What do I do if the insurance offer will not cover a new roof?
Get the carrier's scope in writing and compare it line by line against what the roof actually needs. Most short offers are short because something is missing from the scope, not because the carrier disagrees about the price, and a supplement with evidence fixes more claims than an argument does. When that does not work, a licensed public adjuster is the next step.
Ask for the scope, not the number
The settlement figure is a summary. The scope behind it is a line-by-line list of what the carrier thinks the job includes: how many squares, which slopes, whether ice and water shield is in there, whether the ridge vent is, whether the gutters are.
Almost every short offer we see has an omission in it rather than a disagreement. A slope that was not counted. Steep-charge that was not applied to a roof that plainly needs staging. Drip edge left off. Those are correctable with evidence, and correcting them is called a supplement.
Supplements are normal and mostly boring
A supplement is a request to add to the scope with documentation attached: photographs, measurements, and often a code requirement the carrier has to honor. It is an ordinary part of claim work and it is where most of the gap gets closed.
It also takes time. A supplement can add weeks. That is the trade for a settlement that actually pays for the roof.
The point where you stop and call somebody licensed
If the scope is right and the money still is not there, if a slope has been refused that you can see is damaged, or if the file has stopped moving, you have reached the end of what a contractor can do for you. A licensed public adjuster is the next call. That is the route that took one offer of $1,500 to an award of $15,800.
It is worth knowing that this can be slow. Some negotiations take two years before the roof goes on. The homeowner still gets the roof.
Related questions
Should I just pay the difference myself?
Sometimes that is the right answer, particularly on a small gap. On a large one, find out why the gap exists first.
Can I change contractors mid-claim?
Yes. The claim is yours, not the contractor's.
What is recoverable depreciation?
The part of the settlement the carrier holds back until the work is done and invoiced. It is not a discount and you should get it, which is why the final invoice matters.
