Roof Insurance Claim Help

Most Milwaukee homeowners deal with a roof insurance claim once or twice in the time they own a house, and the outcome usually turns on things decided in the first two weeks. This page explains what actually matters, what we do, and — just as importantly — where we stop.

Where We Stop, Stated Up Front

We document the condition of your roof thoroughly, and we can be present when the adjuster inspects it. We know what adjusters look for and we make sure nothing gets missed.

We are not public adjusters. We do not negotiate your claim, we do not represent you against your carrier, and we will not tell you what your policy covers. Any roofer who offers to handle your claim for you is offering something outside their lane, and in a number of states doing it without a public adjuster license is illegal. Read your policy, or ask your agent.

The Wisconsin Deadline Most People Miss

There are two different clocks and homeowners routinely confuse them.

• Reporting the claim. Policies require prompt notice. There is no single number — it is whatever your policy says — but the practical answer is weeks, not months.
• Bringing suit against the insurer. This is the one that catches people. Wisconsin policies can require that any action against the insurer be commenced within 12 months of the inception of the loss. Many carriers extend this to 24 months, and some do not. If your claim is dragging and you are approaching that date, that is a conversation to have with an attorney, not with a roofer.

Check your own declarations page and policy wording for both. It is a five-minute job and it is worth doing before you need it rather than after.

Winter Damage Is Where Coverage Gets Complicated

This is the Milwaukee-specific issue, and it is worth understanding before you file.

Many homeowner policies treat sudden interior water damage caused by an ice dam differently from damage to the roof itself. It is common for the ceiling, drywall, insulation and contents to be covered while the roof repair — and the underlying ventilation problem that caused the dam — are not, on the basis that those are maintenance rather than a sudden event.

That distinction is why documentation of the interior matters so much here, and why the attic photographs are not optional. It also means a claim can be partially paid in a way that surprises people. Policies vary substantially on this point, so read yours. See ice dam and winter roof damage for what causes the problem in the first place.

Two Clauses to Read Before You Need Them

• Replacement cost or actual cash value on the roof. This single line changes the arithmetic on everything. Actual cash value settlement depreciates the roof by its age, so on a fifteen-year-old roof the check can be a fraction of what a replacement costs. Many carriers have moved older roofs to ACV at renewal without the homeowner noticing.
• Any separate wind-and-hail deductible. Sometimes calculated as a percentage of dwelling coverage rather than a flat figure, which can be several times what you expect your deductible to be.

What We Do

• A full documented inspection. Photographs slope by slope, the interior and the attic, and a written assessment you keep whether or not you file.
• Test squares where hail is involved — marked-off areas with impacts counted, which is the method adjusters use and the format they expect.
• Collateral damage recorded — gutters, downspouts, vent caps, condenser fins, fencing. Often the clearest proof a storm struck your address.
• Attic inspection for water that has already come through, plus insulation condition.
• Presence at the adjuster inspection, so what we found is what gets discussed.
• A written scope and estimate in a format your carrier can work from.
• An honest read. Including telling you when the damage is cosmetic, the roof is sound, and filing is not in your interest.

Should You File At All?

Not always, and we would rather say so. A claim below or barely above your deductible is rarely worth filing, and claims history has consequences — repeated roof claims can lead to higher deductibles at renewal, a shift to actual cash value settlement on the roof, roof-specific policy limitations, or non-renewal.

The calculation is different for genuine storm damage that will shorten the life of the roof by years. It is also different if the roof was already near the end of its service life, in which case a funded replacement is the cheapest moment to improve on what you had — the insurer covers the roof you had, and you typically pay only the material difference to upgrade.

Verify Your Contractor First

Claim season brings out-of-town crews to Milwaukee quickly. Wisconsin issues Dwelling Contractor and Dwelling Contractor Qualifier certifications through the Department of Safety and Professional Services, searchable at app.wi.gov/licensesearch. For buildings of three to six units, a City Home Improvement Contractor License is required — the Department of Neighborhood Services can confirm at (414) 286-8210.

Never pay a large deposit before work starts. Never sign a contract with no price on it, or one that assigns your insurance benefits to the contractor. Treat an offer to cover your deductible as a warning sign rather than a discount.

More about us in southeastern Wisconsin on our Milwaukee roofing page, or check our service area. See also wind and storm damage repair, our broader storm restoration service, and what to do after storm damage. Start with a free roof inspection.

Frequently Asked Questions