To document roof damage for insurance, photograph and video everything before touching it, record the date and time of the storm, save a weather report for your address, keep every receipt for temporary repairs, and get a written inspection report from a licensed contractor before the adjuster arrives. Claims with dated photos, a weather record, and a contractor’s report are approved faster and reduced less often. In our storm work across Westmoreland and Allegheny County, the single most common reason a claim comes back short is a missing “before” photo of damage that was cleaned up or patched too soon.
Here is the full process we walk homeowners through after every wind and hail event in the greater Pittsburgh area.
What should you do in the first hour after storm damage?
Safety first. Do not get on a wet or damaged roof. Everything below can be done from the ground, from a window, or from inside the attic.
Then resist the urge to clean up. A tarp over a hole is fine and expected. Hauling away the fallen branch or sweeping up the shingles in the yard before anyone has photographed them is where claims go wrong. Adjusters need to see what the storm did, not what you did afterward.
How do you document roof damage step by step?
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Write down the date and time. Note when the storm hit and when you first noticed damage. If you were away, note when you returned. Insurance policies have reporting windows, and the date anchors everything else.
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Take wide photos from every side of the house. Stand back far enough to get the whole roof plane in the frame. Do all four sides plus any garage or porch roofs. These establish context and show which slopes were hit.
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Take close photos of each damaged area. Missing shingles, lifted tabs, creased shingles, dented vents, bent gutters, damaged siding, broken windows, and debris on the roof. Get in as close as you safely can. Use a zoom lens from the ground if you have one.
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Photograph the ground and the yard. Shingles, granules, and flashing in the grass. Fallen limbs. Hail on the deck if it is still there, next to a coin or a tape measure for scale. Dents in the mailbox, the grill, the car, and the air conditioner. These prove the storm’s force.
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Shoot a walk around video. Narrate as you go. Say the date, your address, and what you are seeing. Video captures things photos miss and it shows the damage was not staged.
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Photograph the inside. Ceiling stains, wet insulation in the attic, drips, and water on the floor. Put a dated note in the frame if you can. Check the attic with a flashlight for daylight through the decking.
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Save a weather report for your address. Print or screenshot the National Weather Service storm report for the date, plus any local news coverage. Hail size and wind speed matter. Adjusters check whether a storm actually occurred at your location and this settles it.
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Make temporary repairs and keep every receipt. Tarps, plywood, screws, and the contractor’s emergency tarping invoice. Photograph the temporary repair too. Most policies cover reasonable steps to prevent further damage, but only with proof.
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Get a contractor inspection and written report. A licensed roofer walks the roof, photographs every slope, marks hail hits with chalk, measures the roof, and writes up what was damaged and what it will take to repair. This report is the document adjusters lean on most. Our storm damage team does this at no charge.
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File the claim and log every contact. Note the claim number, the adjuster’s name and phone, and the date and summary of every call and email. Keep it all in one folder.
What do adjusters actually want to see?
Adjusters are looking for three things: proof a covered event happened, proof it caused the damage you are claiming, and a reasonable scope of repair. Your weather report handles the first. Your dated photos and the contractor’s report handle the second. The contractor’s estimate handles the third.
They are also looking for the difference between storm damage and wear. A 22 year old roof with brittle shingles will lose tabs in a 40 mile per hour wind, and the adjuster may argue that age, not the storm, is the cause. Clear photos of clean creases, fresh exposed mat, and granule piles in the gutters help show the damage is new. Our hail damage guide shows what real hail hits look like next to old blisters.
Finally, they want to see that you have not padded the claim. Documenting exactly what the storm did, no more and no less, builds credibility for every line item.
What should you document and how?
| What to document | How to capture it | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Storm date and time | Written note, phone timestamp | Anchors the claim to a covered event |
| Weather record | NWS storm report, news screenshot | Proves the event reached your address |
| Whole roof, all sides | Wide photos from the ground | Shows which slopes were affected |
| Each damaged spot | Close photos, zoom from ground | Proves specific damage |
| Yard and property debris | Photos with a coin or tape for scale | Shows the storm’s force |
| Interior water damage | Photos of stains, attic, insulation | Ties roof damage to interior loss |
| Walk around video | Phone video with narration | Captures context and timing |
| Temporary repairs | Photos plus receipts | Reimbursable and shows mitigation |
| Contractor inspection | Written report with roof photos and measurements | The document adjusters rely on most |
| Claim communications | Log with names, dates, summaries | Protects you if the claim is disputed |
What mistakes get claims reduced or denied?
Cleaning up before photographing is the big one, and we have covered it. The others show up just as often.
Waiting too long. Policies require prompt notice, and carriers get skeptical when a claim is filed months after a storm. If you find damage in November from an August storm, file anyway, but explain the discovery date.
Getting on the roof yourself. A homeowner walking a hail damaged roof can scuff granules and create marks that look like foot traffic instead of hail. Leave the roof walk to the contractor and the adjuster.
Accepting the first number without a contractor present. Adjusters are busy and they miss things. Having your roofer on site during the adjuster’s visit means the two of them agree on the scope while standing on the roof. In our Westmoreland County jobs, claims with a contractor present at the adjuster meeting are revised upward far more often than claims where the homeowner met the adjuster alone.
Signing a contract that assigns your claim to a contractor. Some storm chasers ask you to sign an assignment of benefits or a contingency agreement on the first visit. Read anything before you sign it, and know that you are never required to hire the company that inspected your roof.
Filing for damage that is not there. It happens after big hail events when a salesman knocks on every door in Murrysville promising a free roof. A denied claim still stays on your record.
How does the claim process work in Pennsylvania?
Once the adjuster’s report is in, the carrier issues a settlement based on either replacement cost or actual cash value, depending on your policy. Replacement cost policies pay the depreciation holdback after the work is completed, so keep your final invoice. We explain the timeline and the paperwork in our Pennsylvania roof insurance claim guide.
If you disagree with the adjuster’s findings, you can request a reinspection, hire a public adjuster, or file a complaint with the Pennsylvania Insurance Department, which publishes plain language guidance on the claim process and your rights.
Why does documenting matter more in the fall?
September through November brings the last strong wind events before winter, plus heavy leaf drop that hides damage in gutters and valleys. Ice dams in January will make any storm damage worse, and carriers can argue that later water damage came from neglect rather than the storm. Document now, get inspected now, and get the repair scheduled before the first hard freeze. Our storm damage checklist is a printable version of everything above.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I call my insurance company or a roofer first?
Call a roofer first if you can, or at least before the adjuster visits. A contractor’s inspection report gives you an independent record of the damage and a scope to compare against the adjuster’s findings. Then file the claim with that report in hand.
How long do I have to file a roof damage claim in Pennsylvania?
Most policies require prompt notice and set a deadline of about one year for filing, though terms vary by carrier. File as soon as you find the damage and note the date you discovered it. Waiting weakens the claim even when it is still within the window.
Can I take my own roof damage photos from the ground?
Yes, and you should. Wide shots from each side, close shots with a zoom, photos of debris in the yard, and interior stains are all valuable. Leave the roof walk to a licensed contractor who has the safety gear and knows what adjusters look for.
Does a tarp on my roof hurt my insurance claim?
No, it helps. Carriers expect you to take reasonable steps to prevent further damage, and they typically reimburse the cost. Photograph the damage before the tarp goes on and keep the receipt.
If a storm has hit your roof, Bella Construction offers free storm damage inspections with a written report you can hand to your adjuster, and we will meet the adjuster on site. We have handled claims across the greater Pittsburgh area since 1995, and fall repair dates are filling. Call (724) 515 5163 or visit our storm damage page to get started.