Last updated: August 14, 2026

The roles, plainly

Three parties, three jobs. You (the policyholder) file the claim, choose your contractor, and pay your deductible. The insurance adjuster inspects the damage and decides what the policy covers — they work for the insurer. The contractor documents the damage, writes a repair estimate, and does the work. Where homeowners get burned is letting a contractor blur into the adjuster’s lane or their own: a roofer who wants to “handle the whole claim for you” is either exceeding what a contractor may legally do or taking control of money decisions that are yours. We stay in our lane deliberately.

Deductibles always apply

Your deductible is your contractual share of the loss, and it is always owed. When a contractor offers to waive, absorb, or rebate it — often by inflating the estimate so the insurer unknowingly pays your share — that is insurance fraud, plainly framed, and Kentucky law treats deductible schemes accordingly — the Kentucky Department of Insurance is the place to verify a license or report suspected fraud. The homeowner who signs that inflated paperwork is a participant, not a bystander. If a sales pitch includes a disappearing deductible, end the conversation. An honest claim has your deductible in it, visible, paid by you. That’s the whole test, and it filters out most bad actors in one question.

What we legally can do — and won’t do

Can do: inspect and photograph the damage, write a detailed itemized repair estimate, meet the adjuster on site to point out and explain damage factually, perform the roof repair, and provide documentation for your file. Won’t do, because Kentucky contractors legally can’t: negotiate your settlement, interpret your policy, promise what insurance “will pay,” or act as your claim representative. If your claim is disputed or underpaid, the right professionals are a licensed public adjuster or an attorney — not your roofer. We’ll do our documentation job thoroughly and say so when a claim needs one of them.

Not every storm is a claim

This surprises people: filing isn’t automatically smart. If repairs land near or under your deductible, a claim gains you nothing and goes on your loss history. Wear and age aren’t storm damage, and pretending otherwise fails adjuster inspection anyway. The clean sequence: get an honest repair estimate first — free from photos — compare it against your deductible, then decide. Our first-48-hours checklist covers documentation from the ground, and storm damage repair is there when the work itself is what you need.

Common Questions

Can you meet the insurance adjuster at my house?

Yes — that’s standard and legal. We can walk the roof with the adjuster, point out damage, explain what a repair involves, and make sure nothing gets missed factually. What we can’t do is argue coverage or negotiate dollars on your behalf; that’s the line between contractor documentation and public adjusting, and Kentucky draws it clearly.

A contractor said my deductible could be “taken care of.” Is that real?

It’s real fraud. The usual mechanics: inflate the claim so the insurer’s payment covers your deductible invisibly. It’s illegal, it raises premiums for everyone, and homeowners who sign the paperwork are implicated in it. Any company leading with that offer has told you how they do business. Pay your deductible; hire someone honest.

My claim was denied or came back low. Can you fight it for me?

No — and be wary of any roofer who says yes. Disputing a settlement is licensed work: a public adjuster or an attorney. What we can do is strengthen your file with thorough photos and a detailed, itemized repair estimate, which is often exactly what a re-inspection or appraisal needs. Documentation help is our lane; advocacy is theirs.

Start with the first-48-hours checklist or request a free photo diagnosis for documentation.