A storm rolls through. Shingles end up in the yard, water spots show up on the ceiling, and now you have to deal with your insurance company. It feels overwhelming, but the process is more predictable than it looks.
Our team has 35+ years of combined experience working storm claims across Florida. Here is the exact order to do things in, and the traps to avoid. One note before we start: this is general information from a roofing contractor, not legal advice.
Quick Answer
- In Florida, hurricane and windstorm claims must be reported to your insurer within 1 year of the date of loss. For hurricanes, that clock starts on the storm's landfall date.
- Supplemental or reopened claims get 18 months from the initial payment.
- Document everything, get an independent roof inspection, and have your roofer present when the adjuster visits.
- Florida's prompt-pay rules require insurers to acknowledge your claim and then pay or deny it within roughly 60 to 90 days, depending on the situation.
Step 1: Stay Safe and Stop Further Damage
Do not climb on a storm-damaged roof. Wet decking, loose tiles, and downed lines are how people get hurt. Handle what you can safely reach from the ground or inside the house.
Then stop the bleeding. Move furniture, put buckets under active leaks, and get the roof tarped fast. Your policy requires you to mitigate further damage. If water keeps pouring in for two weeks because nothing was covered, the insurer can refuse to pay for that portion.
We offer 24/7 emergency tarping and storm damage service for exactly this reason. Keep every receipt. Reasonable mitigation costs are usually reimbursable under your claim.
Step 2: Document Everything
Claims are won and lost on documentation. Before anything gets cleaned up or repaired, build your evidence file.
- Photos and video. Wide shots of the whole roof and house, then close-ups of every damaged area. Inside too: ceiling stains, wet insulation, warped floors.
- Dates. Write down the date of the storm and the date you discovered the damage. For hurricanes, the date of loss is the storm's landfall date.
- Receipts. Tarping, water extraction, hotel stays if the home was unlivable. All of it.
- Before photos, if you have them. Any older photo showing your roof in good condition helps prove the damage is new.
Step 3: Get an Independent Roof Inspection
Before the insurance adjuster shows up, or at least alongside that visit, have a licensed roofing contractor inspect the roof and write up what they find. This matters more than most homeowners realize.
The adjuster works for the insurance company. They are often inspecting dozens of roofs a day after a storm, and things get missed. An independent inspection with photos gives you a second professional opinion on the scope of damage, documented by someone who is on your side of the table.
We do these inspections free as part of our insurance claim assistance service. Make sure whoever you use is licensed and insured. Our Florida license is CGC1532806.
Step 4: File the Claim Promptly and in Writing
Do not sit on it. Florida law gives you 1 year from the date of loss to report a hurricane or windstorm claim. That sounds like plenty of time, but damage gets worse, memories fade, and late claims invite scrutiny.
Call your insurer to start the claim, then follow up in writing so there is a record. Note your claim number, the date you filed, and the name of everyone you speak with. Florida's prompt-pay rules then require the insurer to acknowledge your claim and pay or deny it within a statutory window of roughly 60 to 90 days, depending on the situation. If they go quiet, follow up in writing and reference your claim number.
Storm Damage? Get a Free Inspection First.
We inspect your roof, document the damage, and walk you through the claim. Free estimates, and we work directly with your adjuster.
Step 5: Meet the Adjuster With Your Roofer Present
When the insurance adjuster schedules the roof inspection, have your contractor there. This is one of the highest-leverage moves in the entire process.
Your roofer can point out damage the adjuster might walk past, answer technical questions on the spot, and make sure the full scope gets into the report. It is a lot harder to fight an incomplete scope after the fact than to get it right during the visit.
Step 6: Review the Estimate and Scope Carefully
When the insurer's estimate arrives, do not assume it is complete. Underpaid scopes are common. Estimates often miss code-required upgrades, underlayment, flashing, or sections of damage the adjuster did not flag.
Compare the insurer's scope line by line against your contractor's inspection report. If items are missing, you can push back with documentation. And if more damage turns up after the first payment, you are not out of luck. Florida allows supplemental and reopened claims for up to 18 months from the initial payment. Supplemental claims exist for a reason. Use them.
One more thing worth knowing: if your roof was damaged but not destroyed, Florida's repair rules affect whether you can patch or must replace. Our plain-English guide to the 25% rule covers when a repair is allowed.
Step 7: Choose Your Contractor Carefully
After big storms, out-of-state crews flood Florida neighborhoods knocking on doors. Some are fine. Many are not. Pick a licensed, insured, local contractor who will still be here when the warranty matters.
Be very careful with any paperwork that signs over your entire claim or its benefits to a contractor. Never sign something like that casually, and never under pressure on your doorstep. Read it, ask questions, and get a second opinion if anything feels off. A legitimate roofer will give you a written estimate and let you take your time. We do hurricane and wind damage restoration across South and Central Florida, and we put everything in writing. We also beat any written estimate.
Why Claims Get Denied
Most denials trace back to a handful of avoidable problems:
- Late filing. Reporting the claim after the 1-year window, or long enough after the storm that the insurer questions the cause.
- Pre-existing wear. If the damage looks like old age rather than storm damage, expect pushback. This is where good documentation and an independent inspection earn their keep.
- Poor documentation. No photos, no dates, no inspection report. Hard to pay a claim no one can verify.
- Unmitigated damage. Leaving the roof open to the weather after the storm. Tarp it fast and keep the receipt.
The Bottom Line
File within 1 year, document everything, get an independent inspection, and have your roofer at the adjuster meeting. Those four moves prevent most denied and underpaid claims.
If your roof took storm damage anywhere from Fort Lauderdale to Orlando, we can help. Free inspection, free estimate, 0% financing if you need it, and 24/7 emergency service when the storm has other plans.
