim?
Because damage that is recorded close to the event is easier to tie to it. Wear, weather and later storms make the same damage harder to read.
Each season adds its own marks to a roof. Sun fades the granules, cold cracks the sealant, and each later storm adds marks of its own. An inspection done soon after the event records the damage in its freshest state, which is easier to link to the storm than an inspection done months later.
Acting early does not mean filing early. It means having a record in hand so that the decision, whenever it is made, is made on the evidence of the day rather than on memory.
- Inspect soon after a named storm
- Record the state of the roof before any repair
- Keep the dated record with the policy papers
What if the insurer disagrees with the findings?
Ask for the reasons in writing, provide the record, and use the complaint route if the process is not handled properly.
A disagreement is normal in a claim and does not mean the claim has been refused for good. Ask the insurer to explain its position in writing and to say which parts of the record it accepts and which it does not. A roofer can answer specific questions about the photographs or the counts, and the answers are worth asking for in writing too.
If the claim is not handled properly, the New Mexico Office of Superintendent of Insurance takes complaints about claim processing and about how a policy is issued or cancelled. The office does not act as your lawyer, and it does not decide the claim on the roof's behalf; it checks how the insurer handled the file.
- Ask the insurer to explain the decision in writing
- Send a copy of the roofer's record with any reply
- Use the Office of Superintendent of Insurance for claim-handling complaints
What should you do in the first week after a storm?
Protect the building, keep a record, and book the inspection before the repairs start. The first week is when the evidence is freshest.
The first week after a damaging storm is busy and easy to get wrong. The priority is to stop more water getting in, which may mean a temporary cover on an open area. Before anything is moved, take photographs of the roof edges, the yard, the fence line and the gutters from the ground, with the date visible in the file.
Write a short note the same day. Record the time the storm arrived, the direction the wind came from, any hail you saw and any sound you heard on the roof. A note made on the day is worth more to an adjuster than a recollection given a month later, and it is quick to make while the event is fresh.
Then book the inspection. A roofer who arrives in the first week can record the damage that is still visible before rain, sun or further weather covers it. Ask the roofer to name any area of the roof that could not be reached, so the record does not look more complete than it is.
- Protect the building with a temporary cover if it is safe
- Photograph from the ground with the date visible
- Write a short same-day note of the storm and what you saw
