Guide
How a roof claim actually works
The outcome of a claim is usually decided in the first forty-eight hours, before an adjuster has been anywhere near the property.
Or call (442) 216-7631Get it looked at
Three questions, and up to three Vista contractors. Free either way.
Your request is in.
We are matching it now against roofing contractors working in Vista 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.
Get an independent assessment first
Filing a claim that turns out to be under your deductible costs you nothing but is on your record anyway. Find out the scale of the damage before you pick up the phone.
Photograph everything, immediately
Take far more pictures than feel necessary, including undamaged areas for comparison. Do it before the tarp goes on, not after.
Read anything before you sign it
Be wary of any contract signed in a hurry after a storm, particularly one that ties you to the contractor regardless of what the insurer decides.
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.
Stop further damage, and keep the receipts
Emergency mitigation is normally recoverable and routinely forgotten. Save the paperwork for the tarp as carefully as the paperwork for the repair.
Know what your policy actually pays
Replacement cost pays what it costs to replace the roof today. Actual cash value pays that minus depreciation, which on a fifteen-year-old roof can be most of it. Find out which you have before you file, along with your deductible.
In short
The homeowners who do well out of claims are not the ones with the worst damage. They are the ones with the best photographs.
Related questions
Do I need a permit?
Almost certainly, for a full replacement. The contractor should pull it, and the fee should be a visible line on the quote rather than a surprise.
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 I have to hire anyone?
No. Take the quotes, sit on them, use them to argue with your insurer, or throw them away. There is nothing to cancel and nothing owed.
Get it priced
Three questions, about a minute, and up to three Vista contractors come back to you.