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Storm Damage Records for an Insurance Claim in Indianapolis

A dated, photographed roof record for a claim after ice, wind or hail, with no promise about what the insurer will pay.

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  • Ice dams and freeze-thaw
  • Marion County and suburbs
  • Roof repair and replacement

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Insurance Records

Storm Damage Records for Insurance: what it covers

Quick answer

A storm damage record is a written account of what a storm or an ice event did to a roof, with photographs, slope counts and the storm reference for the address. In Indianapolis the record is the homeowner's to keep and send. The Indiana Department of Insurance is the state body that takes consumer complaints about insurers, and the insurer decides what a policy pays.

Storm Damage Records for Insurance illustration for Indianapolis, IN

After a storm or a hard winter, a homeowner in Indianapolis often needs two things at once: a roof that stops leaking and a record that shows what the event did. The repair is one job. The record is another, and it needs to be written so someone who was not on the roof can follow what was found.

Indianapolis Roofing connects Indianapolis callers with a local technician who writes the record and explains what it shows. The technician does not decide the claim, does not set a value for the damage and does not tell the homeowner what the policy covers.

The sections below set out what a storm damage record contains, how it is organized and what to do with it once it is in hand.

Service area
Indianapolis & Marion County
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What does a storm damage record include?

A storm damage record includes the date and the storm or ice event, photographs of each slope and the interior, counts and measurements, and a plain summary. It is a record of what is there, and it does not decide the claim.

The record starts with the event. The technician notes the warning or the ice event that covered the address, and the date. A warning is a radar estimate or a description of an area, so the record treats it as the reason to look and then looks at the roof.

The roof itself is recorded slope by slope, with the metal, the flashing and the interior. The summary states what was found and what is uncertain, written so a reader can follow the reasoning without climbing the roof.

Who decides what a claim pays?

The insurer decides what is covered and what it pays under the homeowners policy. A record supports the claim, but it does not decide it, and the technician does not set a claim value.

A homeowners policy sets out which losses it covers and which it excludes, and it states how the payment is calculated. Some policies pay the cost to replace with new material, and others pay a value that allows for age and wear. The difference can be large, and only the policy and the insurer can say which applies.

An insurer usually sends its own adjuster to inspect the damage. The record does not replace that visit. It gives the homeowner a document to show the adjuster, and a document to keep if the adjuster's findings differ.

Where do complaints about an insurer go in Indiana?

Complaints about an insurer in Indiana can be taken to the Indiana Department of Insurance. Its website at in.gov/idoi publishes the complaint form and the process, and the department reviews complaints about insurers.

The department handles consumer complaints about insurers, and its website explains how to file. Its role is to review complaints against insurance law and the policy terms, and it is not a body that sets the value of a claim. A homeowner should not rely on any single source for its powers, and the department's own pages are the place to check.

This page does not print a telephone number for the department. The number on any third-party guide should be checked against the department's own site before it is used, and the complaint form is the most dependable way to start.

How should the record be kept?

Keep the record in more than one place, with the original photographs in full size, and with the policy and the claim letters stored alongside. Note the dates each item was sent or received.

Photographs lose their dates if they are edited or re-sent through some apps, so keep the originals. A copy in a cloud folder or on a drive is a sensible second place, and a printed copy in the house file is a third. A record that cannot be found when it is needed does not help.

When a repair is done, the repair records go with the record. A receipt that shows what was replaced and when helps the insurer, and it helps any later buyer understand the roof's history.

Can the record be made before the adjuster arrives?

Yes, and it is helpful to have it first. The record shows what the homeowner saw at the time, and it gives the adjuster and the homeowner the same starting point.

The technician documents the roof without attaching a repair estimate. The homeowner decides whether to share the record and when, and it is usually sensible to share it with the adjuster at the visit.

Being present for the adjuster's visit is worth doing where it can be arranged. Walk the house with the adjuster, point out the damage in the record and ask about anything that is not. Note what the adjuster says, so the claim file matches the conversation.

Warning signs

Signs you need storm damage records for insurance

The record is not a legal opinion. Do not sign a release, an acknowledgement of settlement or a document you have not read, and do not accept a payment you think is wrong without asking questions first. If an insurer or an adjuster asks you to accept a figure quickly, take time to read the policy and the record, and ask for the basis of the figure in writing.

