Guide
Making a roof damage claim
The outcome of a claim is usually decided in the first forty-eight hours, before an adjuster has been anywhere near the property.
Get it looked at
Three questions, and up to three Irvine contractors. Free either way.
Your request is in.
We are matching it now against roofing contractors working in Irvine and the surrounding area.
- Today, usually within the hour. The first contractor calls or texts the number you gave us. ASAP requests go out first.
- Up to three of them, no more. We cap it at three so you can compare without your phone melting.
- They come and look. Estimates are given after somebody has been on the roof, not over the phone.
- You decide, or you do not. There is nothing to cancel and nothing to pay us.
If you do not hear anything today, check your voicemail and spam folder — contractors often call from a mobile number.
Photograph everything, immediately
Wide shots that show the house, close shots that show the damage, and pictures of the inside where water came through. Dated, before anybody touches anything. An adjuster can work with photographs; they cannot work with a description.
Read anything before you sign it
An assignment of benefits hands control of your claim to a contractor. There are legitimate uses for it and it is also the single most common way homeowners lose control of a claim. Never sign one on the doorstep.
Mind the deadline
Report promptly even if you have not decided what to do. The clock in the policy runs from the date of the event, not the date you noticed.
Know what your policy actually pays
The two clauses that decide the cheque are the settlement basis and the deductible. Some policies also carry a separate, larger deductible for wind and hail.
Stop further damage, and keep the receipts
Policies expect you to take reasonable steps to prevent things getting worse, and they generally reimburse the cost of doing so. Tarps, emergency call-outs, a temporary patch. Keep every receipt.
Get an independent assessment first
A written contractor assessment before the adjuster visits gives you a scope to compare against. If the two disagree, ask for the contractor to be present at a re-inspection — it changes the conversation considerably.
In short
Document first, mitigate second, file third. In that order it usually goes smoothly; in any other order it usually does not.
Related questions
Should I take the cheapest quote?
Not automatically. Put the quotes side by side on layers, not on totals — underlayment, ice-and-water, drip edge, valley treatment, ventilation, decking allowance, warranty. Cheap usually means less of those, not the same roof for less money.
What should I do to prepare?
Clear the driveway, protect attic storage from falling dust, and plan for two loud days. Agree in advance where the dumpster goes and who sweeps for nails.
Do you handle commercial buildings?
We do. It is a different set of contractors — commercial and low-slope work is a separate trade from residential re-roofing — so answering the property question accurately matters.
What is it going to cost?
No cost, no obligation, and never more than three contractors.