How to file a homeowners insurance claim for roof storm damage in Pennsylvania

Updated November 10, 2026 · KeystoneProGuide editorial team

What should you do first after storm damage to the roof?

Call your insurer, then take pictures. The Pennsylvania Insurance Department says to contact your insurance company as soon as possible after the storm, follow its instructions and give it the information it needs. The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) adds a reason not to wait: most insurers have a time requirement for reporting a claim.

The Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety (IBHS), a research organization, puts the same step first in its advice after hail: call your insurance agent before anything else, and let the agent explain the coverage and what happens next. The NAIC goes further and says to contact your insurer to file a claim before you hire a contractor, because the insurer will verify which repairs are needed.

What records should you keep?

More than you think you will need. The department's natural disaster guide says to:

• write down the name and title of everyone you talk to at the insurer, and the date;
• photograph or video the damage before you clean up or repair anything;
• keep every receipt for money spent because of the damage.

The NAIC suggests also making a written list of what was damaged and, where possible, keeping damaged items so the insurer can inspect them, since some policies require it.

Can you fix the roof before the adjuster comes?

Only enough to stop it getting worse. The department says that once the damage is documented you should make the repairs needed to prevent further damage, or to go on living in the home, but should not make permanent repairs until the insurance company has inspected the damage and approved them. IBHS gives tarping exposed areas as an example of a temporary repair. Keep the receipts for it.

What happens when the adjuster visits?

The insurer sends a claims adjuster to assess the damage at no cost to you, the NAIC says, who will walk through and around the home and look at the damage and any temporary repairs. The adjuster then reports to the insurer, which decides the settlement. The NAIC says your adjuster may also want to review contractors' estimates before you make repairs.

The department suggests going into that process with your own numbers. If possible, find out what it will cost to repair the property before you meet the insurer's representative, and if you disagree with the offer, be prepared to negotiate. Its guide puts it plainly: try to learn the total cost of repairs before agreeing to any settlement. The NAIC recommends getting estimates from at least three contractors and making sure they all include the same work.

How do the payments work?

Often in more than one check. The NAIC says the first may be an emergency advance if the damage is severe, with later payments for contents and for structural damage. If you have a mortgage, the payment for structural damage may be made out to you and your mortgage lender together, and the lender may put the money in an escrow account and release it as the repairs are completed. If that happens, ask the lender early how it releases the money, so the roofer's payment schedule can be agreed around it.

What does your policy actually cover?

Read it before the next storm, not after. The department's homeowners page says dwelling coverage pays for damage to the house and attached structures, while other-structures coverage pays for detached ones such as a separate garage or shed, and that what is covered depends on the policy. It advises checking with your insurer every year, and asking specifically whether wind and flood damage are covered. Most homeowners policies do not cover flood damage, which needs a separate flood policy.

Two more points from the department are worth knowing in a roofing claim. Find out what your deductible is and any dollar limits on damage the policy will pay. And keep up with trees: it says insurers may deny claims for damage caused by negligence, such as dead or overhanging limbs that were never dealt with.

Should you hire a public adjuster?

You do not have to. The department says you are not required to hire a public adjuster for the insurance company to pay your claim. If you choose to, it sets out the Pennsylvania rules:

• Every public adjuster must be licensed by the department, and the contract must be one the department has approved.
• The fee is usually a percentage of the claim and comes out of the insurance payments, not on top of them. Make sure you can afford it.
• The adjuster must tell the insurer of the representation within 2 business days of signing, pass on every settlement offer in writing within 5 business days, and give you a copy of the estimate of losses.
• A public adjuster who is also a contractor can do only one of the two jobs at a time, needs a separate contract for each, and cannot begin repairs until the insurer has decided the claim. You can choose your own contractor.

Check the license on the department's Find Insurance Professional tool before you sign anything.

What if a roofer wants to run the claim for you?

Then read the document carefully. The NAIC says an assignment of benefits hands a third party, such as a roofing company, the right to file the claim, make the repair decision and collect the insurance payments without you, and that you need not sign one to get repairs done. Offers to cover your deductible are a separate matter that the Pennsylvania pages read do not address. The Texas Department of Insurance, describing Texas law, calls them illegal there and says an insurer can ask for proof that you paid your deductible before paying the full claim. The scams guide goes through these offers in detail.

What if the claim is denied?

The department's guide sets out three steps. Check your policy to understand what is covered. File an appeal with your insurance company's claim manager. If questions remain, contact the department's Consumer Help Center; its consumer line is 1-877-881-6388. The NAIC adds that states have rules on how insurers handle claims, and that your state insurance department is the place to go if an insurer is slow to respond or does not investigate reasonably.

Once the claim is settled, what happens during a roof replacement covers the job itself, and roofers serving the area are listed on the roofers directory page.

Sources

1. Natural Disaster Insurance Guide, Pennsylvania Insurance Department
2. Shapiro Administration Provides Advice on Claims, Avoiding Scams Following Strong Storms and Flooding, Pennsylvania Insurance Department
3. Homeowners, Pennsylvania Insurance Department
4. Assignment of Benefits: Consumer Beware, National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC)
5. 10 Things You Can Do to Avoid Contractor Fraud and Abuse, National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC)
6. Public Adjuster, Pennsylvania Insurance Department
7. Is It Hail Damage?, Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS)
8. Is it OK for a contractor to waive my deductible?, Texas Department of Insurance