Drone, every elevation.
PhotographyFront, sides, back, accessory roofs. Hail signatures and matting patterns are easier to read at altitude than from a ladder.
§ 04.01Insurance claims · TX + OH
We build the claim file. You keep the conversation.
We are not your public adjuster. That talk belongs to you and the carrier. What we do is the doc work that makes the talk easy. Drone photos. Attic moisture. A line-item scope in the same software your adjuster uses. A real person on the roof when they walk it. We won't sell a reroof when a repair holds. DFW + Ohio.
What good looks like
A claim file is not a single PDF — it’s nine specific artifacts.
Whether the carrier writes the first scope short or long, the file does the arguing. We bring all nine to every roof we inspect, indexed and stamped before the adjuster ever opens an email.
Claim file · indexv.1 · on file
Attic moisture, on the meter.
DiagnosticsPin-meter readings on decking, rafters, and the underside of any flashing penetration. Dry, wet, or borderline — the number goes in the file.
Soft-metal evidence.
VerificationDents on gutters, vent caps, and AC fins confirm hail size when the shingle bruising is ambiguous.
Three-to-five neighborhood comps.
ComparablesComparable houses on the same hail track in the file as proof the storm hit at scale, not just one roof.
NOAA hail confirmation.
Public recordPublic storm-events data filtered to your parcel for the date of loss. The carrier already pulls this — we put it in the file first.
Line-itemized estimate.
ScopeWritten in the same software the adjuster uses, on the carrier’s regional price list, on the same effective price date. Mismatched formats are the easiest thing for a desk reviewer to dismiss.
Photos at the moment of discovery.
Tear-offRotted decking, multiple shingle layers, missing flashing — photographed before the new build covers the evidence.
Supplements under one claim.
RecoveryHidden damage filed as a supplement on the original claim number. No new deductible. Industry average $7,000–$8,000 per supplement.
One person, start to finish.
ContinuitySame person walks the roof, sits with the adjuster, files the supplements, and signs the final invoice. The homeowner is not the project manager.
Same software · Same regional price list · Same effective dateOpen a file on your roof →
How a claim actually moves
From the day the storm passes to the day the carrier releases the last dollar.
Every claim runs the same six steps. A bad one runs on email. A good one runs on a paper trail. Here is the trail we leave on yours.
T.01Day 0
The storm passes.
You call us before you call the carrier. We pull NOAA hail data for your parcel and pin the date of loss to the file before evidence starts oxidizing.
Hail size on file before the first phone call.
T.02Day 1–2
Drone + attic + soft-metal.
Four-elevation drone photos, pin-meter readings on the decking, and dent verification on gutters and vent caps. Three to five comparable houses on the same hail track go in the file as neighborhood proof.
Nine artifacts on file before the carrier writes a word.
T.03Day 7Highest leverage
Adjuster meets us on the roof.
The on-site walk is the highest-leverage hour of the entire claim. We hand the adjuster the file, walk every elevation together, and answer the questions in front of the damage instead of over email.
You stay in the conversation; we stand on the ladder.
T.04Day 10
First scope arrives.
The carrier writes a scope in the same software we use, on the same regional price list. When the formats match, there is nothing to argue over and the conversation moves to the actual damage line items.
Same software · same price date · same units.
T.05Day 14–21Highest leverage
Tear-off uncovers the rest.
Rotted decking, multiple shingle layers, missing flashing — photographed at the moment of discovery and supplemented under the original claim number. No new deductible.
Average supplement recovery: $7,000–$8,000.
T.06Day 30+
Depreciation released. File closes.
Final invoice signed, Certificate of Completion submitted, recoverable depreciation released by the carrier. The file is yours to keep — full set of artifacts, scope, supplements, and final reconciliation.
You walk away with the dossier, not just the roof.
The math nobody explains
Three numbers decide what a hail claim actually pays — and only one of them is yours.
Most homeowners walk into a claim thinking about a $250 deductible and one check. The reality runs in three columns: the deductible you owe, the supplements you can still recover, and the depreciation the carrier holds back until the work is done. Here is what each one usually looks like on a Texas wind-and-hail claim.
$400,000 dwelling · 1.5%
$6,000
your line · before policy pays
Texas wind-and-hail deductibles are written as a percentage of dwelling coverage, not a flat number. Most policies land at 1–2%. On a $400,000 home that’s $4,000–$8,000 owed by you before the carrier writes a single dollar of repair money.
