You’ve had a storm. Your roof took a hit. Now you’re staring at your insurance card wondering where to start.
Most Central Ohio homeowners have never filed a roof insurance claim before. The process isn’t complicated, but the sequence matters — and a few common mistakes made in the first 48 hours can cost you thousands of dollars or get your claim denied entirely.
Dan Toland and the team at The Metal Roof Company have walked alongside hundreds of Central Ohio homeowners through this process — in Franklin, Licking, Fairfield, Delaware, and surrounding counties. This is exactly how we’d walk you through it.
|
72 hrs
window most Ohio policies expect initial damage notification
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40%
of initial adjuster estimates are revised upward when a contractor is present
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70%
of storm roof leaks aren’t found until secondary damage appears
|
$0
out of pocket for a professional pre-claim inspection from The Metal Roof Company
|
Standard Ohio homeowner insurance policies cover roof damage caused by sudden, accidental events. In plain terms that means:
| Typically Covered | Typically NOT Covered |
|---|---|
| ✓ Hail damage | ✗ Normal wear and tear |
| ✓ Wind damage (typically 60+ mph) | ✗ Age-related deterioration |
| ✓ Fallen trees or branches | ✗ Pre-existing damage |
| ✓ Ice dam damage (in most policies) | ✗ Neglected maintenance |
| ✓ Lightning strike damage | ✗ Gradual leaks not reported promptly |
The single most important distinction is sudden vs. gradual. A storm that causes damage tonight is a covered event. A roof that has slowly leaked for two years is not — even if you only just noticed it. This is why prompt inspection and reporting after any storm matters so much.
Your policy covers your roof either at Actual Cash Value (ACV) or Replacement Cost Value (RCV). This is one of the most important and least-understood distinctions in roofing insurance.
ACV pays you the depreciated value of your old roof — what it was worth before the storm, factoring in its age and condition. A 15-year-old asphalt roof may be worth only 20–30% of its replacement cost by this measure.
RCV pays you the full cost to replace the roof with new materials and labor at today’s prices, minus your deductible. Check your policy declarations page right now. If it says ACV, call your agent before your next renewal — upgrading to RCV coverage typically costs $50–$150/year and can mean a $10,000+ difference in a claim payout.
Walk your property and photograph everything visible from the ground. Your phone timestamps and GPS-tags every photo automatically — that metadata is part of your claim. Look for missing shingles, dented gutters, damaged siding, and debris. Check gutters for dark granule accumulation. Do not go on the roof. Do not move or remove anything until it’s been photographed.
Before you call your insurance company, get a contractor on the roof. A professional inspection gives you independent documentation of the damage — what it is, where it is, and what caused it. This matters because if the adjuster later disputes the cause or extent of damage, you have a professional record from before the claim was opened. The Metal Roof Company offers free storm damage inspections throughout Central Ohio.
If there are holes, displaced sections, or areas where water can enter, tarp the affected areas before the next rain event. Ohio doesn’t wait. Keep all receipts — emergency protective measures are typically reimbursable under your policy as part of the claim. Your contractor can often handle emergency tarping as part of the inspection visit.
Call the claims number on your insurance card or log into your insurer’s portal. You don’t need a full damage report before you call — you just need to establish the date of loss and notify them a storm event occurred. They’ll assign you a claim number and a field adjuster. Write down everything: the date, time, the name of the person you spoke with, and the claim number.
This is the most important step in the entire process and the one most homeowners skip. When the adjuster comes out, have your roofing contractor present with their documented findings in hand. Adjusters are not roofing specialists — they work from a checklist and visual inspection, often from the ground or a quick roof walk. An experienced contractor standing alongside them will point out hail bruising, lifted flashing, compromised ridge caps, and secondary damage the adjuster would otherwise mark as outside the scope of the claim.
After the adjuster’s visit you’ll receive a written scope of loss — a line-item breakdown of what they’re approving and at what dollar amount. Review this with your contractor before accepting. Common items adjusters undervalue or omit entirely include: code upgrade requirements (Ohio building codes may require additional work on older homes), full decking replacement, proper ice and water shield underlayment, drip edge replacement, and skylight or chimney flashing work. If the scope is missing items your contractor documented, a supplement can be filed.
For RCV policies, most insurers issue two payments. The first check — the ACV payment — arrives after the claim is approved and covers the depreciated value of the damaged roof minus your deductible. The second check — the recoverable depreciation — is released after the work is completed and you submit proof of the final invoice. Do not be surprised or alarmed by the first check being less than the full replacement cost. This is normal and expected. Your contractor should be able to explain what to expect from your specific insurer.
