What to do in the first days after a storm
Stop the water first, take your own photos, and call a roofer before you call the insurance company. A roofer can tell you whether there is storm damage worth claiming before a claim goes on your record, and if there is, you file.
- Stop the water. If water is coming in, call (574) 370-8342 and we’ll get out as fast as we can. We can tarp or patch the roof temporarily and bill the insurance on the back end. If the claim is later denied, you could be liable for that temporary work.
- Take your own photos. From the ground, photograph missing shingles, debris, and anything lifted or bent, from several angles, as soon as it’s safe.
- Call a roofer before you file. We check whether the damage is storm damage, document it, and tell you whether it is worth filing given your deductible.
- File the claim yourself. You are the policyholder, so the claim is yours to file. You get a claim number, the adjuster’s contact and an inspection timeline. Our claim guide has the full filing steps.
- Have your roofer there when the adjuster comes, so no damaged area gets missed. Communicating with your adjuster is part of our Policy Guard service.
- Don’t sign with a door-knocker on the spot. The questions to ask one are further down this page.
“Deductibles of $5,000 to $7,500 are common now. If your damage is under $8,000, you’re going to pay the majority out of pocket anyway. Sometimes it just isn’t worth filing.”
Free assessment or detailed inspection after a storm
In short: A storm or insurance inspection is the detailed paid inspection. The free assessment is for homeowners deciding on roofing work when no claim is involved.
The difference is what you walk away with, and whether it has to convince an adjuster.
| Free roof assessment | Detailed paid inspection | |
|---|---|---|
| Who it’s for | Homeowners considering roofing work | Storm damage, insurance claims and real estate deals |
| What you get | Photos, a clear written summary and an honest answer about what the roof needs | Dated photos, marked-up damage and a written scope, built to hold up with adjusters and in negotiations |
| Cost | Free | Paid. |
The detailed inspection covers the attic when it’s accessible, the decking, the roof surface, flashing at chimneys, walls, valleys and pipe boots, the ridge and valleys, ventilation, and storm or hail damage you can’t see from the ground. The full scope is on our roof inspection page.
How Policy Guard works on a storm claim
Policy Guard is Better Way Roofing’s insurance support for storm work. We take the photos, document the scope of the damage, and communicate with your adjuster, so the claim rests on evidence. If the insurance estimate leaves things out, we help you get it corrected: when a contractor’s number is $21,000 and the insurance is at $18,000 because line items were missed, those items get added with documentation showing they’re needed. What Policy Guard can’t do is approve the claim. That decision is the adjuster’s.
Wind, hail and the damage we see most
Wind is the storm damage we see most on roofs in Northern Indiana and Southern Michigan: missing shingles, and shingles with a crease across them, which means the wind flipped them up and broke the seal. Lifted or bent flashing around chimneys, vents and skylights is another sign to look for.
Hail is harder to spot. On shingles it leaves a bruise, a soft spot where the granules were knocked loose and the mat underneath is exposed, and it almost never shows from the ground. Left alone, a bruise can become a leak two or three years after the storm.
On a metal roof, whether hail dents it depends on the size and speed of the hail, and no metal panel is dent-proof. 29 gauge panels carry a Class 3 impact rating and dent more easily; 26 gauge panels are Class 4 and hold up much better. Insurers are also leaning towards calling hail dents on metal cosmetic when the roof still keeps water out, which can limit what a claim pays. More signs to check are in our article on how to spot roof storm damage.
If the claim comes back low or denied
Around 5 to 10% of the claims Better Way Roofing works on get denied, because we advise homeowners honestly before they file. When one is turned down, or paid well under what the roof needs, the first move is a re-inspection. A payout that missed line items can be supplemented with the documentation to support them. The common reasons are in our article on why Indiana roof claims get denied.
Every step after a denial, and who handles each one, is in our guide to what to do when a roof insurance claim is denied.
What to ask a door-to-door roofer before you sign
After every hail event, out-of-town crews go door to door across Northern Indiana with big sales teams and not enough installers. In 2021, a company came into Goshen, signed 600 contracts, and only completed 40 roofs before the lawsuit hit. Better Way Roofing has repaired dozens of roofs put on by storm chasers that failed within two years.
Before you sign with anyone who knocks, ask:
- Where is your permanent local office? Then drive by it.
- Can I see your general liability and workers’ compensation insurance?
- Can you give me five local references whose roofs I can go and look at?
