This helpful guide is intended to give you easy to understand instructions for disaster recovery. Disastrous property losses can be overwhelming on so many levels. Seeing the news reports of Samaritan’s Purse sifting through remains of homes in the Black Forest Fires to recover sentimental momentos is an image not easily forgotten. When a fire or tornado ravishes our community, it’s truly tragic.

It can help to have some simple instructions and tips in one place to get moving in the right direction.

How do I report my Insurance Claim?

1. Report your claim to your insurance company by calling or emailing the claims number on their website. Our office can assist in looking this number up for you. In the case of a complete loss, you may not have quick access to your policy number. The claims department should be able to locate this for you when you provide them your address and personal information.
2. An adjuster will be assigned to you by the claim handler who takes your call. This adjuster will contact you within a few days to set an appointment to inspect your property damage. Keep their name and direct contact number in a safe place. If you are mobile, you may consider adding them to your phone contacts for quick reference. Depending on the structure of your insurance company, you will likely have multiple conversations with your adjuster over the next few months. Sometimes it is easier to delete a phone contact later than to locate a scrap of paper with the adjuster’s name and phone number when you are not in your daily routines.
3. In the event of a total loss, many insurance companies will have measures in place for temporary housing under a “loss of use” rider. Be sure to confirm your benefits regarding temporary housing while on the initial call. If you do have this coverage, be sure to save all receipts from your relocation expenses for reimbursement later.

After I file my insurance claim, what should I expect?

Your assigned adjuster will perform an onsite inspection of your property damage. We consider ourselves to be your advocate and when requested can make ourselves available to be present at the time of the adjuster’s inspection and measurements. Please call to let us know when your adjuster will be there if we can serve you in this way. Let your adjuster know we will be present to inspect the damages with them.

Prior to meeting with your adjuster, we have the option of using an open ended contingency contract. This assures the adjuster that he is meeting with someone that has been authorized by the insured to be present at the meeting and is mutually working with the client to restore the property. Our contingency contract is very similar to the type of contract real estate agents use. It is contingent upon the approval of repairs by the insurance company to be binding. In the case of a catastrophic loss, approval of a claim would be expected, but this allows us to serve you in this capacity. Depending on the level of damages, we will discuss how we can best serve you, from roof replacement to other restoration needs.

It is important to note that in general the insurance company initially determines the scope and cost of the job, not the contractor. This is why contingency contracts are helpful. The price and scope of covered repairs can be adjusted later through negotiation as necessary. The adjuster will provide the initial blue print to the scope of repairs.

The adjuster came out, now what?

Within several weeks, you will receive a breakdown from your insurance adjuster listing the items on your home to be replaced and/or repaired in what is called a Claim Summary. This spreadsheet is either mailed to the latest address on file or uploaded into your online account set up for this claim. USAA uploads their claim summaries into the member profile.

It will be important to provide a copy of this to your project manager or our office via fax or email, so that we can review the data to ensure that an adequate settlement is reached. Depending on the experience and scheduling demands on the adjuster, there may be details the adjuster has overlooked. They are extremely busy following a catastrophic storm, and sometimes new adjusters are hired to fill in. If there are missing items on the claim summary, it will be noted and negotiated. The insurance company will most likely fund these added repairs through a supplement. Each tradesman involved in your rebuilding process will need a copy of the adjuster’s initial claim summary.

Our office assists in this process to make it easier for you and your family in this trying time. We are very experienced in this process and understand the claims policies and procedures for the different insurance companies, making the process go more smoothly for everyone involved.

When should I Expect My Insurance Payments?

Insurance plans are written two different ways. They will usually be either Actual Cash Value Plans or Replacement Cost Coverage Plans. Some people chose to save money on their premiums by electing to have an actual cash value policy. If you have an Actual Cash Value insurance policy, you will receive one check or direct deposit around the same time of your Claim Summary. This payment will equal the adjuster’s figure for restoring your home based on his or her calculations, minus the depreciation for the age of the home and minus the amount of your deductible.

