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Learn from Charlotte's trusted roofing experts. Tips on maintenance, repair, replacement, and protecting your home from the elements.
If you live in Charlotte, you know our weather is wild. One day it is 70 degrees and sunny. The next day, a thunderstorm rolls off the Appalachian Mountains and hits us with hail. We also get the leftovers from hurricanes that come up from the coast. These storms are tough on your home.
When your roof gets hit, your first thought is probably your insurance. You pay those premiums every month for a reason. You expect them to have your back when things go wrong. But the insurance claim process can be a real headache. It feels like learning a whole new language.
I have seen many homeowners in the Queen City and Lake Norman area struggle. They make simple mistakes that cost them thousands of dollars. They end up with half-finished repairs or "band-aid" fixes that don't last.
At Best Roofing Now, we want you to feel confident. We are a veteran-owned business. To us, honesty and service come first. We believe an informed homeowner is a happy homeowner.
Here are the 7 biggest mistakes we see people make with their roof insurance claims. And more importantly, here is how you can fix them.
The biggest mistake is thinking, "If it's not leaking, it's fine."
In Charlotte, we get a lot of hail. Hail damage is sneaky. It doesn't always cause a leak right away. Instead, it knocks the little rocks (called granules) off your shingles. These rocks protect your roof from the sun. Without them, the sun bakes your roof until it gets brittle and cracks.
Most insurance companies have a time limit. They usually give you one year from the date of the storm to file a claim. If you wait two years to report it, they might say "no." They will claim the damage happened because your roof is just old, not because of the storm.
The Fix:
Get a free inspection right after a big storm. You don't need to climb up there yourself. In fact, please don't! It is dangerous. Let a professional handle it. We offer free roof inspections in Charlotte to help you catch problems early.
Some people call their insurance agent the second the hail stops. This seems like a good idea, but it can backfire.
If you file a claim and the insurance adjuster finds no damage, that claim still stays on your record. It’s called a "zero-pay claim." It can still make your insurance rates go up.
Also, insurance adjusters are very busy. After a big storm in Lake Norman, they might have ten houses to look at in one day. They might miss something. They might not see the small dings on your gutters or the "bruises" on your shingles.
The Fix:
Always have a local roofer look at your roof first. They will tell you if you actually have enough damage to file a claim. If you do, have your roofer meet the insurance adjuster at your house. Your roofer can point out all the damage they found. It’s like having a coach in your corner.
As the National Roofing Contractors Association (NRCA) says, "A professional roofing contractor can help identify damage that may not be obvious to the untrained eye."
Documentation is everything in the insurance world. If you can't prove it happened, it didn't happen.
Many homeowners take a few photos from the ground. But ground photos don't show the real story. You need to see the "soft metals" on your roof. This includes things like your dryer vents, valley flashing, and gutters. These items show hail hits very clearly.
And here is a pro tip: don't forget the interior! If you have a water stain on your ceiling, take a picture of it. Check your attic, too. Sometimes water gets in but doesn't make it to the ceiling yet.
The Fix:
Start a folder for your claim. Put every photo and video in there. If you see hail on your deck, put a coin next to it and take a photo. This shows the adjuster how big the hail was. Keep a log of the date and time of the storm.
We use high-tech tools to document everything. We even use drones sometimes to get a bird's eye view. This makes it very hard for the insurance company to say there is no damage.
This is a huge one. Your insurance company might send you a check very quickly. It might be for $5,000 or $8,000. You might think, "Wow, that’s a lot of money!"
But wait.
Often, that first check is just a "down payment." It is based on what the adjuster saw during their quick visit. It often doesn't include the cost of things like taking off the old roof, disposing of the trash, or following local Charlotte building codes.
The Fix:
Don't panic if the first check is too small. This is where "supplementing" comes in. Supplementing is a fancy word for asking for more money when we find more damage.
When we start working on your roof, we might find rotten wood underneath. We can't see that from the top. We take a picture, send it to your insurance, and ask for the extra funds to fix it right.
Also, understand the difference between ACV and RCV.
