Did your home get damaged in a Seattle windstorm, and now you’re wondering if your roofer can actually help you get insurance to cover it? Are you worried that your insurance company will underpay your claim, leaving you stuck covering thousands of dollars out of pocket?
Without the right guidance, it’s easy to accept less insurance coverage than you actually need to fully repair the damage. An experienced roofer can help you justify the amount of repair work your roof needs to help you get the amount of insurance coverage you deserve.
At RoofSmart, we are committed to getting you the best coverage possible to help you fix your roof damage. In fact, the last 100 customers of ours who filed for coverage got an increase on their claim after we helped them negotiate with their insurance company.
In this case study, we’ll walk you through how one Seattle homeowner went from severe windstorm damage to getting full insurance coverage with the help of a roofing contractor who knew how to document, justify, and negotiate the claim properly (aka RoofSmart!). You’ll see exactly what was involved and what made the difference.
How Experienced Roofing Contractors Help With Windstorm Damage Claims
|
Step in Insurance Process |
What a Roofer Can Do |
What They Can’t Do |
Why It Matters |
|
Damage Inspection |
Document damage with photos/videos |
Approve claim themselves |
Strong evidence improves claim outcome |
|
Scope of Work |
Create detailed, line-by-line estimate |
Force insurance to accept it |
Justifies full repair cost |
|
Temporary Repairs |
Tarp roof and prevent further damage |
Guarantee reimbursement without approval (but taking preventative measures is usually covered) |
Helps protect home during claim process |
|
Communication with Insurance |
Explain repairs and negotiate scope |
Act as insurance adjuster |
Bridges gap between homeowner and insurer |
|
Identifying Hidden Damage |
Point out structural or system issues |
Override adjuster decisions alone |
Prevents underpayment |
|
Claim Negotiation Support |
Provide documentation and justification |
Legally represent you as a public adjuster |
Helps increase coverage when done correctly |
|
Full Restoration Planning |
Coordinate roofing and related repairs |
Approve unrelated claims |
Ensures nothing is missed in repairs |
How badly can my home get damaged during a Seattle windstorm?
Depending on the severity of the windstorm and how many trees are near your house, the damage can vary. Some people have no damage at all, while others might have an entire tree fall through their roof.
Most of the damage we see is gouging or holes from tree branches. However, unfortunately for one family during the most recent bomb cyclone storm, a tree fell through their roof and caused significant damage.
This is what the immediate aftermath looked like:
Luckily, they found us at RoofSmart and were able to get full coverage for the extensive damage.
What do most Seattle homeowners do after their roof gets damaged in a windstorm?
For a lot of people in Seattle, after a windstorm that causes a tree or branch to damage their roof, the first step is to file an insurance claim.
Of course, the insurance company will only want to cover the minimal amount possible, and it’s hard for you to argue your case because you’re not a professional roofer who knows how much everything should cost. The insurance company will just follow its own calculations.
The insurance company will tell you to get several bids, but if you’ve never hired a roofing company before, then you don't have any idea how to evaluate them or how to know if the price and scope of work are right.
This is a difficult task by itself, but it becomes even more frustrating if you also need to hire contractors for other stuff (like framing, siding, windows, or electrical work).
So you’ll probably get a bunch of bids, and then end up going back and forth with the insurance company because no one can agree on a reasonable price. And not knowing anything about the work that needs to be done makes it hard to defend yourself.
Based on what we’ve heard from our customers at RoofSmart, that's what happens for most people. They are forced into this role of being the expert on general contractor work, and they're screwed because they don’t know anything about it.
How does RoofSmart help Seattle homeowners get better insurance coverage?
There was a lot of damage on this roof, so we had to go back and forth with insurance quite a bit. Overall, negotiations took about three months.
What we helped the customer negotiate coverage for:
- Providing lots of pictures and videos: This was done so that insurance would have evidence of the damage. The more you can provide, the better.
- Hiring a crane and temporarily patching the roof: It’s pretty standard for insurance to cover the cost of tarping the roof. However, we did have to explain that using the crane was necessary to prevent further damage to the house.
- Explaining the cost line by line to justify the total: We created a comprehensive proposal that explained the full scope of work and listed the price of every item line by line. This helps the insurance company understand the justification of our estimated to total cost.
- Getting them to cover a full roof replacement: The insurance company only wanted to patch the damaged part of the roof. But we explained to them that this would lower the value of the house because the original color and current color of the shingles on the house were so different. It would be a super obvious patch job that would drag down the value of their home. It was the same shingle as the rest of the roof in the same shade, but the color was drastically different.