  • A severe storm warning or a damaging ice event that covered the address
  • Roof damage found by a neighbor or by a contractor who came to the door
  • A ceiling stain after a thaw or a storm that had never appeared before
  • An insurer's letter asking for a roof inspection or a repair estimate
  • An adjuster scheduled to visit within days of the event
  • Dented vents, gutters or fences in the yard after a storm
  • Granules or shingle pieces collected in the gutters after a storm
Our process

How our storm damage records for insurance visit works

  1. Record the event and the date

    The technician notes the date of the storm or the ice event, the warning that covered the area and any dates the homeowner recalls. The record starts with the dates, because the insurer will ask for them first.

  2. Photograph the roof slope by slope

    Each slope is photographed from the ground and from the roof, with the test squares and any damage in frame. Labels identify each slope and each hit, so every photograph can be matched to the notes.

  3. Count, measure and mark

    Hits and damaged shingles are counted in test squares, and the metal parts are checked for dents. The measurements are written beside the photographs, not in a separate document that might be lost.

  4. Record the attic and the ceilings

    The attic is checked for wet insulation, staining and daylight through the decking, and the ceilings below are photographed. The interior record is kept with the exterior, because a leak is often first seen indoors.

  5. Write the plain summary

    A short summary says what was found, where, and how it was measured. It states what is uncertain and does not describe any damage as proven when it is only likely.

Options

Types and options for storm damage records for insurance

Hail record

Hits counted in test squares on each slope, with the metal parts checked and photographed. This is the most common record after a spring or summer storm in Indianapolis.

Wind and limb record

Lifted or missing shingles, ridge and flashing damage, and any limb or tree impact, with the direction of the damage noted where it is clear. Limb damage is recorded as its own item.

Ice-event record

Ice damage at the eave and in the valleys, with the attic findings and the thaw's path into the house. The ice event is named with its date, and the record separates it from older wear.

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Marion County

Why storm damage records for insurance is different in Central Indiana

The 10 August 2020 derecho brought widespread wind damage across central Indiana, with trees and power lines down, according to the NWS Indianapolis office. A record for an address in that storm names the derecho and its date, and it separates the wind damage from any limb damage or older wear.

The January 2005 ice storm is part of Indiana's record of winter damage, and the NWS Indianapolis office describes it as having knocked out power to as many as 150,000 homes in the state. A winter claim is recorded with the ice event's date where the homeowner knows it, and the record says where the date is uncertain.

A record in Carmel, Fishers, Greenwood or Avon is written for that address, with the storm reference that covered it. The record does not assume a county-wide event applies to every house.

Related

Hail Damage Roof Inspection

A slope-by-slope count of hail hits, the metal parts checked, and a dated record that separates storm marks from older wear.

Derecho and Fallen-Tree Roof Repair

Making an open roof safe after a derecho or a fallen tree, clearing limbs with the right equipment, and recording the damage for the insurer.

Ice Dam Roof Repair

Clearing the eaves, finding where ice-dam water got in, and repairing the roof and attic so the next thaw does not repeat it.

Emergency Roof Tarping

A temporary cover over an open or damaged roof so the next thaw or rain stays out, with the permanent repair planned afterwards.

Where we work

Storm Damage Records for Insurance across Marion County

Not sure if you're covered? Check your ZIP code.

Guides

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FAQ

Storm Damage Records for Insurance FAQs

Does the record guarantee my claim will be paid?

No. The record documents the damage. The insurer decides what the policy covers and what it pays, and the record is there to support the claim.

Who writes the record?

A local technician visits the roof and writes it. The technician works for the company on site, which holds its own insurance and answers to the authorities that regulate its work.

Where do I complain about an insurer?

The Indiana Department of Insurance takes consumer complaints. Its website at in.gov/idoi explains how to file. Keep your claim letters, the policy and the record ready.

How soon should I get the record?

As soon as the storm has passed and the roof can be checked safely. Early records are easier to rely on. Call (833) 751-2102 to book.

Will the record include the interior?

It can. Ceiling stains, wet insulation and daylight in the attic are photographed and described, because the interior is often where a leak is first seen.

What if the roof already had damage?

The record notes older wear, repairs and patches, so storm damage can be told apart from what was already there. It does not claim older damage was caused by the event.

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