Do this first
What to do right now
- Find your declarations page and read three things: your wind/hail deductible, whether roof losses settle at replacement cost or actual cash value, and any time limit on bringing legal action.
- Note the date of loss. If you are unsure, use the date of the storm that hit your area.
- Photograph and video everything before any cleanup or temporary repair.
- Report the loss to your carrier promptly, a delay is one of the most common reasons claims get reduced or denied.
- Make reasonable temporary repairs to prevent further damage, and keep the receipts; that is normally reimbursable.
- Get your own written, photographed inspection from a local roofer so you can compare it line by line with the adjuster's scope.
What a standard Pennsylvania homeowners policy generally covers
Most residential policies in this state are written on an all-risk basis for the dwelling, meaning the roof is covered for sudden and accidental physical loss unless the cause is specifically excluded. Wind, hail, falling trees, weight of ice and snow, and sudden interior water damage from a resulting opening are typically covered. Common exclusions are wear and tear, deterioration, manufacturing defects, rot, pest damage, poor workmanship on a previous installation, and, importantly, damage that resulted from failing to maintain the roof or from not acting promptly after a known loss.
Actual cash value versus replacement cost
This one line on your declarations page changes the outcome more than anything else. Replacement cost coverage pays what it costs to put the roof back today. Actual cash value pays that amount minus depreciation for the age and condition of the roof, so a fifteen-year-old roof on an ACV policy may settle for a fraction of the estimate. Many carriers have moved older roofs onto ACV or onto a roof-surfaces payment schedule at renewal, sometimes without the homeowner noticing. Check before the storm, not after.
Deductibles and deadlines
Separate percentage-based wind and hail deductibles are increasingly common, a 1% or 2% deductible on a $400,000 dwelling limit is $4,000 or $8,000, not the flat $1,000 you may have in mind. On timing, policies require prompt notice of loss and most contain a contractual suit-limitation clause, frequently one or two years from the date of damage; that clause is separate from Pennsylvania's general four-year limitation on contract actions and is generally enforceable. Do not sit on a claim.
If you disagree with the adjuster
You can ask for a re-inspection and have your roofer present. You can invoke the appraisal clause in your policy, if it has one. You can hire a public adjuster, in Pennsylvania they must be licensed by the Pennsylvania Insurance Department and their fee is a percentage of your settlement. And you can file a complaint with the Insurance Department's Bureau of Consumer Services. What you should never do is let a contractor offer to absorb, waive or rebate your deductible; that is insurance fraud, and it exposes the homeowner as well.
