A storm claim is not complicated, but it is procedural. Homeowners who understand the sequence tend to get fairly settled claims. Homeowners who skip steps tend to end up underpaid or denied — usually over documentation rather than the merits of the damage itself.
Step one: document before you call
The single biggest advantage you can give yourself is having an independent, dated, photographic record of the damage before the carrier has been contacted. Once a claim is opened, everything moves fast and the adjuster's report becomes the default version of events.
A contractor inspection at this stage costs you nothing and gives you something to compare the adjuster's scope against. If the two agree, the claim is straightforward. If they do not, you have evidence rather than an opinion.
Step two: file the claim
Call your carrier with the date of the storm and a summary of what was found. Ask for the claim number, the adjuster's name and contact details, and the deadline for completing repairs — that last one is easy to overlook and matters later.
Step three: the adjuster inspection
The adjuster will visit and inspect the roof, usually within one to two weeks. You are entitled to have your contractor present, and you should. It is not adversarial — it means both parties are looking at the same slopes, the same test squares and the same flashing details at the same time.
Disagreements are far cheaper to resolve on the roof than in writing three weeks later. When we meet an adjuster on site, we bring our own documentation, walk the slopes with them, and point out the specific areas we identified. Most of the time they see it the same way.
Step four: read the scope carefully
The carrier issues a scope of loss — a line-item breakdown of what they will pay for. Read it against what the roof actually needs. Items that are commonly missing include:
- Ice and water shield at eaves and valleys where code requires it
- Drip edge and starter course
- Ridge vent replacement rather than reuse
- Decking replacement discovered after tear-off
- Pipe boots, flashing and chimney counter-flashing
- Steep-pitch and two-storey labour charges
- Detach-and-reset for satellite dishes, solar and gutter
Step five: supplements
If a legitimate item is missing from the scope, your contractor files a supplement — a documented request for the carrier to add it. This is a completely normal part of the process, not a dispute. Rotted decking, for instance, cannot be seen until the old roof comes off, so it is almost always handled as a supplement.
Understanding ACV and RCV
Most Nebraska policies are replacement cost value (RCV). The carrier pays the actual cash value first — the depreciated amount — and releases the remaining recoverable depreciation once the work is completed and invoiced.
That means the first cheque will look too small. It is supposed to. Your out-of-pocket cost is the deductible, not the difference between the first cheque and the total.
The mistakes that sink claims
- Waiting past the policy filing window
- Signing a contingency agreement without reading the cancellation terms
- Accepting a contractor's offer to 'waive' or 'eat' the deductible — this is fraud and it exposes you personally
- Letting repairs be made before the adjuster inspects
- Failing to complete the work and claim the recoverable depreciation
- Choosing purely on price and ending up with a crew that disappears mid-job
Sharp Restoration has walked hundreds of eastern Nebraska homeowners through this process. We document the damage, meet your adjuster on the roof, review the scope line by line and file supplements when something real has been left out — and we are straight with you about what your policy will and will not cover.
Want a professional set of eyes on it?
Sharp Restoration inspects roofs, siding and gutters free of charge across Lincoln, Omaha and surrounding eastern Nebraska communities — and you get the written report either way.