Here is an over simplified example for clarification. For this example, let’s look at the roofing portion of a claim only. The amounts of depreciation will vary based on the life expectancy of each part of your home. Let’s say your roof is made up of 30 year shingles that are 15 years old (50 % depreciation) with a $1,000 deductible. If the price of your new roof is $10,000, your insurance company will pay roughly half of the replacement cost and then withhold the amount of your deductible ($5,000-1,000). The only payment you would receive would be about $4,000 (plus any negotiated supplements for omitted items.)You would be responsible for paying balance out of pocket. This could be catastrophic in itself when you are considering the impact of depreciating every part of the home in a full loss claim. Actual Cash Value policies are risky to say the least.

Hopefully you have elected a Replacement Cost Value insurance policy instead. You would then receive your funding in two separate payments. You would still receive the initial Actual Cash Value check with the adjuster’s claim summary to get the work started. However, when the repairs are completed, you can request a second check from your insurance company for the balance of what has been determined to be your total Replacement Cost. This final payment is referred to as the Recoverable Depreciation.

To keep our same scenario above, if you had no other changes to the claim summary, this recoverable depreciation payment would be for $5,000, or the amount they withheld for the depreciation of the aging roof. You are still responsible for your deductible.

What if my claim summary does not adequately cover the cost of the repairs?

If this adjuster’s summary does not adequately cover the expense of a quality roof replacement, we will negotiate to get what you deserve. This is when having a seasoned insurance restoration contractor who understands the insurance process is vital. This back and forth process may take weeks or in some cases months, depending on availability of your adjuster. It is important to be patient during this process. The insurance companies have certain steps or layers of resistance they go through as a rule. We will be diligent on our end to reach out to the adjuster. By the end of negotiations, we are usually very successful in obtaining supplements to cover everything that should legitimately be included in your claim.

What if my mortgage company is listed on the insurance check?

The checks from the insurance company are generally written to both you (the policyholder) and your lien holder (mortgage company) if applicable. It must be endorsed by both parties. It does make sense when you consider that your mortgage company has a vested interest in your completing the repairs. However, it isn’t always convenient.

It takes time for the mortgage company to endorse the check and return it to you, so do NOT hold on to this check. Send it off immediately to the lien holder for endorsement. Mortgage companies almost always have paperwork that will need to be completed before releasing an endorsed check back to you. It is helpful to call the mortgage company directly to secure the documents from them and take care of any requirements they have. Quite often we complete and have notarized lien waivers given to us from our clients as part of this documentation process. You will want to ask about scheduling inspections of completed repairs as the contractors cannot do this for you. In the case of a large claim, some mortgage companies set up a schedule of draws and escrow the insurance funds.

It is helpful to know that many banks hold insurance checks for up to 10 days before releasing funds. Please don’t assume that the funds will be available the same day you deposit them into your account. It is better to ask the bank representative when the funds will be available to you.

Will an insurance supplement slow down the progress of my repairs?

You may be one of the fortunate ones whose adjuster adequately funds the project from the beginning. If so, as soon as you have received and processed your first check from the insurance company, you could begin the rebuilding process.

If it is apparent that critical components and repairs have been omitted from the adjuster’s initial estimate, it is in your best interest to take the time to have them issue a supplemental payment to cover the additional scope of work. This may be a simple process that could be finalized within a few days. However, if a larger, more involved supplement is needed, this process could delay the recovery process. We have helped clients who came to us a full year after the Black Forest Fire and had been unable to resolve her supplement. We follow up diligently to avoid any unnecessary delays. At times a phone call from the insured can speed the process up dramatically, but we consider it our privilege to assist in this part of the process when the situation demands it.

How do I recover the depreciation withheld by my insurance company?

At the completion of the job, we will notify your insurance company in writing of the repairs we have completed and request the final payment be sent to you. If you have completed some of the repairs yourself, we can instruct you or assist you in recovering that depreciation as well. Our office makes the necessary follow up calls to confirm the depreciation is released by check or direct deposit. Depending on the number of claims being processed by your insurance company, this can be a quick turnaround or can take several weeks. We are flexible with our clients to allow for the receipt of these funds before collecting a final payment for our efforts.

