Storm Damage Insurance Claims

Missouri homeowners insurance policies for storm damage typically operate on either an Actual Cash Value (ACV) or Replacement Cost Value (RCV) basis. ACV pays the depreciated value of the damaged material — older roofs receive significantly less than the replacement cost. RCV policies pay the full replacement cost minus the deductible, with the depreciation holdback released after repairs are completed. Understanding which policy you have before a storm affects decisions about when to file, what to claim, and whether it is worth filing for a given damage level.

The claims process involves the homeowner filing the claim, the insurance company assigning an adjuster, the adjuster inspecting and writing a scope of work, the homeowner and contractor reviewing the scope, and repair execution. The most common failure points: the adjuster misses damage that is not visible without close inspection, the scope misses secondary items (flashing, ventilation, drip edge), or the depreciation holdback is not released after repairs are complete.

Revolve meets adjusters on-site for every storm claim we are involved in. Walking the damage together with an experienced roofing contractor consistently produces more complete initial scopes and reduces the need for supplements. When a claim scope is legitimately underwritten, we document and file a supplement with the supporting evidence.

A hail storm that hits your roof does not stop at the ridge. It hits siding at roughly a 30-degree angle — the same angle most hail falls at — leaving impact marks, cracked panels, and compromised siding systems. Gutters are dented. Soffit panels are punctured. Window screens are torn. Many homeowners file a roof claim and leave the rest on the table.

Revolve inspects and documents the full exterior as a single scope. We do not subcontract siding to one company and roofing to another — one accountable team handles roof, siding, gutters, soffit, and fascia. That single-scope approach means cleaner insurance coordination, a single general contractor on site, and a consistent installation quality standard across the entire exterior.

Significant storm events in the St. Louis area do not follow business hours. Tornado touchdowns, severe hail events, and straight-line wind damage happen at 2 AM and on holidays. Revolve maintains a 24/7 emergency line during active storm season in the St. Louis metro. After a major event, we triage calls by severity — active water intrusion gets same-day tarping, structural damage gets priority inspection scheduling.

Emergency tarping is a temporary measure — it stops water intrusion, not storm damage. The documentation and repair process follows as quickly as insurance timing allows. We work with homeowners to keep timelines reasonable; most insurance policies have claim-filing time limits, and waiting too long after a storm can affect coverage. We walk clients through the timeline considerations at the initial inspection.

Step 1: Document everything immediately. As soon as it is safe to be outside, do a full walk-around of the property with your phone. Take date-stamped photos and a continuous video pan of every exterior surface — roof (from ground level), siding on all four sides, gutters, downspouts, window screens, and any outbuildings. Time-stamped documentation establishes the storm event as the cause of damage rather than pre-existing wear.

Step 2: Mitigate further damage. If you have an active roof leak or a breached wall from wind damage, stop the water intrusion as fast as possible. Revolve offers 24/7 emergency tarping and board-up service during active storm season. Interior water damage — drywall, framing, flooring — is the expensive secondary consequence of storm damage left unaddressed. Mitigation costs are typically reimbursable under your homeowners policy as necessary and reasonable protective measures; save every receipt.

Step 3: Save all receipts. Tarping, temporary boarding, emergency hotel stays if the home is uninhabitable — these costs can be submitted to your insurer as Additional Living Expense or protective measure expenses. Document everything with photos and receipts from the moment the storm hits.

Step 4: Call your insurance carrier to file the claim. Missouri homeowners policies generally have contractual claim-filing windows — do not wait. A commonly cited guideline is one year from the date of loss in Missouri and two years in Illinois; verify your specific policy language because statutory and contractual timelines differ. Filing promptly also prevents adjusters from attributing storm damage to maintenance deferral.

Step 5: Schedule a professional roof inspection before the adjuster visits. Your own contractor's inspection report — with photos, measurements, and damage documentation in the format adjusters recognize — is the most valuable thing you can bring to the adjuster meeting. Adjusters perform many inspections quickly; a well-documented contractor report ensures damage does not get missed. Revolve schedules same-week inspections after major storm events.

Hail damage and wind damage produce different visual signatures on a roof. Knowing the difference matters because accurate documentation speeds the claims process and ensures nothing is missed.

Hail damage signs: Granule loss in concentrated circular or oval patterns — each impact site creates a distinct granule-cleared area surrounded by undamaged shingles. Exposed mat at random, distributed points across the slope rather than in linear patterns. Soft spots when pressed lightly with a finger — a bruised shingle has lost its structural integrity beneath the surface. Visible fracture lines radiating from an impact point on brittle material. Dings or dents on metal accessories: gutters, downspouts, drip edge, flashings, and HVAC equipment. Dented metal accessories confirm a hail event and help establish hail size for the claim.

Wind damage signs: Lifted or missing shingles in linear patterns along a slope — wind damage is directional and tends to follow consistent lines rather than random distribution. Blown-off ridge cap shingles are a primary wind indicator. Sealing failures where the adhesive strip between shingles has broken, allowing shingles to lift without fully departing the roof. Debris impact damage from branch strikes and projectile impacts, which leave localized damage distinct from hail patterns. In significant wind events, fascia boards detached, soffit panels blown out, and satellite dish or vent cap damage are supporting evidence.

