Policyholder Question – What are my options when my insurer says I have cosmetic damage from hail?

Policyholder Question – What are my options when my insurer says I have cosmetic damage from hail?

Q. My insurance company’s adjuster is saying that they don't pay for "cosmetic damage". After many conversations with him and the contractor, he finally admitted some hail damage but estimated almost exactly the amount of my deductible, $1,000. The contractor I hired is very reputable and had all kinds of chalk marks on my roof which the adjuster dismissed as "cosmetic." I tried to get my agent involved and he said the same thing about cosmetic damage. I really don't want to let this go. There are about 20 houses in my neighborhood getting work done due to the golf ball sized hail damage. Please let me know if I have any options.


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Pittsburgh homeowner turns to Public Insurance Claim Adjuster after hail damage is denied

Pittsburgh homeowner turns to Public Insurance Claim Adjuster after hail damage is denied

Here’s a great success story from our Pittsburgh public adjuster, Mr. Zach Flora that shows how a public adjuster can add value to the claims process. Great job Zach!

On May 28, 2019 a catastrophic hailstorm hit the Pittsburgh suburb of Gibsonia. The golf ball sized hail that struck and damaged homes, buildings, cars anything it came in contact with. Over the next few days, contractors converged on the area knocking on doors and telling property owners they needed new roofs “just sign here” and we’ll file an insurance claim for you. Rather than doing the smart thing and call their insurance company to file a claim, some homeowners who had not dealt with a loss like this went along. As insurance company representatives visited their policyholders in the area, there was no question that all of the roofs needed to be replaced due to the hail damage.


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Policyholder Question – What do I do when the insurance company won’t honor the roof damage estimates they told me to get and only want to pay for a partial repair?

Policyholder Question – What do I do when the insurance company won’t honor the roof damage estimates they told me to get and only want to pay for a partial repair?

Thank you to our Orlando Public Adjuster Brad Barrett for answering the following question:

Q. I had damage to my roof during a storm. Shingles blown off as well as some hail. Insurance told me to get 3 estimates which I did and then sent their adjuster out and he wrote me a check.  The 3 estimates said I had wind and hail damage and so did the check from carrier but the estimates said I needed the whole roof replaced and the carrier said I only needed the 1 corner repaired where shingles blew off. What should I do?


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Hail Insurance Claims Ramp Up with Spring Weather

As we transition into Spring, hail storms will cause severe property damage to roofs, siding, screen enclosures and any other structure within its path. As public adjusters, we consistently see insurance company claim adjusters minimizing the damage and trying to do patch work. This can lead to real differences of opinion between the policyholder and their insurance carrier as this denied hailstorm insurance claim at a church seen in the video below. While every claim is different and must be taken on its own merits based on the policy, our advice is to always enlist contractors and public adjusters who know the nuances of these claims and can negotiate fair settlements. Hail damage can be easy to miss and come back to haunt you. 


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Policyholder Question: Condominium Owner Asks About Roof Shingle Replacement Due to Hail

Q. I have a friend that lives in a retirement condominium community. They have a condo policy that covers all 8 buildings in the community. The insurance has paid to replace between 98-160 shingles per roof due to hail damage. The HOA by-laws state that the roof color must be the same on all roofs. After 17 years it will not be possible to match that many shingles on each roof. They have ordinance and law coverage in their policy for replacement cost. Would this apply in this situation? Should the insurance have to pay for a full replacement of the shingle roofs?


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"On Property" Insurance Claim Tips Blog

Tips and advice about how to properly file and protect your property damage insurance claim and get a fair settlement. We invite all readers to ask questions about their claim so our public adjusters can post answers for others to benefit. Insurance claim expert guest bloggers welcome to submit posts via our contact form.

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Local Office

Tutwiler & Associates Public Adjusters, Inc.
Licensed Public Insurance Adjusters & Loss Consultants
Offices: Tampa, Orlando, Palm City, Ft. Myers, Florida; Dallas, TX; Pittsburgh, PA

Executive Office
4300 W. Cypress St.
Suite 780
Tampa, FL 33607
Phone: 813.287.8090
Toll Free: 800.321.4488

Licensed in Florida # W840088 &
Texas #1399706 plus 16 other states
and the Virgin Islands