A roof insurance claim isn't complicated, but it has a lot of moving parts — and the order matters. Done in the right sequence, you end up with a fully replaced roof and a check that covers everything except your deductible. Done in the wrong order, you can shortchange yourself thousands of dollars or get the claim denied entirely.
Here is the full process, start to finish, in the order it actually happens for Twin Cities homeowners.
Step 1: Get a free contractor inspection first — before you call insurance
This is the step most homeowners skip, and it's the most important one. Before you ever call your insurance company, have a reputable local roofer climb the roof and document what they find. You want photos, a damage map, and a written assessment.
Why first? Because if there isn't real, claimable damage, opening a claim is a permanent mark on your insurance history with nothing to show for it. And if there is damage, you walk into the claim already knowing what should be covered — instead of finding out from the adjuster.
Step 2: File the claim with your insurance company
Call your insurance company's claims line (not your agent — the agent sells the policy, the claims department handles losses). You'll need: the date of the storm, your policy number, a short description of the damage, and your contractor's contact info if you have one.
They'll open a claim number and assign an adjuster, who will call you within a few days to schedule an on-roof inspection.
Step 3: The adjuster meeting (your contractor should be there)
When the adjuster comes out, your contractor should meet them at the house and walk the roof together. This is non-negotiable. The adjuster decides what gets paid for, and having your contractor on the roof with them — pointing out hits, lifted shingles, damaged flashing, bent vents — dramatically changes what ends up in the scope of work.
If you let the adjuster inspect alone, items routinely get missed: ridge cap, drip edge, ice and water shield, code-required upgrades. Those missing items come out of your pocket later.
Step 4: Review the insurance estimate (the scope of loss)
A few days to a couple weeks after the inspection, the adjuster sends you a written estimate — usually called a 'scope of loss' or 'estimate of damages,' typically generated in software called Xactimate. It lists every line item the insurance company has agreed to pay for, the unit prices, and the totals.
Forward this PDF to your contractor immediately. Do not sign anything or cash any check yet. Your contractor will read the scope line by line and compare it to what the roof actually needs.
Step 5: Supplements — getting missing items added
It is normal for the first insurance estimate to be missing things. Sometimes it's an honest oversight (a slope wasn't measured correctly). Sometimes it's code-required items the adjuster didn't include (ice and water shield to code, drip edge, proper ventilation). Sometimes the unit prices are below market.
Your contractor submits a 'supplement' — a written request with photos and documentation asking insurance to add line items or adjust prices. This back-and-forth is standard. A good contractor handles it for you; you don't need to argue with the insurance company yourself.
Step 6: Understand ACV vs. RCV and the two checks
Most Minnesota homeowners policies are Replacement Cost Value (RCV) on the roof. That means insurance owes the full cost to replace, minus your deductible — but they pay it in two checks.
- First check (ACV — Actual Cash Value): sent shortly after the claim is approved. This is the depreciated value of the roof — the replacement cost minus depreciation for age and wear.
- Second check (recoverable depreciation): released after the work is complete and your contractor sends insurance the final invoice and certificate of completion.
- You pay your deductible directly to the contractor, not the insurance company.
Step 7: Sign the contract and schedule the work
Once the scope is reconciled and you're comfortable with the numbers, you sign a contract with your contractor for the insurance-approved scope. The contract amount should match the insurance scope (plus your deductible). You don't write a separate large check — insurance is funding the job.
Pick your shingle color, schedule a tear-off date, and the project goes on the calendar.
Step 8: Tear-off, install, and inspection
A typical asphalt replacement is one to two days on site. Tear-off in the morning, deck inspection, underlayment and ice and water shield, then shingles, ridge vent, and cleanup. A magnetic sweep of the yard and driveway picks up dropped nails.
Your contractor takes completion photos and pulls any city permits required for final inspection.
Step 9: Final invoice and depreciation release
Your contractor sends insurance the final invoice, a certificate of completion, and the final photos. Insurance verifies the work was done and releases the recoverable depreciation check — usually within two to four weeks.
You hand that final check to the contractor, pay your deductible, and the claim closes. Total time from inspection to closed claim is typically six to twelve weeks.
What to avoid
Two things sink claims more than anything else: signing an Assignment of Benefits before you understand it (gives the contractor your insurance proceeds and your authority to settle), and accepting a contractor's offer to 'waive your deductible' (illegal in Minnesota and a sign the deal isn't clean). When in doubt, slow down — a legitimate roofer is fine giving you a few days to decide.