Any tips to making this process go more smoothly?

This can be a very confusing process, especially if it is your first claim, but we will be here to help you along the way to make sure your interests are not overlooked by your insurance company or an overworked, well-meaning adjuster. Feel free to call us about any part of the insurance process or to discuss specific repairs to your home.

If possible before a disaster occurs, take time now to read over your policy to make sure you have the type of policy that will meet your needs. The Replacement Cost Value policy is the most comprehensive coverage in which your depreciation is recovered. Make sure your deductible is set at an amount that you can fund in the event of a claim. Your agent can usually email you a copy of your insurance policy if your records are no longer available due to a catastrophic event.

Take a deep breath and know that you will get through this. Integrity Roofing and Painting will do whatever we can to assist you in the repairs and correspondence with your insurance company. We have helped others who have gone through these types of losses and will be here for you if you need us.

How Do You Work on a Roof Safely?

Whether you’re a homeowner, or a contractor, safety when roofing should always be enforced before even climbing onto the roof! Before any work takes place, make sure that you have an organized work site. Before any construction takes place, make it a point to block the area off from bystanders, children and/or pets. Take notice of your surroundings and any potential danger. This includes taking a look at other construction sites nearby, power lines, roadwork or traffic. If you are unable to avoid power lines, reach out to the local utility company for assistance. Do not work on a roof during bad weather. On every job site, be sure that anyone working under an active construction site is equipped with an OSHA compliant hard hat. 

How to Stay Safe on a Ladder

Now that we’ve covered general safety, lets discuss ladder safety. Ladders come in many types, and sizes. It is very important to recognize and understand how the ladder being set up or being used properly operates and the specifications of that specific ladder. Never set your ladder up on an uneven surface and always be sure that it is secure. The ladder base should extend one foot for every four foot of elevation. It is so very important to inspect any ladder before climbing onto it. Be sure to never use a ladder that is defective! Always lock the ladder and remove the key and be sure to label it as damaged to assure that no one else uses it. Read the label that is usually located on the side of the ladder so that you’re aware of weight limits and other important details.  Never use a step ladder as a straight ladder and never step on the top rung of any ladder. Be sure you are always maintaining three points of contact while climbing. This means one hand with two feet, or two hands with one foot. Always tie your ladder off and never reach longer than arms reach when on a ladder. Avoid climbing onto a ladder or roof that is slippery or wet.

Roof Nailing Safety

Let’s talk nailing safety! A nail gun is the most common tool used by roofers. Always be sure the nail gun is functioning properly. No matter what you do, never point a nail gun at another person and only pull the trigger when it is face down to the roof you are working on. Be sure anyone nailing or working near nailing is wearing safety glasses! Safety glasses should be rated ANSI Z87.1-.1989 and ANSI Z87.1-2003 according to OSHA guidelines. Always be sure that when finished using a nail gun that the air supply is disconnected to avoid any incidents or accidents. 

Every jobsite should have at least one competent person. What is a competent person you might ask? OSHA defines a competent person as “one who is capable of identifying existing and predictable hazards in the surroundings or working conditions which are unsanitary, hazardous, or dangerous to employees, and who has authorization to take prompt corrective measures to eliminate them.” This would be the person in charge of the site. The person who is designated to make sure all health, safety and install requirements and needs are being met or followed. The competent person should be completing thorough inspections multiple times throughout the job process. They should also be completing the equipment inspections as well as the job inspections.

Fall Protection and Roof Safety Harnesses

Falls are unfortunately a very high percentage of roofer deaths and incidents by Colorado roofers and roofers across the nation. Personal fall protection is to be used by any and every person working on a roof top above six feet high. There are other options rather than a harness, such as a guard rail but different options have different requirements.

The most common fall protection used here by Colorado Springs roofers would be a harness with a lanyard and an anchor secured to the rafter.

