The claim is won or lost in the first 48 hours

1. Was there a discrete event, on a date?

Property insurance covers sudden accidental damage — a named storm, a hail event, a fallen tree. It does not cover age or wear. If your roof is 22 years old and finally gave out during a rainy week, that is not a claim, and any contractor telling you otherwise is proposing you commit fraud with your name on it.

2. Does the damage plausibly exceed your deductible?

This is the question almost nobody asks first. Most Florida policies carry a separate hurricane or windstorm deductible set as a percentage of dwelling coverage — commonly 2% or 5%. On a $500,000 dwelling, 2% is $10,000 before the carrier pays anything. Filing below that puts a claim on your record and gains you nothing.

3. Are you inside the filing window?

Florida Statute 627.70132 gives you one year from the date of loss for an initial or reopened claim and 18 months for a supplemental. Both clocks run from the storm date, not from the day you noticed the stain. This catches people constantly, because wind damage frequently does not leak for six or eight months.

If all three are yes, file. If any is no, call us anyway.

A free inspection costs you nothing and gives you the information to decide. Plenty of our inspections end with us telling someone not to file, and that advice is worth more than the job.

Step 1 — Mitigate, and photograph before you do

Stop active water immediately; your policy requires it and failing to can reduce what the carrier pays for everything that followed. But photograph the damage before the tarp goes on, because once it is covered nobody can assess what was underneath. Tarping costs are normally recoverable. Call 772-589-2400.

Step 2 — Document exhaustively

Interior and exterior, wide and close, date-stamped. Ceiling stains, wet insulation, damaged contents, debris, soffit, fascia, gutters, screens, fencing. Collateral damage corroborates wind severity and adjusters weight it heavily. Take far more than feels necessary.

Step 3 — Get an independent roof assessment

Before the adjuster if possible. Knowing what is actually wrong puts you in a much stronger position than hearing it first from someone whose employer writes the cheque. Ours is free and produces a written scope and photo set in the format carriers expect.

Step 4 — Give notice in writing

State the date of loss explicitly. Record your claim number, the adjuster’s name and every call. Keep it factual: what happened, on what date, what damage resulted. Do not speculate about cause or guess at cost.

Step 5 — Be on the roof with the adjuster

This is the highest-leverage hour of the entire process. An adjuster walking the perimeter alone finds less than an adjuster standing next to a roofer pointing at creased tabs and broken seal strips.

Step 6 — Read the scope before accepting

Carrier scopes routinely omit code-required items. On the Treasure Coast that means secondary water barrier, metal cap nails (mandatory at our 150–160 mph design wind speeds), deck re-nailing and current fastening schedules. Those are legitimate and they belong in the scope.

Step 7 — Supplement what tear-off reveals

Rotted decking and damage invisible from the surface is a normal supplemental claim. We photograph it the day we find it and submit immediately. You have 18 months from the date of loss.

Step 8 — Release the depreciation

On an RCV policy the withheld depreciation is paid once work is complete and invoiced. Plenty of homeowners never claim it. Send the final invoice and completion photographs and ask for it.

Get the denial in writing, with the reason

Florida carriers must state the basis. “Wear and tear,” “pre-existing,” “below deductible” and “outside the filing window” are very different problems with very different answers.

Request the adjuster’s full report and photographs

You are entitled to the file. Frequently the photographs are taken from the ground or from a ladder at one elevation, which explains why creasing and broken seal strips were never found.

Ask for reinspection with your roofer present

Often the cheapest and fastest fix. A second inspection with someone on the roof who can point at the specific damage resolves a meaningful share of underpayments without anyone escalating.

Consider a licensed public adjuster

They represent you rather than the carrier and typically work on a percentage. For complex or disputed claims this is a legitimate route. We are roofing contractors and we do not do this — and we will not pretend otherwise.

Florida’s DFS mediation programme

The Department of Financial Services runs a free mediation programme for residential property claims. It is non-binding, low-cost and frequently overlooked.

What we will not do

Take an assignment of benefits, negotiate on your behalf, or promise an outcome we do not control. A contractor who wants your AOB before they have been on your roof is telling you what the relationship is about.

How long do I have to file a roof insurance claim in Florida?

One year from the date of loss for an initial or reopened claim, and 18 months for a supplemental, under Florida Statute 627.70132. Both clocks run from the storm date rather than from the date you discovered the damage - which matters, because wind damage often does not leak for months.

What is a hurricane deductible and how is it different?

It is a separate deductible that applies to named-storm damage, set as a percentage of your dwelling coverage rather than a flat dollar amount - commonly 2% or 5%. On a $500,000 dwelling, 2% is $10,000 before the carrier pays anything. Your all-other-perils deductible is usually far smaller and does not apply to hurricanes.

Will my insurance cover a roof that is just old?

No. Property insurance covers sudden accidental damage, not age or wear. Anyone telling you an old worn-out roof is a storm claim is proposing insurance fraud, and the claim is in your name, not theirs.

What is the difference between RCV and ACV on a roof?

Replacement Cost Value pays what the roof costs to replace today, usually in two parts with depreciation released after completion. Actual Cash Value pays replacement cost minus depreciation for age, and you never receive the remainder. Many Florida carriers have moved older roofs onto ACV or a roof surfacing payment schedule. Your declarations page states which you have.

Should I get a roof inspection before calling my insurer?

Ideally yes. Knowing what is actually wrong - and whether it plausibly exceeds your deductible - lets you make an informed decision instead of filing blind. Our inspection is free and produces dated photographs and a written scope you can use.

Will you meet my insurance adjuster?

Yes, and it is the highest-leverage hour of the process. An adjuster walking the perimeter alone finds less than one standing on the roof next to a roofer pointing at creased tabs and broken seal strips.

What do adjusters actually look for?

Creased tabs, broken seal strips, a damage pattern consistent with storm direction, slipped or cracked tile, and collateral damage to soffit, fascia, gutters and screens. They also look for pre-existing wear, which argues against the claim.

My claim was underpaid. What are my options?

Request the adjuster report and photographs, ask for a reinspection with your roofer present, and check whether code-required items were omitted from the scope. Florida’s Department of Financial Services also runs a free non-binding mediation programme for residential property claims. For complex disputes, a licensed public adjuster is a legitimate option.

What code items are commonly missing from carrier scopes?

On the Treasure Coast: secondary water barrier, metal cap nails for underlayment attachment (mandatory at our 150 to 160 mph design wind speeds), deck re-nailing and current fastening schedules. These are legitimate code-required costs, and ordinance and law coverage exists to pay for them.

Do you take an assignment of benefits?

No. We document the roof, provide a code-compliant scope, meet your adjuster and do the work. We do not take control of your claim, and we would be cautious about any contractor who asks for an AOB before they have been on your roof.