With the claim approved, you’re free to select any licensed contractor to do the work — you are not required to use a contractor your insurer suggests. Choose a contractor with a permanent local address, verifiable reviews, and direct experience working with Ohio insurance claims. Get your contract in writing with a clear scope, material specifications, warranty terms, and payment schedule tied to project milestones — not payment in full upfront.
After any Central Ohio storm event, you’ll likely be approached by contractors — sometimes door to door — asking you to sign an “Assignment of Benefits” (AOB) or “Direction to Pay” form. This document transfers your insurance claim rights directly to the contractor, giving them the authority to negotiate your claim, receive payment directly from your insurer, and in some cases pursue supplemental claims on your behalf without your direct approval.
AOB arrangements are not inherently illegal, but they remove you from the process and have been associated with inflated claims, disputes, and litigation in storm-affected markets. Ohio has consumer protection laws including a three-day right to cancel any storm restoration contract. Read everything before you sign. A contractor who pressures you to sign immediately after a storm is a contractor worth walking away from.
Insurance adjusters are generalists covering dozens of claim types. They are not roofing specialists. Here are the specific items Dan Toland’s team documents on every Central Ohio storm inspection that adjusters most frequently overlook or undervalue:
| What Gets Missed | Why It Matters |
|---|---|
| Hail bruising on shingles | Bruised shingles look intact from the ground but the mat is fractured — accelerating UV failure and voiding manufacturer warranties. Requires hands-on inspection to identify. |
| Flashing damage | Chimney, skylight, and pipe boot flashing is the #1 entry point for water in Ohio homes. Wind and hail can crack or lift flashing without visibly displacing shingles. |
| Ridge and hip cap damage | The peak of the roof takes the most wind exposure. Lifted or cracked ridge caps are frequently missed on ground-level adjuster walks. |
| Ohio code upgrade requirements | Older homes often require upgraded underlayment, drip edge, or ventilation to meet current Ohio building code when a roof is replaced — costs the adjuster may not include but that are required by law. |
| Partial vs. full replacement scope | Adjusters sometimes scope a partial repair when matching shingles is impossible or when the damage pattern warrants full replacement. A contractor can document why full replacement is the appropriate remedy. |
| Soft metal damage as hail evidence | Dents in gutters, vents, AC fins, and flashing are objective evidence of hail size and impact energy — critical for establishing that a covered hail event occurred. Often photographed by contractors, rarely included in adjuster reports. |
Not every roofing contractor has experience working within the insurance claims process. Here are the questions worth asking before you commit:
| Will you be present at the adjuster inspection? | Answer should be yes — without hesitation. |
| Do you handle insurance supplements? | Yes — and they should explain the process clearly. |
| Can you provide a written scope matching the insurance scope? | A good contractor works from the insurance scope line by line. |
| Do you have a permanent Ohio business address? | Non-negotiable. Storm chasers often cannot answer this. |
| What warranties do you provide on labor? | A minimum of 5 years on workmanship is industry standard. |
| Can I speak with past insurance claim customers as references? | Any experienced contractor should be able to provide these. |
An insurance claim approval gives you a choice: replace like-for-like with the same material, or pay the difference to upgrade to a better product. For many Central Ohio homeowners this is the moment the math on metal roofing finally makes sense.
Here’s how it works: your insurance will approve and pay for replacement of the damaged roof with materials of like kind and quality. If you choose to upgrade to metal roofing — which carries a higher installed cost — you pay only the difference between the insurance-approved amount and the metal roof cost. You get the insurance payout working for you on a roof that will likely never need to be replaced again in your lifetime.
Insurance approves $14,000 for asphalt shingle replacement on a 2,000 sq ft Columbus home. Rib metal installation on the same home costs $20,000. The homeowner pays $6,000 out of pocket and gets a 50-year metal roof instead of a 20-year asphalt replacement. The next storm that comes through causes no claim — and no deductible. Over the life of the roof, the $6,000 upgrade pays for itself many times over.
Dan walks through this calculation on every insurance estimate — honestly, with real numbers, and without pressure. If the upgrade doesn’t make financial sense for your situation, he’ll tell you that too.
Had a storm recently? Don’t wait. The Metal Roof Company provides free storm damage inspections and will be present at your adjuster meeting — at no charge, no obligation.
👉 Schedule Your Free Inspection | 📞 Call Dan at 614-721-7663