Roof Storm Damage Claims: Guidance on Talking to Your Insurance Adjuster

L&S Home Improvements

| April 6th, 2026

(Modified: April 6, 2026)

A recent storm has damaged your roof. Now what? Learn more about immediate next steps and what to avoid saying to your insurance adjuster.

Storm DamageRoof

A fallen tree on a roof. The words 'Roof Storm Damage: Talking to Your Insurance Adjuster' are overlayed

Whether it’s the whistling of heavy winds flogging your home or the powerful snaps of hail hitting your roof, storms are never fun to deal with. The thought of dealing with the aftermath of storm damage, from missing shingles to detached flashing, feels like a knife to the heart, especially because your home is a significant financial investment. Once you buy your property, you hope you never have to do any work on it for years.

The good news is that insurance companies should reimburse you for storm damage. The bad news is that sometimes storm damage claims are denied, most commonly because the roof is too old/not covered in the policy or because the insurance company suspects negligence. As a homeowner, know that you have the power, and understand that L&S Home Improvements is here to support you throughout the claims process.

Immediate Steps to Take After a Severe Storm

Look at your roof from the ground. If you’ve never been on your roof before, now is not the time to do it. Stay safe and discover what you can. Be sure to get as much of your roof in the photo as possible. If there is hail, take a photo of the hail. If the damage isn’t visually predominant, you’ll have to fight harder to get a payout from your insurance company.
Take photos of any damage you notice, and don’t move any debris, such as a tree branch on your roof or missing shingles lying on your driveway. You want to highlight the cause of the damage as much as possible so that insurance companies have no reason to deny your claim based on the age or existing condition of the roof.
Call your insurance adjuster and let them know the situation. Stick to the basic, observable facts. Do not speculate. We’ll discuss other things you should avoid saying to your adjuster. Do not accept any cash or checks right away.
Re-read your homeowners’ insurance policy to determine if your roof is covered. Some policies exclude specific roofing materials, and agencies do keep records of your roof’s age.
Call a trusted roofing contractor, like L&S Home Improvements, to perform a comprehensive inspection. While we can’t speak for other contractors, L&S offers free inspections. Our team will take photos of the damage for you, highlight damage that isn’t visually noticeable to the naked (or unobserving) eye, and provide an estimate of the cost to repair the damage. We can also coordinate with your schedule and be available on-site for your adjuster’s inspection so we can point out issues to them and help you submit your claim.

Talking to Your Insurance Adjuster

Insurance agents, while they seem nice, are not your friends and won’t perform favors for you. They are actually trained to find alternative explanations for damage to avoid expensive payouts. You need to be careful with what you say to them because they can use that information as grounds for a claim denial. When you initially call your adjuster to let them know you’ve experienced storm damage, here are some tips on what to mention and what to avoid.

Avoid: Mentioning Pre-Existing Damage or Age of Roof

Michigan’s severe storms can cause damage, but poor ventilation and insulation are the most common causes of roofing system failures. They’re the silent killers of roofs, and unfortunately, most Michigan homes lack adequate insulation or attic ventilation. Shingles could easily blow off during a storm because they’ve already been lifted away from the underlayment due to excessive moisture or because nails have popped out. Another issue caused by poor ventilation is mold, which can appear both inside the attic and on the roof decking, though the latter is difficult to see without pulling up the shingles. If the issue is severe enough and the wood is completely rotted, it results in sagging.

The important thing here is not to mention pre-existing damage or joking that you noticed an issue and probably should’ve taken care of it before the storm. You’ve now just turned the claim into a maintenance issue rather than storm damage. While homeowners’ insurance policies cover sudden and accidental losses, they do not cover gradual deterioration caused by negligence. Even if most of the damage was caused by the storm, and there is legitimate storm damage outside of the pre-existing conditions, you’ve given them justification to deny your entire claim or reduce the payout.

Additionally, don’t mention the age of your roof. When you purchase a home and obtain homeowners’ insurance, the agency will take note of when your roof was installed, so your insurance company will already know the age and use these details when assessing your claim.