Roof anchors should be installed with one of two different types of nails. Be sure when installing an anchor to use 6d penny nails or duplex nails. Stay away from putting nails in a line on the anchors as you could split the rafter and always be sure to put enough nails to secure the anchor properly. Certain harnesses are much different than others so be sure to put on properly used specified instructions for that harness. When applying a harness always be sure that the straps are tight and secure. Straps that are not secure enough can cause serious physical issues and an immense amount of pain. Be sure all harnesses being used are not frayed or destroyed in any way. Inspect the lanyard, be sure the stitching is intact properly and that it is not frayed. Always be sure that the shock pack is intact. If the shock pack is not intact from the manufacturer, that tells us that it has been used or damaged, and is no longer safe. Replace your harness, lanyard, or anchors or any other safety equipment if they have been defected in any way. For additional safety information please refer to OSHA on the web.

Integrity Roofing and Painting is your local Colorado Springs roofer serving El Paso County and surrounding areas for over a decade! Our project managers and customer care team are on standby to serve you and your family and to ensure that all of your roofing wants, or needs are taken care of in a time efficient manner. Integrity is not just our name, but part of our values as a whole and as individuals. Play it safe and call us today for your free roof inspection at 719-488-2800!

Application for roof permit in person

Application for roof permit may be submitted in person at the Douglas County Permit office, Monday through Friday between the hours of 0800 and 1700 hours. In consideration of business logistics any application submitted after 1600 will be posted the following day.

Submittal of roof permit application through Douglas County website portal

This portal allows homeowners and roofing contractors to submit for and acquire basic roof permits for residential use. This may be paid for with a credit card and should be beneficial to all parties by eliminating the need to drive to their location and also reducing the work load for the county.

• This process is only good for an asphalt roof or metal roof. You can not obtain a roof permit for a tile roof online.
• Existing roof type must be asphalt, masonite or metal.
• Residential property in unincorporated Douglas County. Highlands Ranch, Colorado is located within unincorporated Douglas County.
• Permits for residential dwelling can be purchased through the e-portal.
• Click here to access the portal and to create a new account.

All roofing systems will meet the requirements of the 2012 International Residential Code and the manufacturer’s installation requirements. Highlands Ranch will not be required for roof systems to meet high wind requirements or severe climate requirements on properties under 7000 feet in elevation. It is of our opinion and experience at Integrity Roofing and Painting, LLC that all roof systems should be installed to meet high wind requirements, therefore we believe it is of utmost importance for applicators to install 6-nails per shingle. Roof systems shall not exceed 600 pounds per square. A square is 100 square feet of roof area.

Highlands Ranch, CO roofing code guidelines

• The maximum number of layers for roofing material that will be allowed in Highlands Ranch is only one layer.
• Roofs will need to be ventilated according to the manufacturer’s installation requirements. Most manufacturers will require one net free area for one hundred and fifty square feet of roofing. Be sure to consult the installation instructions and plan on adding roof and soffit vents as needed.
• Ice and water shield is not required by the building department to be installed on the eaves of homes less than 7000′ elevation. However, if you look at the International Residential Code for 2012 you’ll find that if the property has a history of ice dams, ice and water shield will be required. The 2012 IRC code will trump local requirements. Every contractor should do their due diligence and not provide an inferior system. A contract could be held liable to the application of the more restrictive code. Integrity Roofing and Painting, LLC will install ice and water shield on properties that have a history of ice dams.
• Ice and water shield is required to be installed on eaves of buildings that are above 7000′ elevation. It must extend to within 24″ of the interior wall line of the exterior wall of the building.
• Drip edge is required on both the rake and eaves of buildings in Highlands Ranch, CO. We recommend the use of pre-painted drip edge. The drip edge is to be installed underneath the underlayment on the roof eave and on top of the underlayment on the roof rake.
• High wind nailing is required for properties above 7000′ elevation.
• Final inspection require for all roof permits.
• A secured ladder must be provided by the Denver roofer or the homeowner. This ladder should be properly secured at both the top and bottom.
• Wood shakes and wood shingles are not allowed in the red zones identified in the wildfire district overlay map. If permitted in a specific location the wood shakes and wood shingles should be a minimum of class C fire rated.
• A mid-roof inspection is require on any roof with battens. Tile, cement, stone coated steel roofs and various others require battens and will need a mid-roof inspection. This is important to ensure that the underlayment and flashing is properly installed to shed water to the roofs eave.
• Kick out step flashing is required where the flashing terminates at the bottom of the wall.
• Shingles are to be installed to overhang the roof and eave per manufacturer’s installation instructions.
• Starter course is to be nailed within 3″ of roof eave and roof rake. This is a critical installation procedure that must be followed. Wind uplift in extreme storms will strip shingles along the eave that and rake that don’t have a properly installed starter strip.
• Every Denver roofer is responsible to install the shingles according to the proper layout including the correct shingle exposure.
• Proper roof ventilation needs to be installed on homes in Highlands Ranch, Colorado.
• Siding is to be re-fastened along the wall near step-flashing.
• Hip and ridge shingles must be installed according to the manufacturer’s exposure recommendations.
• Bird flashing is to be installed where the roof intersects soffit and fascia.
• Sidewall flashing must be installed to 4″ height along the wall and 4″ across the shingles. Step-flashing or continuous flashing can be used along all wall abutments.
• Rake flashing shall overlap the roof a minimum of 2″.
• Eave flashing shall overlap the roof a minimum of 4″.
• Valley flashing can  be installed with 90# felt, ice and water shield or metal. Some contractors use a combination of 90# felt and metal flashing for valley installation while others incorporate ice and water shield and metal. The standard is to use only one of these products, but a combination may be suggested for certain circumstances.

