Let’s set the scene. A hailstorm just rolled through your neighborhood. Your car has new dimples. Your neighbor is already on the phone with some guy in a pickup truck who appeared out of nowhere handing out business cards like candy. And you’re standing in your driveway wondering what you’re actually supposed to do.
Here’s the thing: your insurance company has navigated this exact process thousands of times. You probably haven’t done it once. That gap in experience is exactly where money disappears — and it’s completely avoidable.
We inspect hail-damaged roofs across the Front Range. Here’s exactly how to handle it without leaving money on the table or making expensive mistakes.
First — Pull Out Your Policy and Find These Three Things
Nobody reads their insurance policy. We know. It reads like it was written by someone who hates you. But before you call your carrier, you need to know three things or you’re walking into a conversation completely blind:
- Your wind and hail deductible. In Colorado, this is almost always a separate deductible from your standard one — and it’s percentage-based. On a $500,000 home with a 2% hail deductible, you owe $10,000 before insurance pays a single dollar. Find this number before the adjuster visits.
- RCV or ACV coverage. Replacement Cost Value pays what it costs to build the roof today. Actual Cash Value pays that minus depreciation — meaning they factor in your roof’s age and pay less. The difference is often several thousand dollars. Most people have no idea which one they have until the check arrives.
- Your filing deadline. Colorado policies typically require you to file within 1–2 years of the storm date. The clock started the minute the hail hit.
Still confused by your policy? Call SCC Insurance at (303) 587-9582. Free policy review. They’ll translate the fine print into English for you — no strings attached.
Now Here’s the Process, Step by Step
Get a Professional Inspection Before You Call Your Insurance Company
This is the step people skip. It’s also the most important one. Before an adjuster puts eyes on your roof, you need to know what’s actually there. At Blue Peaks, inspections are always free and we document everything with photos. Going into the process informed, instead of just waiting to hear what the insurance company says, puts you in a better position.
File Your Claim
Call your insurance company or file online. Get a claim number immediately and write it down — you’ll reference it constantly over the next several weeks. Be factual: give them the approximate storm date, describe the damage you’ve observed, and request a full inspection. Don’t speculate, don’t exaggerate. Just tell them what you know.
Be Ready for the Insurance Inspection
Your insurer will schedule an inspection of the roof. Be available, keep your claim number and policy details handy, and have your own inspection photos and the storm date ready for reference.
Review the Scope of Loss Line by Line — Before You Sign Anything
The adjuster produces a Scope of Loss — a line-by-line breakdown of what they’re approving. Commonly missing items: drip edge, ice and water shield, starter strip, pipe boot replacements, ridge ventilation, and overhead and profit. If you think items are missing, you can ask your insurer to review the scope.
Ask Your Insurer to Review an Incomplete Scope
If items are missing, you can ask your insurer to review them. Your inspection photos and measurements can help you show what is on the roof.
Receive Your ACV Check and Get Started
Once the scope is agreed upon, your insurance company issues the first check — the Actual Cash Value payment. This is the depreciated value of the roof. Work begins, this payment covers the start of the project, and the clock starts on your completion certificate.
Collect Your Recoverable Depreciation After the Roof Is Done
After completion, you submit a certificate of completion and your insurance company releases the recoverable depreciation — the difference between what they paid and what the roof actually costs new. This is your second check. Most of our clients are genuinely surprised by how smooth this last step is once the work is done right.
Mistakes That Cost Colorado Homeowners Thousands Every Year
- Signing a contract before you know what your deductible actually is
- Accepting the first scope without reviewing every line item — first scopes are almost never complete
- Going with the cheapest bid (low bids almost always mean missing scope items — you’ll feel the gap when the final check arrives)
- Waiting too long after a storm and letting the filing window close
- Signing contracts with door-to-door contractors who showed up the day after a storm and will be gone by winter — this one deserves its own article
What Does It Actually Cost Me?
Your deductible is your responsibility under Colorado law. We work within the approved insurance scope and we never ask homeowners to pay above their approved coverage for covered work. If you have an ACV policy and depreciation isn’t recoverable, we’ll explain exactly what that means before you commit to a single thing. No surprises, ever.
Ready to Get Started?
The insurance company has done this thousands of times. You probably haven’t. That experience gap is where money goes — and it’s completely avoidable when you have the right people in your corner.
If there’s been a storm in your area and nobody’s been on your roof, call us. Free inspection. Honest assessment. No obligation either way. We’ll tell you straight whether there’s a claim worth making.
Free inspection with a full photo report.
Blue Peaks Roofing · Littleton, CO · bluepeaksroofing.com · Mon–Sat 8AM–5PM
Not sure what you are looking at? Schedule a free hail damage roof inspection.
Wondering how a claim affects coverage? Read whether hail damage voids your roof warranty.
