A hailstorm rolls through Goshen on a Tuesday afternoon. By Wednesday morning I've already gotten calls from four homeowners in the same neighborhood — and every single one of them has made at least one mistake that's going to complicate their claim.
Not because they did something wrong on purpose. Because nobody tells you what to do. Your insurance company sends you a policy document the size of a small novel and then acts surprised when you don't know the process. Your neighbor tells you to wait. Your cousin tells you to call a lawyer. Someone knocks on your door and tells you to sign a contingency agreement before you even know what the damage looks like.
I've worked hundreds of storm damage claims across Greater Cincinnati — Clermont County, Warren County, Hamilton County, Butler County. I know what works, what backfires, and what quietly costs homeowners money they were entitled to. Here's the actual process.
Step 1: Document Before You Do Anything
Before you call your insurance company. Before you call a contractor. Before you do anything — go outside and take photos. Take a lot of them. Date-stamped, high resolution, covering every surface that might be damaged: roof, gutters, siding, AC condenser, window trim, mailbox, shed.
Here's why this matters: your insurance company is going to try to determine when the damage happened. If they can establish that the damage pre-dates your claim or that it's from a different storm than the one you're claiming, they can deny or reduce your payout. Your photos — timestamped to the day of or day after the storm — are your best evidence that the damage is fresh.
What to Photograph Right After a Storm
- Roof surface — walk the perimeter and shoot from ground level if you can't safely get on the roof. Look for missing shingles, exposed decking, cracked ridge caps.
- Gutters — hail leaves small round dents in aluminum. These are easy to photograph and easy for adjusters to verify.
- Siding — crack patterns in vinyl from hail are distinctive. Document every elevation of the house.
- Soft metals — AC condenser tops, window capping, door trim, metal vents. These are often the clearest evidence of hail because they dent visibly.
- Interior ceilings — any water stains, bubbling paint, or wet spots. These document active leaks.
- Your neighborhood — photos of downed branches, flooded streets, and other context establish that a weather event occurred.
If you can safely get on your roof — and I mean safely, not "I'll just grab a ladder real quick" — do it. If you can't, don't risk it. A contractor inspection will cover this. What matters right now is getting exterior and interior photos with a timestamp before anything changes.
Step 2: Call Your Insurance Company — Not a Contractor
After you have documentation, call your carrier and open a claim. This step should happen within 24-48 hours of the storm if possible. Ohio doesn't have a law that mandates exactly how long you have to file — your policy does — but most policies have a "timely reporting" clause. Waiting weeks can give the carrier grounds to question whether the damage is really storm-related.
When you call, keep it simple. Tell them there was a storm on a specific date, you believe there's damage to your roof and/or exterior, and you want to open a claim. Write down the claim number they give you. Write down the name of the person you spoke with. Ask when you can expect an adjuster to contact you.
"The biggest mistake I see is homeowners calling a contractor first and signing a contingency agreement before they even know what their claim is worth. That locks in the contractor before you have any information — and some of those agreements have terms that aren't in your favor."
You do not need to give a recorded statement at this point. You do not need to agree to anything. You are simply opening a claim and requesting an inspection. That's it.
Step 3: Get an Independent Contractor Inspection — Before the Adjuster
This is the step most homeowners skip, and it's the most important one.
Before the insurance adjuster comes out, get a qualified restoration contractor to inspect your property and document the damage with their own photos, measurements, and scope of work. This gives you two things:
First, you know what you're actually dealing with. You walk into the adjuster meeting with information instead of walking in blind. Second, if the adjuster's estimate comes in low — and it often does — you have an independent scope to compare against. That document becomes the basis of your supplement request.
A good contractor will do this inspection for free. I do. The inspection takes maybe 45 minutes. At the end of it you know exactly what's damaged, what it costs to repair, and what you should be expecting from your claim.
Step 4: Be There for the Adjuster Meeting
When the insurance adjuster schedules their visit, be home. Have your contractor there if possible — I attend adjuster meetings with my customers when they want me there, and it changes the dynamic significantly. Not in an adversarial way. In an information way.
An experienced restoration contractor knows what adjusters look for. We know what gets missed. We know how to document it in language that makes it into the final estimate. We know when an adjuster is writing something as maintenance when it's actually storm damage.
Walk the entire property together
Don't let the adjuster do a solo inspection and hand you a report later. You or your contractor should walk every elevation, every surface, every area of potential damage together. If something gets noted wrong or missed, correct it in real time — not after the fact in writing.