Integrity Roofing and Painting, LLC suggests using the Douglas County portal to look for certified Denver Roofers. These roofing contractors are licensed and insured  to work in Highlands Ranch and understand the roofing codes for your area. Integrity Roofing and Painting, LLC is one of several Denver Roofers that is certified as a Certainteed Master Shingle Roofing Company. Contact Integrity Roofing and Painting, LLC, we make roof replacements easy.

Wall to roof flashing

Before the roof replacement begins the Denver roofing company should inspect the existing wall to roof flashing to make sure that it can be re-used with asphalt shingles. The condition of the metal flashing must be like new and without rust, cracks, or an abundance of nail holes.

Step flashing

Step flashing along wall of new construction

The old 4×5 flashing along the wall should be replaced with new step flashing to match the new asphalt shingle. Premium heavy weight shingles may be 16” in overall height as opposed to the traditional height of 12”. The taller shingle should be accompanied by a larger piece of step flashing. Discuss these items with your roofer to make sure that the step flashing properly sheds water from one shingle to the next.

Headwall flashing

The headwall flashing is installed along the face of a wall abutment that is parallel with the eave. This is an item that me be worth recycling. In order to replace headwall flashing on wall that has wood, metal or vinyl siding the siding will have to be removed. A minimum of one course of siding will need to be removed in order to insert a pre-bent sheet of galvanized flashing for the headwall. What this means to a homeowner for a wall with wood siding is the wall or a portion of the wall should be painted. The pre-existing siding that was removed will now be re-attached. The new nail holes should be puttied and the siding caulked, as necessary. Once the siding is reinstalled this piece of siding should be repainted.

There is a potential issue if the door doesn’t match. The truth is even if you have the same paint in a can that was left over from the most recent paint job you may find that it doesn’t match because the house paint has faded from the suns ultraviolet rays. This isn’t anyones fault it’s what paint will do over time. Let’s take at the painting issue a little further to see what else may impact your homes exterior paint job when transitioning from a wood roof to an asphalt shingle.

Exterior painting

Unless the exterior painting is part of the Denver roofing companies scope of work this will be an item that you should be a part of the roofing budget. The roofing contractor may mention to you or at least note this in the contract that you’re responsible for any cosmetic issues to the siding or wood trim. The roofing contractor may be willing to provide a painter for the repairs at a material plus labor pricing or a set price to not exceed a pre-determined amount. Either way this isn’t the responsibility of a roofer. If the roofing company chooses to prepare you for this and to provide a painter they are going the extra mile. Integrity Roofing and Painting, LLC typically brings this information to the attention of everyone, especially if we know the exterior paint will be impacted. However, there are times when we say nothing because we’re reasonably confident that the painting will not be impacted because we’re planning on re-using the existing flashing.

