Roof Replacement Through an Insurance Claim — Adjuster to Final Check
Hail or wind took your roof, the claim is open or about to be, and you want to know what happens between the adjuster's visit and the finished roof, and who sends what to whom.
The roof replacement insurance claim process runs in a fixed order: you file the claim, the adjuster inspects, JMB Builders meets the adjuster and writes a line-item scope they can use, the insurer issues an actual cash value check, the roof is replaced to the approved scope, a supplement covers anything missed, and the final invoice releases the recoverable depreciation. We do it across the Twin Cities metro. You pay us the deductible; Minnesota law bars waiving it.
- You file the claim; we meet the adjuster on the roof
- Line-item scope written to match the adjuster's
- Deductible paid to us, never waived (Minnesota law)
- Final invoice releases recoverable depreciation
- Licensed MN contractor BC809005
Send photos and hear back within one business day — or book a free in-home estimate.
A roof claim is mostly paperwork in the right order. The roof itself goes on the same way as any full roof replacement: tear-off, deck, membrane, underlayment, flashing, shingles. What is different is that a second party, the insurer, is deciding what gets paid for and in what pieces. Homeowners get burned at the handoffs: the adjuster's scope leaves off the ice and water shield or the drip edge, the first check is smaller than the estimate and nobody explained why, or the contractor finishes and never sends the paperwork that releases the rest of the money.
Our part is to make the scope match the roof. Before the adjuster comes we have already walked the roof and photographed the hits with chalk and a scale. We meet the adjuster, walk it with them and agree on the damage in person. Then we write our own scope line by line in the same format they use: squares of tear-off, squares of shingle, feet of drip edge, feet of ice and water shield, step flashing, boots, vents, ridge, permit. Where their scope and ours disagree, that is the supplement, and it is sent with photos, not an argument.
The money arrives in two parts on a replacement-cost policy. The first check is actual cash value: the replacement cost minus depreciation for the roof's age, minus your deductible. The depreciation is recoverable, which means it is paid when the work is done and the insurer gets the final invoice. If the adjuster's scope left off items the code requires, ordinance or law coverage on your policy may pick them up; whether you have it and how much is a question for your agent.
What you supply
- The claim number, the adjuster's name and the adjuster's scope when you receive it
- The date of the storm and any photos you took right after it
- Your deductible, paid to us as part of the job
- A call to your agent about ordinance or law coverage and your mortgage company's endorsement rules
- Your shingle color choice from samples; upgrades beyond the scope are your own line
What JMB supplies
- Roof inspection with chalked, scaled photos of hail bruises, creases and dented soft metal before the adjuster visit
- The adjuster meeting on the roof, and a line-item scope written to match their format
- A supplement with photos for items the adjuster's scope left off or under-counted
- The full roof replacement to the approved scope: tear-off, deck, ice and water shield, underlayment, flashing, shingles, vents
- The city's building permit and inspection, listed on the scope
- Final invoice matched to the adjuster's lines, completion photos and any completion form the insurer asks for
- Plain-words explanation of the ACV check, depreciation and deductible math, no promises about what the insurer pays
How it is priced: per project
Quoted in writing from your photos, with a reply within one business day. What moves the number:
- The approved scope: squares, layers, decking, flashing and vents as the adjuster and our supplement agree them
- Your deductible, which comes off the first check and is paid to us directly
- Code-required items the adjuster did not include and whether ordinance or law coverage picks them up
- Upgrades you choose beyond the scope: Class 4 shingles, a different color line, ridge vent where there were box vents
- Items damaged but not on the roof, such as gutters, skylights, siding and screens, which get their own lines
- Decking found soft after tear-off, documented with photos and supplemented
Send the adjuster's scope and your storm-day photos. We compare it to the roof line by line before any material is ordered.
How long it takes
Adjuster meeting and scope: one visit. Supplement review by the insurer: often one to three weeks. The roof itself: one to two days on site. Depreciation release: after the insurer receives the final invoice.
How your project works
- 1
Inspection and photos before the adjuster
We walk the roof, chalk and photograph the damage with a scale and write up what we see so there is a record before anyone else is on the roof.
- 2
You file, we meet the adjuster
You call your insurer and file the claim. We meet the adjuster on the roof, walk the damage together and agree on what is there in person.
- 3
Scope and supplement
We write a line-item scope in the adjuster's format. Anything missing from their scope goes in a supplement with photos: ice and water shield, drip edge, step flashing, decking, permit.
- 4
ACV check and approval
The insurer sends the actual cash value check: replacement cost less depreciation and your deductible. Once the scope is agreed, you approve the work and we pull the permit.
- 5
Roof replacement
Full tear-off and reroof to the approved scope, with photos of the deck and every change documented for the supplement.
- 6
Final invoice and depreciation
We send the final invoice matched to the adjuster's lines plus completion photos. The insurer releases the recoverable depreciation to you, and the city inspects the roof.
Roof Replacement Through an Insurance Claim — Adjuster to Final Check: questions, answered
What happens after my roof insurance claim is approved?
You receive the adjuster's scope and usually a first check for actual cash value. We compare the scope to the roof line by line, send a supplement for anything missing, and once the scope is agreed you approve the work and we pull the city's permit. The roof is replaced to that scope, we send the final invoice and completion photos, and the insurer releases the recoverable depreciation to you. You pay us the deductible plus any upgrades you chose.
Why does the contractor's scope differ from the adjuster's scope?
Adjusters measure from the ground or a short roof walk and use software that can under-count squares, skip the ice and water shield the Minnesota code calls for at the eaves, or leave off step flashing, drip edge and the permit. Our scope is written from the roof with the same line items. The differences are sent as a supplement with photos. Most differences are resolved on the documentation; we do not invent damage and we do not promise what the insurer will approve.
What is a supplement on a roof claim?
A supplement is a request to add items to the approved scope after the first review, with photos and measurements. Common ones: more squares than the adjuster measured, decking found soft after tear-off, ice and water shield and drip edge required by code, a ridge vent where the old roof had one, kick-out flashing, the permit fee. The insurer reviews it and issues a revised scope and payment if approved. It is normal on a roof claim and it is not a fight.
Why is my first insurance check less than the roof estimate?
On a replacement-cost policy the first check is actual cash value: the replacement cost minus depreciation for the age of the old roof, minus your deductible. The depreciation is recoverable. When the roof is done and the insurer receives our final invoice, they release that held-back amount. If the check also seems short on items, that is the scope, not the depreciation, and a supplement addresses it.
Will insurance pay for code upgrades on my roof?
Only if your policy has ordinance or law coverage, which pays for work the current code requires that the old roof did not have, such as ice and water shield at the eaves or drip edge. Many policies include some; the limit varies. Ask your agent whether you have it and how much before the scope is finalized. We list the code-required items separately on the scope so you and the adjuster can see them.
Can the roofing contractor pay or waive my deductible?
No. Minnesota law prohibits a contractor from paying, waiving, rebating or absorbing an insurance deductible, and a contractor who offers to is telling you the scope is padded somewhere else. You pay the deductible to us as part of the job. Any upgrade beyond the approved scope, like Class 4 shingles when the old roof was standard, is your own line on top of it.
Recent JMB work, from our job log
59 installs recorded across 30 Twin Cities communities since Dec 2025. Window and door installs for homeowners, builders and dealers. Counts come straight from our job log; no customer names.
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Read morePage reviewed October 2, 2026 · JMB Builders LLC, MN license BC809005 · All roofing pages
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