This page is general education about how roof claims work in Texas, not legal advice. Your policy and your insurer decide what is covered.
What we do on an Arlington claim, and what we don’t
Texas draws a clear line between a roofer and an adjuster. A contractor who does the work cannot act as your public adjuster, file the claim for you or negotiate the settlement, under Insurance Code 4102.163. Inside that line there is a lot we can do, and we do all of it at no charge.
| We do | We don’t |
|---|---|
| Inspect the roof for free and tell you if there is real storm damage | File the claim or speak for you to the insurer |
| Photograph and measure every slope and damaged component | Negotiate your settlement |
| Meet your adjuster on the roof and point out what we documented | Waive, rebate or absorb your deductible |
| Walk you through the insurer’s estimate line by line | Pressure you to sign before the claim is decided |
The Texas Department of Insurance sets out the same rules.
The deadlines your insurer has to meet
Texas law puts your insurer on a clock. According to the Texas Department of Insurance, the company has 15 business days to acknowledge your claim, then 15 business days after it receives what it asked for to decide whether it will pay. It can extend that decision by 45 days if it tells you why.
Once the insurer agrees to pay, it has five business days to send the payment, and a denial has to be explained in writing. Write down the date you reported the claim and every date you send documents, so you can tell if a deadline passes. TDI’s claim deadlines page has the details, and our claim process guide walks through each stage.
How the money usually arrives
With replacement cost coverage, the payment usually comes in two parts. The first covers the estimated repair minus depreciation; the second comes after the repairs are done, per TDI. With actual cash value coverage, depreciation is not paid back, which on an older roof can be a large share of the cost.
Your deductible comes out of the claim either way, and you pay it. If you have a mortgage, expect the lender’s name on the check. Our guides to ACV vs. replacement cost and deductibles explain both in more depth.
Arlington code items that belong in the scope
A roof replaced in Arlington has to pass a city inspection, so the scope should include what the city requires. The City of Arlington’s re-roof bulletin requires new underlayment whenever a roof is re-shingled, flashings and drip edge, and damaged decking replaced to current code. An estimate that leaves these out does not match what the job requires.
When we review the insurer’s estimate with you, we point out any code-required item that is missing and show where the requirement comes from. Whether those items are paid can depend on your policy, including whether it has ordinance or law coverage, so ask your agent. Asking the insurer to review the estimate is your call, and we give you the documentation to do it.
Meeting the adjuster on an Arlington roof
After a big Tarrant County storm, an adjuster may be handling many claims at once. Having the person who inspected your roof there when the adjuster arrives makes it less likely that a slope, a vent or a dented gutter gets missed. We bring the photos, the measurements and the soft-metal notes.
Our adjuster meeting guide explains how the visit runs. If the claim is for hail, start with hail damage roof repair in Arlington; for wind or fallen limbs, storm damage in Arlington. If the claim leads to a new roof, see roof replacement in Arlington and our replacement cost guide.
Book a free inspection or call (817) 754-9484. More on our claim help across DFW is on the insurance claims page, and on our work in the city at the Arlington service area page.