Rotted wood

While installing flashing the roofing contractor may encounter existing wood siding or trim along the roof to wall intersection that is deteriorated or “dry rotted”. This condition is not a result of the roofer and it is pre-existing, however a homeowner may argue that it wasn’t that way before the new asphalt shingles were installed. This statement would not be accurate for the rotted wood was present and it was revealed when the flashing was replaced. This is not the financial responsibility of the roofer to replace rotted wood. This is a maintenance issue that is the financial responsibility of the homeowner. If the Denver roofing company chose to not replace the flashing because of a homeowner’s lack of maintenance than you’re issues would be compounded. The roofer has done a homeowner a favor by locating the rotted wood. You should pay for this expense and the Denver roofer may or not have someone that can help for this is a carpentry issue and not a roofing issue.

Gap between the new shingles and bottom of the siding

Another item of interests to a homeowner when replacing a wood shake roof with an asphalt shingle is the thickness of these two differing products. A wood shake may be thicker than one inch while a heavy weight asphalt shingle may be 1/4” thick and a lightweight asphalt shingle may only be 1/8” thick. The result may be approximately 1” difference of height between these products and they may not seem like a lot, but you’ll notice the difference where a sloping roof meets a wall. At this intersection you’ll see a 1” or greater gap from the bottom of the siding to the top of the shingle. In some cases we’ve seen a 2” gap and at this location metal flashing is visible and it may be unsightly. If the old flashing is being salvaged you may choose to hire a painter to paint this flashing with a color that will help camouflage the metal. This is not the responsibility of the Denver roofing company. If the roofer mentions this to you before the roof is replaced he has gone the extra mile.

How to flash stucco or brick

The roofing contractor may need to apply new flashing on top of stucco or brick. This type of flashing is called, “counter flashing.” At this point if the old flashing can be recycled it would be advantageous for the homeowner and roofer alike to re-use the older metal. Counter-flashing is unattractive and certainly detracts from the home’s appearance. However, the roofer may have to install counter flashing in conjunction with new head wall or step flashing. This may be an additional charge that is fair and reasonable. The older a property is the more likely that this will occur.

New decking may be needed

There are wood shingle and shake roofs that are installed on top of wood laths. These 1×4 or 1×6 boards are spaced several inches apart and will require new decking to be installed on top of them. At other times we find wood planks that have gaps larger than 1/4 “ and these too should have new decking installed on top of the older planks. Most contractors will discover this before removing the wood shakes, but occasionally surprises do occur, especially on older homes that have been remodeled. We’ve been surprised a few times on homes that had additional rooms added after the original construction and the contractor used different construction methods. When one the Denver roofers encounters this it should not be the roofers liability, it would be the homeowner’s financial responsibility to pay for things that are uncovered and hidden. This is rare, but it does happen in Colorado Springs or Denver on homes that are older, especially homes that were built before the 1940’s.

Roof ventilation

Homeowner’s should fund the addition of new roof ventilation when the roof is transitioned from wood to asphalt.

Integrity Roofing and Painting, LLC has the highest level of certification of all the Denver Roofers. We are one of the few and proud that have been certified by Certainteed as a Master Shingle Roofing Company. Please contact us for your roof replacement. We make roof replacements easy!

Claim summary

A claim summary is an insurance adjuster’s inspection of the expected cost to repair your damages. In this blog I will only address a property claim, not automobile claims. It may be easier to address the general aspects first with increasing attention to specifics.

Xactimate software

The property and casualty insurance industry primarily uses software called Xactware to format these inspections. The exact program is called Xactimate. Xactware conducts ongoing research on fair market pricing for both materials and labor and adjusts its city or region specific pricelists monthly. They call certain retailers and contractors to determine price changes and modify accordingly. New price lists are then downloaded monthly by the subscribers. Our company, Integrity Roofing and Painting, also chooses to subscribe to and use this software for our inspections in order to stay in line with insurance pricing.
The software is component based, which means it breaks down each step or component of the repair into separate lines in a spreadsheet format. You won’t find labor and materials broken out, but both are factored into the pricing for each component.

