What do I do if my roof insurance claim was denied?
Read the denial letter for the stated reason, because the reason determines the response. "No covered damage found" is answered with a properly counted test square and a re-inspection request. "Damage below deductible" is answered by checking the full scope was estimated, not just the shingle. "Wear and tear" or "outside the claim window" is usually the end of it, and knowing that early saves you money.
The four reasons, and what each one means
No covered damage found. The adjuster walked it and did not count enough functional hits. This is the most appealable denial, because it hinges on where the test squares were marked and whether the person marking them knew the difference between a bruise and a blister.
Damage falls under the deductible. Common with percentage wind-and-hail deductibles. Worth revisiting if the estimate covered the shingle and skipped the code-required items, the gutters, the screens and the paint, because the total moves once those go on.
Wear and tear, or a maintenance exclusion. An honest one of these is usually correct. A roof at the end of its life is not a claim, and pushing it is throwing time after money.
Outside the reporting window. Most Texas policies limit how long after the date of loss you can report. This is the hardest to argue and the easiest to avoid, by having the roof looked at after the storm rather than after the leak.
A re-inspection is a normal request, not a fight
You can ask the carrier to send a different adjuster and to have your contractor present. That is a routine request and carriers grant it regularly, particularly when the first inspection was done alone.
What makes it work is bringing something new: marked test squares with the hits counted and photographed by slope, dated storm data for the address rather than the ZIP, and photographs of the soft metals showing stone size. An appeal that offers only disagreement gets the same answer twice.
It also matters that somebody is on the roof with the second adjuster. Two people looking at the same slope and agreeing on a count in person resolves in twenty minutes what six weeks of letters does not.
When it stops being a roofer’s job
A roofing contractor can document damage, meet the adjuster and write an estimate. Negotiating the terms of your policy on your behalf requires a public adjuster license in Texas, and disputing how the carrier handled it is a lawyer’s work.
Most policies also carry an appraisal clause, where each side appoints an appraiser and the two pick an umpire. It is slower than a re-inspection and far faster than going to court, and it exists precisely for a disagreement about the amount of a loss rather than about whether one happened.
Anyone promising to overturn a denial for a percentage of what they recover is describing public adjusting. Ask to see the license.
Related questions
How long do I have to appeal?
Check the denial letter and your policy. Appeal windows are usually generous relative to the reporting window, but they are not open-ended.
Does appealing cost me anything?
Asking for a re-inspection does not. A public adjuster works on a percentage of the settlement, and a lawyer works on a fee or a contingency. Know which one you are hiring.
Can a second roofing company get a different answer?
Sometimes, when the first one did not count properly or did not attend the inspection. It is not a magic trick, and a company that promises a reversal before looking at the roof is selling something.
Will appealing get my policy canceled?
Filing and appealing a legitimate weather claim is what the policy is for. Carriers do non-renew over claim frequency, which is a reason to be deliberate rather than a reason to accept a wrong answer.