Most good policies in North Carolina are RCV, but they hold back some money (called "depreciation") until the job is done. For more details on this, check out our Roof Insurance Claims FAQ.
After a storm hits neighborhoods like Ballantyne or Myers Park, you will see a lot of trucks from out of state. These are "storm chasers."
They follow the storms across the country. They are very good at sales. They might promise you a "free roof" or say they will "waive your deductible."
But be careful. Waiving a deductible is actually illegal in North Carolina. It is considered insurance fraud.
The biggest problem with storm chasers is that once the work is done, they leave. If your roof leaks six months later, you can't find them. They don't have a local office. They don't care about their reputation in Charlotte.
The Fix:
Work with a local, veteran-owned company. Look for someone who has an office you can visit. Check their BBB accreditation and their certifications. At Best Roofing Now, we are certified with industry leaders like CertainTeed and GAF. We aren't going anywhere. We live here, work here, and our kids go to school here.
As James Turner, our owner, always says: "Your roof is your home's first line of defense. You wouldn't trust a stranger with your family's safety, so don't trust them with your roof."
Did you know that some insurance policies have a "Cosmetic Damage Exclusion"? This means if hail hits your metal roof or your gutters and leaves a dent, but they still work, the insurance won't pay to fix them.
Or, you might have a higher deductible for "Named Storms." If a hurricane remnant comes up from South Carolina and damages your roof, your deductible might be 2% of your home's value instead of a flat $1,000. That is a big difference!
The Fix:
Read your "Declarations Page." This is the one-page summary at the front of your policy. It tells you exactly what is covered and what your deductibles are. If you are confused, ask us! We deal with these documents every day and can help you understand what you are looking at.
And remember, North Carolina building codes change. Sometimes the insurance company doesn't include "code upgrades" in their first estimate. We make sure they pay for everything required by law, like a proper drip edge or ice and water shield.
If a tree falls on your roof or a storm rips off a section of shingles, you have a "duty to mitigate." This is legal talk. It means you have to stop the damage from getting worse.
If you leave a hole in your roof for three weeks and it rains every day, your hardwood floors might get ruined. If you didn't try to cover the hole, the insurance company might refuse to pay for the floors. They will say you let the damage happen.
The Fix:
Call for emergency roofing services immediately. We can come out and put up a heavy-duty tarp. This protects your home while we wait for the insurance company to do their thing. Keep the receipt for the tarping service. Your insurance will usually pay you back for that cost.
When we were in the military, we learned about attention to detail. We learned that "good enough" is never good enough.
In the roofing world, there are a lot of ways to cut corners. A roofer could use cheap nails. They could skip the starter shingles. They could use a lower-quality underlayment (the black paper under the shingles).
But we don't do that. We treat every home like it’s our own. When we help you with an insurance claim, we aren't just looking for a quick paycheck. We are looking to restore your home to its best possible condition.
We use our mission-first mindset to handle the tough talks with insurance adjusters. We provide the hard evidence they need to approve your claim. We make sure they don't overlook the "little things" that make a big difference in how long your roof lasts.
When you get an estimate from an insurance company, it looks like a math textbook. They usually use a software called Xactimate.
Xactimate tells the insurance company how much a square foot of shingle costs in Charlotte, NC right now. It is updated every month. If your contractor's price is way higher than Xactimate, there is a problem. If it is way lower, they might be cutting corners.
We speak "Xactimate." We use the same software the adjusters use. This helps us communicate clearly with them. It means fewer arguments and faster approvals for you.
We know you have a lot of choices for residential roofing in Charlotte. We want to earn your trust through transparency.
Don't let a storm claim stress you out. You've already dealt with the storm. Let us handle the rest.
If you think your roof has storm damage, don't wait. A small problem today can become a massive leak tomorrow.
Schedule your FREE professional roof inspection with Best Roofing Now today. We will give you a full report and help you navigate the insurance maze from start to finish.
Call us or visit our website to book your appointment. We are here to serve our Charlotte and Lake Norman neighbors!
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Charlotte's trusted roofing experts since 2019
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