How do you read the insurer's roof estimate?

On coastal roofs, check whether the estimate includes the fastening and underlayment local codes require in high-wind zones, and corrosion-resistant flashing and fasteners where code calls for them.

What software produced it?

Short answer: often Xactimate, a program from Verisk that many insurers and contractors use. It prices each line using regional price lists that are updated over time.

The prices in the estimate are the insurer's starting point, not a final word. After a hurricane, local labor and material costs can rise quickly; if your roofer's prices are higher, ask for the reason in writing and send it to the adjuster.

How is an estimate laid out?

• Line items: each task, such as "remove laminated shingles" or "drip edge," with a code.
• Quantity and unit: usually squares (100 square feet) for roofing, linear feet for edges and ridges, and "each" for vents.
• Waste factor: extra material for cutting, usually a percentage; complex roofs with many hips and valleys need more.
• RCV: the full replacement cost.
• Depreciation: the reduction for age and condition, and whether it is recoverable.
• ACV: RCV minus depreciation.
• Deductible: subtracted from the payment.
• O&P: overhead and profit, a general contractor's markup when several trades must be coordinated.

How can you tell if anything is missing?

Short answer: compare it line by line with a licensed local roofer's written estimate, and check the measurements against your roof.

Make sure every slope is listed, including porch roofs and dormers. Check the number of layers being removed, the pitch, and the amount of ridge, hip and valley. On the coast, also look for items tied to wind: fastening, underlayment, drip edge and starter strips at edges, and corrosion-resistant flashing where the code or the manufacturer calls for it.

Roof items that commonly need a second look

What is a supplement, and how do you file one?

Short answer: a written request, with proof, to add items or quantities the first estimate missed, often found once work starts.

1. List each missing or different item.
2. Attach proof: photos, measurements, the code section or manufacturer's instructions, and pricing.
3. Send it to the adjuster with your claim number and keep a copy.
4. If something will be covered up by the work, have your roofer photograph it and ask the insurer whether it needs to see it first.
5. Ask for a written response and a date.

Your roofer can document and price the work. Only you, or a licensed public adjuster you hire, should negotiate the claim itself; ask any contractor who offers to do it whether they hold a public adjuster license.

How do the payments work?

Short answer: on many replacement cost policies, you first get ACV minus the deductible; the withheld depreciation comes after you finish repairs and send the final invoice.

Example (illustration): RCV $22,000, depreciation $7,000, deductible $3,500. The first check would be $11,500. After the work is done and invoiced, the insurer would release the $7,000, for a total of $18,500. On an ACV-only roof, the $7,000 is not paid. Policies set a deadline to claim recoverable depreciation, so ask for yours.

What if the numbers are far apart?

Ask the adjuster to walk through the differences with your roofer, line by line. Most gaps come from measurements, layers, code items or pricing. If you still disagree, ask for a reinspection, and see your options when the estimate is low.

Beach-house and metal roof estimates

Short answer: a metal roof estimate should name the panel profile, gauge, finish, fasteners and each trim piece; a beach-house estimate should account for height, access and coastal-rated materials.

• Panel type: standing seam or exposed fastener. They are priced differently.
• Like kind and quality: the same gauge and a comparable finish, which matters for salt exposure.
• Trim and flashing: ridge, rake, eave and wall trim as separate lines.
• Height: raised beach houses often need lifts or extra safety setup; ask for it as its own line.
• Access: barrier island lots can have limited parking and no room for a dumpster, which can add handling costs.

Wind and water on the same estimate

After a hurricane, the roof may be on one policy (homeowners or NCIUA) and flood damage on another. Make sure the roof estimate covers wind damage and rain through wind-damaged openings, and that flood items are not mixed into it or left out of both claims. Ask each adjuster which items they are paying.

Keep the deadlines in view

Supplements after a busy hurricane season can take months. Track the 60-day proof of loss unless extended and the three-year limit from the storm date.

A sample roof section, line by line

This illustration shows how the roofing part of an insurance estimate for a shingle roof is usually laid out. Quantities are an example, not a price quote.

How depreciation is set on a coastal roof

Short answer: usually from the roof's age and the adjuster's view of its condition, as a percentage of each line.

Ask the adjuster what age and life expectancy they used. If they guessed the roof's age, send proof: the permit record, the roofer's invoice or a dated photo. Ask whether depreciation was applied to labor as well as materials, and which items are listed as recoverable. A roof that looked worn because of salt on metal trim may have sound shingles; ask for the condition reasoning in writing.

Questions for your own roofer's estimate

• Is it itemized in a way I can compare with the insurer's, line for line?
• Which items are required by code or the manufacturer, and can you show me where?
• Have you included everything the coastal wind rating of this product requires, such as fastening and edge details?
• What do you expect to find at tear-off, and how will you document it?
• Are any of your prices higher than the insurer's? Why?