- Will you cover my deductible? If they say yes, walk away. Indiana law bars a contractor from offering to pay or rebate any part of your insurance deductible, and you always owe it.
The full checklist is in storm chasers vs. local roofers.
Impact-resistant shingles and the insurance discount
If the storm means a new roof, ask about a Class 4 impact rating. Owens Corning Duration Flex, the top of the three shingle lines Better Way Roofing quotes, is Class 4 rated. On metal, 26 gauge panels are Class 4, and 26 gauge is what we usually use on our hidden fastener system.
Many insurers give a premium discount for a new roof, and many offer one for Class 4 impact-rated metal panels. In Lyle’s words, “You should have a form from your insurance that we can fill out and send in, to get a lower premium.” Not every insurer gives one, and the size of it is up to the insurer, so ask your agent before you count on it.
Paying the deductible, or for what insurance won’t cover
Insurance pays for like-kind replacement, so the deductible and any upgrade are yours to pay. Financing through Service Finance Company can cover either, subject to credit approval. As Lyle puts it, “plenty of homeowners use it to cover their deductible, or an upgrade their insurance won’t pay for, like upgrading to metal.” If an insurance check is on the way, a same-as-cash plan lets the work start now, and you pay it off with no interest when the claim funds land, as long as it’s cleared within the promotional window.
For scale, most repairs run $1,500 to $6,000, and a large repair can run higher. An asphalt shingle replacement starts from $13,000 and a metal roof from $11,500. See our roof prices and financing options.
Storm damage on a commercial roof
For businesses, Better Way Roofing’s emergency leak response gets out fast, documents the damage, and stabilizes the roof while you decide on a permanent repair or a replacement. Commercial claims often come down to documentation, and we do the documentation. See commercial roofing and flat roof repair and replacement.
Recent storm and impact-resistant jobs
Two jobs from our pricing page, with the price the homeowner paid.
| Location | The job | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Three Rivers, MI | 15 squares (1,500 sq ft) of Owens Corning Duration architectural shingles in Chateau Green, including soffit and fascia replacement following tornado damage | $22,064 |
| Jones, MI | Owens Corning Duration Flex shingles in Teak, an impact-resistant upgrade for better protection against hail and storm damage | $21,025 |
“We had storm damage to our roof. They showed up the day after I called. The staff was friendly and did a great job at a fair price. I definitely recommend them and will use them again if needed.”
Glenn D.
Storm damage and insurance questions
Is a storm damage inspection free?
In short: No. A storm or insurance inspection is our detailed paid inspection, with dated photos, marked-up damage and a written scope built to hold up with an adjuster. The free roof assessment is for homeowners considering roofing work when no claim is involved.
Should I call my insurance company or a roofer first?
In short: Call a roofer first. We check whether there is storm damage and whether it is worth claiming given your deductible, before a claim goes on your record. If there is, you then file the claim yourself, as the policyholder.
Can a roofer pay my deductible?
In short: No. You always owe your deductible. Indiana law (IC 24-5-11-10.5) bars a roofer from offering to pay or rebate any part of it to win the job, including through free upgrades. Financing can spread the cost of a deductible, subject to credit approval. See financing →
Will an impact-resistant roof lower my insurance premium?
In short: Often, but not always. Many insurers give one after a new roof, and your insurer should have a form we can fill out and send in. Owens Corning Duration Flex shingles and 26 gauge metal panels are both Class 4 impact rated. Ask your agent what the discount would be.
How long does a roof insurance claim take?
In short: Typically about a month from filing to payout, anywhere from one week to six. Depending on the size of the storm, it can take up to three to seven days to hear from an adjuster and, at worst, another two to three weeks until the adjustment. More insurance questions →
Where we handle storm damage
Better Way Roofing is a roofing contractor based in Shipshewana, Indiana, that repairs storm-damaged roofs on homes across Northern Indiana and Southern Michigan. We handle storm damage in South Bend, Elkhart, Goshen, Mishawaka, Warsaw, Sturgis, Three Rivers and Coldwater, and the towns around them. Find your town on our service areas page, or read how we approach roof repair and roof replacement.
Book a detailed storm inspection
Call us before you file the claim.
We’ll come out, document what the storm did with dated photos and a written scope, and tell you honestly whether it is worth claiming. If it is, Policy Guard handles the photos, documentation and adjuster communication. If it isn’t, you get a fixed written price for the repair and decide from there.