Documenting both damage types in a single inspection is important because most St. Louis storm events deliver both hail and wind simultaneously. A thorough inspection captures all damage in one documented scope rather than requiring multiple claim supplements.

Every major St. Louis storm event is followed by contractors — some legitimate, many not. Six red flags to watch for before you sign anything:

A contractor offers to waive your deductible. This is insurance fraud. The deductible is your contractual obligation to your insurer. A contractor who inflates the scope to absorb your deductible is submitting a fraudulent claim, and participating homeowners can face liability under Missouri law.

Full payment demanded before work starts. A standard deposit of 20 to 33 percent for material procurement is reasonable. Demanding 50 percent or more upfront — especially from a contractor who appeared after the storm — is a common pattern in storm-chaser fraud.

A 'free roof' pitch. Insurance pays the covered scope minus your deductible. Your deductible is real money. Any contractor who characterizes an insurance-funded replacement as free is misrepresenting the transaction.

Pressure to sign an Assignment of Benefits immediately. An AOB transfers your insurance claim rights to the contractor. This document should be read carefully and understood before signing — not rushed through as a first-step formality.

Same-day high-pressure closes. A roofing project deserves at least 24 hours of consideration, reference checking, and COI verification. Any contractor who insists you must sign today is using tactics designed to bypass due diligence.

No license or insurance documentation available on request. A Certificate of Insurance should be producible immediately. A contractor who needs several days to locate their insurance documents likely does not have them.

What Revolve would never do: We will never offer to waive your deductible. We will never demand full payment before work starts. We will never describe an insurance-funded replacement as free. We will never pressure-close on the day of inspection. We document damage with photos before recommending replacement. We provide our COI to any customer who asks, immediately.

ACV (Actual Cash Value): The depreciated value of your damaged property at the time of loss. An ACV settlement pays what the damaged material was worth today — not what it costs to replace it. Older roofs receive significantly less than replacement cost under ACV policies.

RCV (Replacement Cost Value): The cost to replace damaged property with a new equivalent, without depreciation deducted. RCV is the more favorable policy type for homeowners — it pays the full replacement cost minus your deductible once repairs are complete.

Depreciation: The reduction in value of property due to age and wear. Under an ACV policy, depreciation is deducted from the settlement and is not recoverable. Under an RCV policy, depreciation is initially withheld as recoverable depreciation and released after the repair is completed.

Recoverable Depreciation: The portion of an RCV settlement withheld until repairs are completed. After your contractor submits a final invoice and completion documentation, you can request the withheld depreciation from your insurer. This is a step many homeowners miss, leaving money on the table.

Deductible: The amount you pay out of pocket before your insurance coverage applies. Your deductible is your responsibility and cannot legally be waived or absorbed by a contractor. Common residential deductibles in St. Louis range from $500 to $5,000; hail and wind percentage deductibles based on the home's insured value are increasingly common.

Supplement: A request submitted to the insurer after the initial settlement to add items that were missed in the original scope — additional damaged materials, code-required upgrades, or price adjustments for material cost changes. Supplements are a normal part of the claims process. Revolve prepares and submits supplements with full documentation when the initial scope is incomplete.

Scope of Loss: The insurance adjuster's written documentation of covered damage and the cost to repair or replace it. This document defines what the insurer will pay. Review it carefully before signing — every line item matters.

AOB (Assignment of Benefits): A legal document that transfers your right to receive insurance claim payments and negotiate with the insurer to the contractor. Read any AOB carefully before signing; understand exactly what rights you are transferring.

Code Upgrade (Ordinance or Law Coverage): Many older homes require code upgrades during repair — updated ventilation, underlayment standards, or decking requirements — that the base insurance scope does not cover. Ordinance or Law coverage pays for these required upgrades. Not all policies include it; check yours.

Matching Statute: Some states require insurers to replace all matching components if the damaged portion cannot be matched, to ensure consistent appearance. Missouri has relatively limited matching requirements; Illinois has stronger protections. The state where your property is located determines which law applies.

Public Adjuster: A licensed professional who works exclusively for the policyholder to document damage and negotiate the claim settlement. Public adjusters typically charge 10 to 15 percent of the claim settlement as their fee. In most roofing claims, a contractor who attends the adjuster meeting with documentation provides equivalent advocacy without the fee.

Insurance Adjuster: An employee or contractor of the insurance company who inspects the damage and writes the scope of loss. The adjuster's primary obligation is to the insurer. Independent documentation by your contractor is valuable context for every adjuster meeting.

Claim Specialist (Revolve's role): Revolve functions as the contractor and claim documentation partner on storm damage projects. We inspect and document the full exterior, produce a photo-documented condition report, attend the adjuster visit, and file supplements when the initial scope is incomplete. We do not act as a public adjuster, but we provide comprehensive contractor-side support throughout the claims process.