A Claim Summary is Basically a Collection of Spreadsheets

• 1. The claim summary is sectioned off into separate spreadsheets; generally there is one for the roof, the front of the house, the left side of the house, the rear of the house and the right side of the house and the interior. All of these areas are classified as the dwelling.

Picture the adjuster walking the property and noting any damages on each side of the house before inspecting the next side of the home. Then it makes more sense. They refer to the sides of the house as “elevations.” This does not mean first or second story. It is a Xactimate term that just means the side of the house. All the repairs on one side are included in the spread sheet for that elevation- gutters, windows, window screens, painting… You generally do not find all the gutters grouped together and the windows grouped together, etc. You can take your claim summary and walk your house, one elevation at a time, in the order that it is listed and see the repairs the adjuster included in your claim.

• 2. Another section on the claim summary may be listed as an appurt, other structure or detached structure.

Any nonattached buildings like sheds, gazebos, playhouses, etc. are listed in their own spreadsheet section. They are usually labeled “Appurt Structures,” “Other Structures” or something more specific.

• 3. The final section on a claim summary if any of these items were damaged on your property would be labeled as contents.

Patio furniture, grill or spa covers, mailboxes or other personal items that are damaged are labeled as “Contents” and often get their own spreadsheet section.
Base service charges and dumpster fees are sometimes listed at the end of the claim. These are incorporated if there are small repairs, like one or two window screens or a very small stucco patch that would be hard to get someone out to take care of with the standard pricing. Think of this section as trip charges that are incurred by some repair companies. Not all insurance companies include these in their claim summaries.

Summary Page

All of these separate spreadsheets are totaled in the Summary located at the end, or sometimes on the first page of the loss statement. Some insurance companies use a version of Xactimate that creates separate Summaries for the Dwelling (the main house), the Other Structures, the Contents and in some cases Loss of Use. If there are code upgrades, there could be a separate summary for just the code upgrades. They will often not pay for code upgrades upfront and allow the contractor to bill for those at the end “if incurred.” Other versions of Xactimate will group all of these into one Summary page. Each insurance company tweaks the software to how they like it, so they are slightly different based on which version of Xactimate your insurance company is using.
Another aspect of the claim summaries that varies with the different versions of the software used is the designation of material sales tax, overhead and profit and base service charges. The newer versions of Xactimate include a column in each spreadsheet section listing the amount of material sales tax and o/p for each line item. Other versions do not include this column in the individual line items, but instead show these only on the summary pages. USAA chooses to use the latter format. In either case, the amount is the same, but it is just shown differently.
The summary page will have the line item totals plus material sales tax. If overhead and profit are added to the claim, that will then be shown and added in to get the RCV, or the Replacement Cost Value. The depreciation is then deducted to get what they call the ACV, or actual cash value of the claim. Think of this as everything included except the hold back. The summary will then deduct the deductible to arrive at the Net Claim or Net Actual Cash Value. The net claim reflects the amount of the check given to you to get the work started. You can assume that the recoverable depreciation will be paid later, but the deductible is never paid by the insurance company. It is the predetermined amount that is deducted and the homeowner has to pay out of pocket.

“Why does my insurance check seem so small?”

The biggest concern I hear from clients is that the check they received with the loss statement, or the claim summary, “is not enough to cover the repairs.” The insurance companies attempt to explain this in a paragraph usually found on the second or third page of the claim. The payment for the repairs is broken up into two payments. The first one (net claim) is just to get the work started. Once an invoice for work completed is submitted to the insurance company, the rest of the funds are released. Think of it as their own insurance that the money will be spent on the repairs and not a family vacation. In the end, everything ends up being paid for except the deductible.

How do I Interpret the Spreadsheets?

Each section of spreadsheets is made up of columns and rows.

