Most Houston roof claims are not denied because the damage isn't there. They are denied because the homeowner submitted the wrong documentation, used the wrong language, or accepted the first scope without challenging it. We have walked hundreds of homeowners through this process and the playbook below is the same one we use to win 70 percent of contested claims on first appeal.
- Do I need a contractor before calling insurance?
- Yes. A licensed contractor's pre-claim inspection report tells you whether you have a real claim before you put a denial on your record.
- How long do I have to file?
- Texas allows 1 year from date of loss for new claims under most homeowners policies, but evidence degrades fast. File within 60 days of the storm.
- Can I pick my own contractor?
- Yes. Texas law explicitly protects your right to choose. Insurance can recommend a 'preferred' contractor but cannot require one.
01 // Pre-claim inspection by an independent contractor
Before you call your insurance company, get an independent licensed contractor on the roof. This visit is free at Invictus and at most reputable Houston roofers. The contractor produces a written report with chalk-circled hail strikes, photos of every elevation, attic moisture documentation, and an itemized scope. If the report shows clear damage, you proceed to step two. If it doesn't, you have saved yourself a denial on your CLUE history that will cost you on premiums for the next five years.
02 // File the claim with precise loss-date language
When you call your carrier, give them the exact date of the storm event from NOAA records, not "sometime around Easter." Use the words "sudden" and "wind-driven hail" or "wind-driven rain." Avoid the word "leak" alone, which adjusters interpret as gradual damage and a maintenance exclusion. Avoid "old" or "worn." You are reporting a covered peril, not a roof at end of life.
03 // Prepare for the adjuster visit
Your adjuster is not your enemy and is not your advocate. They are a generalist with 14 minutes scheduled per inspection in a queue of 80 claims this week. They want clear evidence and a clean scope. Your job is to make their job easy.
Have your contractor on site for the inspection. This is normal and legal. The contractor walks the adjuster through every documented strike, points out collateral damage to soft metals (gutters, vents, AC fins) that confirms hail size, and provides a printed copy of the report with photos. Adjusters who arrive expecting to deny often write it up when collateral evidence is irrefutable.
04 // Review the scope line by line
The adjuster's settlement letter (sometimes called a "scope of loss") will arrive in 5 to 30 days. Read every line. Common shortfalls we see in Houston: missing R&R for ridge cap, missing ice-and-water shield at penetrations (Texas does not require it but most carriers will pay for it), missing decking allowance (typical 10 percent of squares), missing drip edge, missing detach-and-reset for satellite dishes, missing code upgrades like new flashings to current IRC. Each missed line is money you are entitled to.
05 // Submit a supplement, not an argument
If the scope is short, your contractor sends a written supplement request with every missing line itemized in the carrier's own pricing software (Xactimate). Adjusters approve supplements that match Xactimate line items 90 percent of the time. They argue with vague emails 10 percent of the time. We supplement on roughly 60 percent of Houston claims and average $4,200 in additional approved scope per supplement. This is not a confrontation, it is an administrative correction.
