Step 1: Protect, document, report
- Take photos and video of the damage before repairs (TDI).
- Make temporary repairs only, like a tarp. Permanent repairs before the adjuster sees the damage can put the claim at risk (TDI).
- Report the claim as soon as you can. Some policies have a one-year deadline; TWIA gives one year from the date of damage (TDI).
- Keep receipts and notes from every call.
Step 2: The deadlines your insurer must meet
- Within 15 days of your claim, the insurer must acknowledge it, start investigating and ask for anything it needs.
- Within 15 business days of getting everything it asked for, it must approve or deny the claim in writing, or tell you why it needs up to 45 more days.
- Within 5 business days of approving the claim, it must pay.
- After a weather catastrophe, TDI can extend these deadlines by 15 days (Texas Department of Insurance).
A surplus lines company has 20 business days to pay after it agrees to. TWIA has 60 days to accept or deny and 10 days to pay once it accepts (TDI). If a company misses the payment deadlines, you may be able to collect the claim amount plus interest and attorney's fees.
Step 3: The adjuster inspection
The adjuster inspects the damage and writes the estimate the payment is based on. TDI suggests being there and having your contractor with you, so the contractor can talk to the adjuster about estimates (TDI). We meet adjusters on the roof to show what we documented. We do not negotiate your claim; Texas does not allow a contractor to act as a public adjuster on a job it is doing (TDI).
Step 4: Payment, depreciation and your mortgage
With replacement cost coverage, you usually get two payments: the first is the estimate minus depreciation, the second after repairs are done. The deductible is subtracted from the payment. If you have a mortgage, the check often goes to the mortgage company, which must contact you within 10 days of getting it (TDI).
Step 5: Repairs and the deductible
You pay the deductible to your contractor. Contracts of $1,000 or more involving an insurance claim must include a notice that you have to pay it, and insurers can ask for proof that you did (TDI). See can a roofer pay my deductible?
If the estimate is too low
If damage turns out to be worse than the adjuster first thought, you or your contractor can talk to the adjuster about raising the estimate (TDI). Your policy may also have an appraisal process. For help with a complaint, call the TDI Help Line at 800-252-3439.