Avoid: Underplaying or Overplaying

If you underplay the situation, you may not get the payout needed to completely cover the repairs, forcing you to pay out of pocket. Likewise, if you overplay the situation, you are playing with fire, as that is considered insurance fraud and, in Michigan, can result in both jail time and hefty fines that will make you regret inflating the claim in the first place.

Never lie about the extent of the damage, and don’t even attempt to rate the damage. Just stick with explaining what you can see and mention that you’ve already spoken with a roofing contractor to assess the full extent of the damage.

Do: Mention Storm Date

Write down when the storm happened. If you can remember the time, that can also help, but the date is the most important piece of information. Insurance companies can look up storm reports to verify that a storm did actually occur in your area and you are not attempting to submit a false claim.

Avoid: Stating a Specific Amount You Need

You are not a roofing professional, and that’s okay, but you should avoid giving your adjuster a specific amount or a guess on roof repairs. Even if you received a guestimate from your Uncle Frank, who’s “experienced with roofing,” the best course of action is to have a roofing contractor on-site with your adjuster. The contractor can point out damage and provide solid estimates based on current material prices and labor costs for the project.

Do: Mention Observable Facts

Mention what you see.

There are shingles on the ground.

Flashing came off my home.

The gutters have fallen away from my house.

A tree branch fell on the roof.

There are dents in my roof from hail.

You can also keep it simple and tell your adjuster that you want to start the process of filing a claim, want to schedule an inspection, and that a roofing contractor will be on-site to help with the inspection. You may also mention that you have photos and/or videos to provide as evidence.

Do not add extra details. Do not make jokes or downplay anything. Just state what you see.

Other Tips

We can’t say this enough. Do not remove debris from the house. Take photos of your house as is after you’ve observed any damage, and ensure as much of the roof as possible is in the photos.
Do not get on your roof. There could be debris up there that could hurt you, and if it’s in the winter, there could be ice you could slip on. Take photos from the ground up, and a roofing contractor can take up-close photos for you.
Be proactive by trimming trees and removing dead trees. This is especially important if a fallen tree or branch caused the storm damage. If the insurance company notes that the tree was dead or severely diseased, they may question why you didn’t take care of it before the storm.
Do not repair the roof yourself. We don’t care if you consider yourself handy. If you perform the repairs incorrectly and it exacerbates the damage, and your insurance agency finds out, they can consider that negligence. Likewise, if your roof is covered by a warranty, repairs performed by an unauthorized person can void it.
If your claim is denied, ask for a written explanation of why it was denied. Don’t give up. You can make a stronger appeal if you understand why they’ve denied your claim.
Before you call your insurance company, have your policy ready. Some damage, such as flood or hail damage, may not be covered by your policy.
If you get your roof replaced, always call your insurance company to let them know when the new roof was installed and note it on your policy, which helps avoid the “aging roof” claim denial.
Unfortunately, roofing shingles must match. If the roofing damage wasn’t severe enough to warrant a replacement, but the shingles currently installed have been discontinued, or there is no exact color match, you will have to get a roof replacement.
Don’t take your insurance adjuster’s word on everything. We commonly see insurance companies not including financial reimbursements for permits. They are not allowed to do this, unless it’s explicitly stated in your policy. If, for any reason, your claim is denied because of this, we can help you appeal it. We understand Michigan’s building codes and what is needed before taking on any roof repair or replacement project.

Schedule a Post-Storm Roof Inspection Today

Dealing with storm damage sucks. There’s no other way to put it, but know that L&S Home Improvements is here to make your experience a little less challenging. While we can’t undo the fact that a storm happened, we can provide emergency response, temporary tarping protection if the weather is still inclement, and comprehensive claims guidance.

We want you to get the payout you deserve, and we’ll work directly with your insurance company to ensure they understand the full extent of the damage and how much you need to fix it.

Stormy season is just beginning in Michigan; if you’ve experienced damage, contact us today to schedule your free inspection. We proudly serve homeowners throughout Southeast Michigan, including Warren, Novi, Farmington Hills, Macomb Township, and more.