Getting Started
Should I call my insurance company or a roofer first?
Roofer first, if you can. Get the roof inspected and documented by someone qualified before you file, so you know what you're filing for. Our inspectors are Haag Certified in wind and hail damage assessment. The inspection is free, and it puts a written report and photos in your hands before the adjuster shows up.
How long do I have to file a claim in Michigan?
Your policy sets the deadline, and it's often shorter than you'd expect. Read it now, not after the storm. Waiting also makes it harder to tie the damage to the event, especially with hail, where freshly exposed asphalt oxidizes grey after a few months.
Will filing raise my rates or get me dropped?
Michigan law limits how and when a carrier can non-renew, and a single storm claim on its own is generally not grounds. Multiple claims can affect rates or renewal. That's a question for your agent or DIFS, and it's outside what a roofer can advise on.
What if my carrier requires me to get multiple bids?
Some do. Get them. Just make sure they're pricing the same roof. A bid that leaves out ice and water shield, reuses flashing, or skips ventilation isn't a lower price. It's a smaller roof.
Working With the Adjuster
What does the adjuster actually do?
The adjuster inspects the roof and enters what he sees into estimating software, usually Xactimate or Symbility, which prices the line items. Most adjusters aren't roofers. Becoming one takes a course and an exam. Becoming a roofer who understands a roof as a system takes years on the roof. That's not a knock. It's the job description. But it means the person deciding what your roof gets often knows the least about roofs of anyone in the conversation.
Should my roofer be there when the adjuster inspects?
Yes. Ask for it. You're allowed to. Adjusters are busy and some will try to inspect alone and send a scope. If your roofer is on the roof with a written report and photos, the adjuster is looking at the whole roof next to someone who can point at a bruise and explain why it's a bruise. We don't negotiate. We show him what's there.
What if the adjuster's estimate is lower than yours?
It usually means the scope is missing items. Ice and water shield, starter, ridge cap, drip edge, flashing, ventilation, tear-off, disposal, the code items your ordinance-or-law coverage pays for. You have the right to ask for a reinspection and to submit our documentation as a supplement. We give you everything we documented for that. If it's a large dispute, that's when a public adjuster or an attorney is the right call, and we'll tell you.
What a Roofer Can and Can't Do
Will Stellar handle my claim for me?
No, and be cautious of any roofer who says he will. Under Michigan law, only a licensed adjuster can adjust or negotiate a claim, and a roofing company can't hold itself out as one. What we do is inspect the roof to Haag standards, document it in a written report with photos, write the full scope of what the roof needs to code and manufacturer spec, submit that documentation to your carrier on your behalf, and meet the adjuster on the roof. That's where most claims are decided, and it's completely within the lines.
Do I need a public adjuster?
Sometimes. A public adjuster is licensed by the State of Michigan to represent policyholders and negotiate on their behalf, for a percentage of the settlement. For a straightforward roof claim, complete documentation from a Haag Certified roofer is usually enough. For a large loss, a denied claim, or a real dispute, a public adjuster or an attorney is the right move, and we'll tell you so rather than pretend we can do their job.
Can you waive my deductible?
No, and any roofer who offers to is telling you how he plans to bill your carrier. Your deductible is your share of the contract. Financing can help cover it, and we offer that.
Coverage and Payment
What does a roof claim actually pay for?
Not "a roof." A scope: every line item the roof needs to be put back to code and to manufacturer spec. In Michigan, code says install per the manufacturer's instructions, so the manufacturer's spec is the code. If you carry ordinance-or-law coverage, the code items belong in the scope. If you carry matching coverage and your shingle can't be matched, that matters too. Read your declarations page.
Is a repair enough, or should the claim cover replacement?
On a claim, that's the wrong question. The right question is what the policy owes. A repair can technically stop the leak and still not be to manufacturer spec, because many manufacturers don't publish a repair procedure. If it can't be to spec, it can't be to code, and if you have ordinance-or-law coverage, that changes what you're entitled to. We check the damage, the spec, and the policy, and document what we find.
How does payment work?
Most policies pay in two parts: an initial check for the actual cash value, then the recoverable depreciation once the work is complete and documented. Your deductible comes out of the total. We handle the completion paperwork on our end and give you what your carrier needs to release the second payment.
Who to Avoid
How do I spot a storm chaser?
Out-of-town plates, a knock on the door after a storm, a contract to sign on the porch before anyone's been on the roof, an offer to waive your deductible, and no track record you can find. Look them up. Real address, state builder's license, reviews, BBB, a gallery of real jobs. If you can't find them, don't let them on your roof. Some of them chalk damage that isn't there. Haag's own paper has a section on people who fake hail marks with a hammer.
Still have questions? Read our full insurance claims guide, or call or text (616) 840-1927.
What This Page Cites
- Michigan Insurance Code, MCL 500.1222 and 500.1226, adjuster licensing
- Michigan Residential Code, Section R905.1, roof coverings installed per manufacturer's instructions
- Haag Engineering Co., "Hail Damage to Asphalt Roof Shingles." haagglobal.com