Expert Help Navigating Roof Insurance Claims — We Work with Your Insurance Company to Get You Fair Coverage
Free damage assessment • Insurance adjuster meetings • Full documentation support
Your homeowner's insurance policy is designed to protect you from sudden, unexpected damage to your property—including your roof. For St. Louis homeowners, this typically means coverage for storm damage (wind, hail, tornadoes), fallen trees, fire, lightning strikes, and other "covered perils" listed in your policy. However, navigating the insurance claims process can be confusing, frustrating, and often results in denied or underpaid claims when homeowners don't understand what's required or how to properly document damage.
The reality is that insurance companies are businesses focused on minimizing payouts. While most operate ethically, their adjusters are trained to identify reasons to deny claims, minimize damage assessments, or offer settlements below actual repair costs. They may tell you damage is from "wear and tear" rather than storms, that your roof was too old to qualify for full replacement cost, or that damage doesn't meet their internal thresholds for coverage. Many St. Louis homeowners accept these determinations without question, leaving thousands of dollars in legitimate coverage on the table.
At STL Roofing Pros, we level the playing field. We've worked with every major insurance company operating in Missouri for over 9 years. We know their assessment methods, their documentation requirements, and how to present damage in ways that support fair claims. We advocate for St. Louis homeowners throughout Arnold, Fenton, Ballwin, Chesterfield, Kirkwood, Webster Groves, and across the metro area—ensuring you receive the coverage you've been paying for. Our insurance claims assistance has helped hundreds of homeowners get roof damage properly repaired without coming out-of-pocket for covered losses.
We provide free damage assessments and work directly with your insurance company to ensure fair coverage.
We guide St. Louis homeowners through every step of the roof insurance claim process:
We perform a thorough roof inspection to identify all damage—not just what's visible from the ground. We look for wind damage, hail impacts, structural issues, and compromised components. Most importantly, we determine whether your damage likely qualifies for insurance coverage before you file a claim.
Why this matters: Filing unnecessary claims can affect your insurance rates. We only recommend filing when we believe you have covered damage that meets claim thresholds.
We create detailed documentation of all damage with high-resolution photos from multiple angles, written descriptions of damage types and locations, measurements and scope notes, and documentation of storm dates if applicable. This evidence package supports your claim and makes it difficult for adjusters to miss or minimize damage.
Why this matters: Insurance claims live or die on documentation. Amateur photos from homeowners often don't clearly show damage, making claims easier to deny.
You contact your insurance company to open a claim (we can't file claims on your behalf—policy requires you to initiate). We provide guidance on what to say, what information to provide, and how to answer common questions. We give you our documentation to submit with your claim, establishing the extent of damage from the beginning.
Why this matters: How you describe damage when opening a claim matters. Saying "I think I might have some damage" sounds different than "I have documented wind and hail damage from the [date] storm."
When your insurance company assigns an adjuster to inspect your property, we're there. We meet the adjuster on-site, point out all documented damage (they sometimes miss things or claim they can't see damage from the ground), provide professional context about damage types and causes, and ensure nothing is overlooked or dismissed incorrectly.
Why this matters: Adjusters have quotas and incentives to minimize payouts. Having a professional contractor present who knows roofing and knows insurance processes significantly impacts settlement amounts.
Once your insurance company provides a settlement estimate, we review it line-by-line. We compare it to actual repair costs in the St. Louis market, identify any missing items or insufficient allowances, and determine if the settlement fairly covers necessary repairs. If it's insufficient, we help you negotiate or file a supplement.
Why this matters: Initial settlements are often low. Insurance companies expect negotiation. Without contractor expertise, homeowners often accept inadequate settlements and later discover repairs cost thousands more than the settlement provided.
Once your claim is approved and settlement agreed upon, we schedule your roof repair or replacement. We complete all work according to the approved scope, following manufacturer specifications and building codes. If we discover additional damage during work (common with roofing), we document it and help you file a supplement to cover those costs.
Why this matters: Some contractors cut corners to make inadequate insurance settlements profitable. We ensure work matches what was approved and fight for supplemental coverage when necessary additional work is discovered.
Answers to the most common questions about filing roof insurance claims in Missouri.
Weather-related claims (storm, hail, wind damage) are treated differently than liability claims (someone injured on your property). Most insurance companies don't automatically raise rates for a single weather claim, as these are considered "acts of God" beyond your control. However, multiple claims within a few years, or claims combined with other risk factors, may affect rates or renewal.
Policy varies by insurance company and state regulations. Some Missouri insurers are more aggressive about rate increases after claims than others. The key question isn't "will my rates go up" but rather "is the cost of repairs greater than potential premium increases?" If you have $15,000 in covered damage, paying that out-of-pocket to avoid a potential small rate increase makes no financial sense. That's why you have insurance.
Most homeowner's insurance policies require claims within 12-24 months of the damage date—which is the date of the storm or event that caused damage, not when you discovered it. Some policies may have longer windows, but don't count on it. Missouri law requires "reasonable time" but doesn't specify exact timeframes, so your policy language governs.
This is why after any significant St. Louis storm—especially hailstorms—you should have your roof professionally inspected within weeks, not months or years. If you wait until damage starts leaking (which may be years later), you might be outside your claim window. We've seen homeowners discover they have thousands in covered damage but can't claim it because the storm was 3 years ago.
Absolutely not. You have the legal right to choose any licensed contractor you want. Insurance companies sometimes provide "preferred contractor" lists or "approved vendor" programs, but these are for the insurance company's convenience, not yours. These contractors have agreements with insurers that may not always align with your best interests.
Choose a contractor based on reputation, quality, local presence, and who you trust—not who your insurance company suggests. We work with all insurance companies regularly. If an adjuster pressures you to use their preferred contractor, politely decline and remind them you have the right to choose your own contractor. Missouri law protects this right.
Even with "replacement cost" coverage, most insurance companies initially pay "actual cash value" (replacement cost minus depreciation), then pay the depreciation amount once repairs are completed. This is called "recoverable depreciation."
For example: Your roof repair costs $12,000. Insurance determines depreciation is $3,000. They initially pay you $9,000 ($12,000 minus $3,000 minus your deductible). Once repairs are completed and you submit proof of completion and payment, they pay the remaining $3,000 recoverable depreciation.
Important: You must complete repairs and request the depreciation holdback to receive it. Many homeowners don't realize they're entitled to this additional payment. We help ensure you collect all funds you're owed.
Adjusters sometimes provide insufficient estimates by missing damage, using outdated pricing, or incorrectly assessing scope. You are NOT required to accept their initial estimate. You have the right to negotiate, provide additional documentation, get second opinions from contractors, and request reinspection.
This is where our insurance claims assistance becomes invaluable. We compare the adjuster's estimate to actual repair costs, identify deficiencies, provide supporting documentation for additional items, and help you negotiate fair settlement. If necessary, we can request a supplement (additional payment) after work begins when hidden damage is discovered. Most claims require some negotiation—don't accept lowball initial offers without professional review.
Missouri law limits when insurance companies can cancel policies. They cannot cancel mid-policy-term for filing legitimate claims. However, they may choose not to renew your policy when it expires if you've filed multiple claims or if they're exiting the Missouri market. Cancellation for claims is regulated—they can't arbitrarily drop you for exercising your policy benefits. That said, if you have three roof claims in five years, you may have difficulty finding coverage or face higher rates. This is another reason to maintain your roof properly between storms—legitimate storm damage claims are one thing, but repeated claims suggest maintenance issues.
Get expert assistance navigating the claims process and ensuring fair coverage for your St. Louis home.