Should I Use My Roofer's Insurance Claim Help?

After a storm, many roofing contractors offer to "help with your insurance claim" or "handle the insurance process for you." Some of this help is legitimate and valuable. Some of it is a gateway to scams. Here's how to tell the difference.

What Legitimate Contractor Help Looks Like

A reputable contractor can provide genuine value during the insurance process in several ways. They can perform a thorough damage assessment and provide written documentation in the terminology adjusters use. They can be present during the adjuster's inspection to ensure all damage is identified and properly documented. They can prepare supplement documentation when the adjuster's estimate falls short of actual repair costs. And they can answer technical questions about repair scope and materials.

This kind of help is standard practice among professional roofing contractors and benefits you directly.

The Red Flags

"We'll handle everything." A contractor who wants to manage your entire claim process — filing, communicating with the adjuster, receiving payments — is inserting themselves between you and your insurance company. This reduces your control and visibility into the process.

Assignment of Benefits (AOB). Some contractors ask you to sign a document that transfers your insurance claim rights to them. This means the contractor deals directly with the insurance company and you have limited say in the process. AOB can be appropriate in some situations but gives the contractor enormous leverage — proceed with extreme caution.

"Don't worry about the deductible." Illegal in Indiana. Period. A contractor who offers to waive, absorb, or pay your deductible is either breaking the law or inflating the repair scope to hide the deductible amount.

Pressure to sign before the adjuster visits. If a contractor wants a signed contract before your insurance company has even inspected the damage, they're prioritizing their sales process over your interests.

"I know a guy at the insurance company." No legitimate insurance claim depends on personal connections. Claims are processed through standardized procedures. Any contractor implying special access is lying.

The Right Balance

The ideal arrangement is to maintain direct communication with your insurance company while using your contractor as a technical resource. You file the claim. You talk to the adjuster. Your contractor attends the inspection, provides professional documentation, and submits supplements as needed. You approve all work and payments.

Your contractor works for you, not for the insurance company and not for themselves at your expense.

Get a free assessment or call (260) 255-4551.