- · No contractor in Texas can waive, rebate, or absorb it. Any flier offering otherwise is asking you to commit insurance fraud.
- · A weather claim cannot raise your premium or cause non-renewal — Texas state law forbids it.
Industry average · per claim
$7,400
recovered · after tear-off
- · The rule: photograph at the moment of discovery, before the new build covers the evidence.
- · One claim, one deductible. The supplement adds to the recovery, not to your bill.
Held back · released after
RCV
vs ACV · the gap
Most policies pay Replacement Cost Value (RCV) — but in two checks. The first covers Actual Cash Value (ACV, today’s depreciated price). The second releases recoverable depreciation, but only after the work is finished and the Certificate of Completion is filed.
- · Stop after the first check and you leave thousands on the table — the carrier keeps the depreciation.
- · We file the certificate the day we finish, then walk the release through the desk reviewer.
Numbers are typical Texas figures (1.5% deductible on a $400k dwelling; the supplement average tracks recent industry reporting). Your policy is the source of truth — we read it together at the inspection.
Five questions before you sign
A storm hits, a flier shows up, and someone asks you to sign before you can think.
These five questions filter most of the noise. Print them, save them, ask any contractor on your driveway — including us.
Q.01
Do you write your estimates in the same software the adjuster uses, on my carrier’s regional price list and effective price date?
The right answer is yes. Mismatched estimate formats are the easiest thing for a desk adjuster to dismiss.
Q.02
Will you attend the adjuster meeting on-site and walk the elevations together?
The right answer is yes. The on-site walk is the highest-leverage hour of the entire claim.
Q.03
How do you document hidden damage at tear-off?
The right answer is photos at the moment of discovery, supplemented under the existing claim number — no new deductible.
Q.04
Will you waive my deductible?
The right answer is no. It is illegal in Texas under Tex. Ins. Code §707.003 and a regulatory red flag everywhere else.
Q.05
Are you the contractor doing the work, or are you a public adjuster?
Texas prohibits the same person from doing both on the same claim. Make sure you understand which role you are hiring before you sign.
Matching law · two states, two playbooks
New shingle next to old roof — which side of the line are you on?
Whether the carrier owes a partial repair or a full elevation depends on the state code governing your policy. Toggle the rule that applies to your address.
TX · Like-kind-and-quality
Texas has no formal matching statute. Lever: the like-kind-and-quality language already in your policy.
Texas has no formal matching statute. The lever is the like-kind-and-quality language already in your policy: when the new shingle is visibly different from the rest of the roof along a clean line of sight, the carrier owes the broader replacement under that policy term. We document the line-of-sight on each elevation and put neighborhood comp photos in the file so the argument is not theoretical — it is a labeled set of photos the adjuster can look at.
§ 12Continue the manual — related to this page
§ 01.04Roofing
Storm-damage roof
Tarp first. Photo second. Walk the roof with the adjuster.
Same-day tarping if water is moving. Drone photo of every elevation. Soft-metal scale shots. We stand on the roof beside the adjuster — not in the parking lot afterward. 24/7 storm line.
Read →
§ 01.05Roofing
Roof leak diagnostics
The leak shows where water exits, not where it enters.
Trace from the ceiling stain back to the entry — pipe boot, kickout, dead valley, or not the roof at all. The fee credits back to a repair when the repair follows.
Read →
§ 03.08Remodeling
Siding
The board you see is one of seven layers.
Vinyl, LP SmartSide, and James Hardie — scored against your wall, your climate, and how long you plan to own. Sheathing first, wrap and tape next, rainscreen behind LP, then board, trim, and finish.
Read →
§ 01.06Roofing
Roof inspection
A second opinion you can audit.
Seven-checkpoint walk, photos with the report, severity 1–5 on each finding, plain-language scope. Written PDF inside 24 hours. We won't turn the report into a sales call.
Read →
§ 01.08Roofing
Roof replacement
One day on the roof. Twelve lines in writing.
Tear-off, no overlay. Twelve-line written spec on every contract. Balanced ventilation measured before bid. 25-year transferable workmanship warranty. Both states.
Read →§ 06Reach the dispatch desk
Storm just rolled through? Let's document it.
Evidence fades fast — soft-metal dents oxidize, granules wash off, neighborhood comp photos get repaired. Schedule a free inspection now and we put the nine artifacts on file before the carrier writes the first scope.
(214) 578-9961