The adjuster's first estimate is not the final word
Adjusters work from software — typically Xactimate — and they make judgment calls about what to include. Those calls can go in your favor or against you. When they go against you, you can supplement. That process starts with documentation.
Step 5: Review the Estimate — Line by Line
Your insurance company will send you an estimate — either an ACV (actual cash value) payment or a full RCV (replacement cost value) breakdown depending on your policy. Read it carefully, or have your contractor read it with you.
Common things that get missed or underpaid on initial estimates:
- Pipe boots and collars — often not included in the initial scope even when they're clearly damaged
- Drip edge — frequently omitted, especially on older homes where it may not have been installed to current code
- Ice and water shield in valleys — required by Ohio building code in many jurisdictions but often priced as optional in initial estimates
- Decking replacement — when decking boards are damaged or rotted from water intrusion, this needs to be in the scope
- Overhead and profit — a 10% overhead and 10% profit line that general and restoration contractors are typically entitled to. Some carriers include it automatically; others fight it.
- Permit fees — many Ohio municipalities require a permit for roof replacement. If your carrier doesn't include this, add it to the supplement.
- Code upgrades — if your roof is being replaced, it typically needs to meet current code. This may include updated ventilation, different decking fasteners, or other upgrades that weren't in the original install.
If any of these are missing from your estimate, that's your supplement. Your contractor should help you build it — a proper supplement is a line-item document with photos and references to the estimate, not just a phone call saying the number is too low.
Step 6: Understand ACV vs. RCV — This Is Where Money Disappears
This might be the most important thing in this entire article, and most homeowners don't understand it until it's too late.
ACV (Actual Cash Value) is what your roof is worth today, accounting for age and depreciation. A 15-year-old roof is not worth what a new roof costs — ACV pays you the depreciated value.
RCV (Replacement Cost Value) pays you what it actually costs to replace the roof with comparable materials, regardless of how old the old roof was.
Most homeowner policies in Ohio are RCV policies — but they pay in two stages. First they pay ACV (minus your deductible). Then, once the work is completed, they release the held-back depreciation to bring you up to the full replacement cost. This is called the "recoverable depreciation" step, and many homeowners never collect it because they don't know to ask.
How to Collect Your Recoverable Depreciation
- Complete the roof replacement with a licensed contractor
- Get a final invoice from your contractor showing the completed work
- Submit that invoice to your insurance company with a written request to release the held depreciation
- Your carrier typically has 30 days to process this in Ohio
- If you don't submit the invoice, you don't get the money — it's that simple
Step 7: Don't Pay Your Deductible Twice
One thing I see constantly in this market: contractors who offer to waive your deductible in exchange for your business. I want to be clear about this — in Ohio, waiving a homeowner's insurance deductible is insurance fraud. It's a felony. If a contractor offers you this deal, walk away.
Your deductible is real. It's your portion of the claim. Reputable contractors don't waive it, and any company that does is either lying to you about how they're handling the paperwork, or they're inflating the claim to cover your deductible at the insurer's expense. Neither is something you want to be attached to.
What If Your Claim Gets Denied?
A denial is not the end. In Ohio, you have options.
Request a re-inspection. Ask your carrier to send a different adjuster. Bring your contractor and your documentation to the second inspection. Most carriers will do this.
Invoke the appraisal clause. Most homeowner policies have an appraisal clause that allows both parties to hire independent appraisers and have them agree on damage value. This is a formal process but it works, and it costs less than litigation.
File a complaint with the Ohio Department of Insurance. If you believe your carrier is acting in bad faith, the ODI investigates. The complaint process is free and carriers take it seriously. You can file at insurance.ohio.gov.
Consult a public adjuster or attorney. For large claims where you believe significant money is being withheld, a public adjuster (who works for you, not the insurance company) or an attorney who handles insurance disputes can be worth the cost.
The Honest Bottom Line
The claims process is designed to be navigated — by people who know it. Insurance companies are not adversaries, but they are businesses, and their adjusters are working with limited time and real incentives to close files. That doesn't mean they're trying to cheat you. It means the process rewards homeowners who document everything, follow up, and push back with evidence.
You don't have to know all of this. That's what I'm here for. I've been through this process enough times in enough counties to know what gets paid and what gets missed. If you've had a storm and you're not sure where to start — or if you got a low estimate and you don't know whether it's worth fighting — call me. I'll give you an honest answer either way.
Had a Storm? Start With a Free Inspection.
I'll come out, document the damage, and tell you exactly what your claim should look like — before you talk to your insurance company. No cost, no commitment, no pressure.
Schedule Your Free Inspection →