- Other covered work: The insurance company agreed to pay for the whole roof replacement and all the truss repairs. They paid for three structural engineers: one forensic engineer, our structural engineer to come up with the repair plan, and a truss engineer. This includes a new ceiling plus all of the wiring, HVAC work, and other setup to get the house back to its original state. In addition, we replaced the damaged siding and windows, and even repainted the whole house. All of this was covered by insurance.
The customer and his family had to live in an Airbnb for 2 months. This cost was also covered by insurance.
What was the full scope of work to fix this customer’s house?
Obviously, this house needed a lot of work after being smashed by a large tree.
1.) Assess the damage and protect the roof: Our team went in to remove the tree and patch up the roof so that it didn’t get further damage from the rain while we negotiated with the insurance company for coverage. For this job, we had to bring in a crane to lift the tree off the roof. If we cut it up into pieces, it would risk falling and damaging their deck, which was still intact. We patched the roof with some temporary OSB and then covered the patches with tarps
2.) Broken trusses: The tree smashed through several trusses in the roof, so there was quite a bit of reframing that needed to be done. We had to redo the entire roof in some sections.
3.) Coordinating other general contractors: Although we do a lot of construction work beyond just roofing, we did have to bring in other specialists for things like plumbing, HVAC, and electric work.
4.) Additional work: The damaged section of the roof also needed interior ceiling replacement. Plus, it got new insulation. After the trusses were in place, we replaced the entire roof. We finally had our final approvals from insurance on March 10th. We had the entire exterior fixed and rebuilt by the 19th. The interior work (fixing the ceiling and wall) came after that. In addition, we replaced the gutters, and we also replaced siding and windows as needed. Plus, we ended up painting the entire house.
5.) Interior work: They needed to install hardwood floors, do all the electrical, replace the sprinklers, install drywall, paint, install carpet, and install insulation.
After going through all of this chaos and living away from home, the customer and his family were so excited to move back home. They were thrilled to have gotten coverage for all of the work that needed to be done to fix up their home.
Can a roofing contractor actually help you get full insurance coverage for roof damage?
As this case study shows, dealing with storm damage isn’t just about fixing your roof: it’s also about navigating a complicated insurance process that most homeowners aren’t prepared for.
In this situation, having a roofer who understood how to communicate with insurance, provide detailed documentation, and advocate for the full scope of work made all the difference. Instead of settling for a patch job or partial payout, this homeowner was able to restore their home completely.
But not every roofing company is equipped to help at this level. The good news is that RoofSmart can.
Read our article “How Can RoofSmart Help with My Roof Damage Insurance Claim?” for a breakdown of exactly how we at RoofSmart can support you through the insurance claim process.
Frequently Asked Questions About Roofing Insurance Claims
Dealing with insurance after storm damage can be confusing. These common questions will help you understand what your roofer can do and what to expect from the process.
1. Can a roofer help me get more money from my insurance claim?
Yes, a roofer can help support a higher claim amount.
They do this by:
- Documenting damage thoroughly
- Creating a detailed scope of work
- Explaining why certain repairs are necessary
While they can’t approve claims, their expertise can help justify a larger payout.
2. Should I call a roofer or my insurance company first after storm damage?
It’s often best to contact a roofer first.
A professional inspection can:
- Identify all damage (including hidden issues)
- Help you understand what should be included in your claim
- Prepare you to file a more accurate claim
- Help you make temporary fixes to prevent further damage (installing a tarp)
3. Why do insurance companies sometimes underpay roof claims?
Insurance companies aim to minimize costs, which can lead to:
- Missing damage in their assessment
- Underestimating repair costs
- Approving partial repairs instead of full replacement
Without expert input, homeowners may accept less than what’s needed.
4. Can a roofer negotiate directly with my insurance company?
A roofer can communicate and provide supporting documentation, but they cannot act as a licensed public adjuster.
They can:
- Explain the scope of work
- Provide evidence
- Justify pricing
This often helps move the claim toward a fair outcome.
5. What should I look for in a roofer helping with an insurance claim?
Look for a roofer who:
- Provides detailed documentation
- Has experience working with insurance claims
- Communicates clearly and transparently
- Doesn’t promise guaranteed approval
This ensures you’re getting honest guidance, not unrealistic expectations.
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