• The first column is a Description of the item to be repaired. Every component is listed separately- the removal of the shingles, the felt paper, the installation of the shingles, the vents, the painting of the pipe jacks… If the section is describing paint, it will list each step in the Description column- prepare, cover and protect, ladder jacks, apply one coat of paint…. This is why it is referred to as component based software.
• The second column refers to the Quantity. Each component has its own measurement unit, whether it is square feet or linear feet or the number of items. The square footage of the roof is based on SQ or 100 square feet. If your roof is 2500 square feet, it will be listed as 25 SQ. if you have four turtle vents, then it will say 4 EA. This is the fundamental reason why each component has to be listed separately as its own line item.
• The third column on each of the spread sheets refers to the Unit Price. This is what changes with the fair market pricing research. It varies slightly from month to month and includes the labor and material cost combined. You multiply this Unit Price by the Quantity to get the RCV.
  As stated, the newest versions include a fourth column showing how much material sales tax and o/p is added for each component. Labor items do not get depreciated or material sales tax. The other versions will have the RCV column listed fourth. If you refer to the bottom of each section you will see the total (or subtotal) of the RCV for the items listed in that section. Each section has its own total.
• The Depreciation column is listed next showing how much depreciation has been withheld for each component. The total for that is listed at the bottom of each section.
• The last column on the far right is the ACV, or actual cash value column. It shows how much is paid upfront on the first check for each component. There is a total at the bottom of each section. This is helpful when determining how much you have been paid in advance for each repair.

How do I figure out the total amount the insurance is paying?

Figuring out the costs of the repairs tends to be the most confusing part. The full cost of the repairs is the RCV, or the Replacement Cost Value. If there are multiple Summaries, you will need to add all the RCV’s together for the full amount of the repairs. The RCV includes the depreciation, the taxes and the overhead and profit. It also includes the deductible amount. It is the grand total. On each section of spreadsheets there is a column labeled RCV. If you see a column to the left of this labeled “taxes” or “other” then it is likely to represent the full RCV for that section or elevation. In the earlier versions of the software, the column breaking out the taxes and other for each line item or component is missing. In this case, you have an RCV subtotal represented. You have to refer to the summary page to make sure you have everything figured in.
The depreciation is the amount held back by the insurance company, but in most cases is recovered at the end of the project. If there are <> symbols around the depreciation amount, then it is non-recoverable, which is not given to the insured. This is seen on actual cash value policies and often on fences, sheds and some cedar shake roofs. It is labeled on the summary pages as non-recoverable depreciation. The vast majority of depreciation is recoverable. On the spread sheets for each section, you will see a column listing the amount of depreciation for each line item as well as a subtotal at the bottom of each section. It is usually the second column from the right.
For example, to know what the insurance is paying for the roof, you will need to see the totals at the bottom of that section. If there are several roofs, don’t forget to add them together. If you want to know what insurance is paying for gutters, you may need to go through the sections for each elevation and pull out the RCV amount for each line item describing gutters. Some claim summaries include a trade summary page, but it can be misleading as some items are coded differently when being entered. For instance, painting a pipe jack could show up as painting, but it would be done by the roofer. Some of the roof items can show up as hvac. I always prefer to go through each section and total up the line item RCV’s that pertain to the trade I am figuring.
The bottom line, if you want to know how much you will receive from the insurance company for the claim, most of the time all you have to do is add up the RCV totals on all the summaries and deduct the deductible. If there is non-recoverable depreciation, deduct that too. That is the full amount you will receive from the insurance company for your claim.
A claim summary can range from 4-100’s of pages, depending on how detailed the adjuster is in his or her notes and the extent of damages you incurred. The average length for a hail claim is 5-15 pages.
Most claim summaries are formatted pretty similarly, because nearly all of the insurance companies now use Xactimate to generate their inspections. Each company has their own twist on how it is presented, but the overall per unit pricing is fairly consistent. Differences are more likely to be seen on which components are included or omitted from the claim.
When looking at a claim summary for a client, I tend to glance at the Summary Page first and then tackle it in sections. If I need to figure out how much is allowed for each trade, I go through each elevation and pull out that trade, keeping in mind that some elevations have more damage than others. I always check to make sure the depreciation is recoverable and if there are base service charges or haul off fees that need to be accounted for in specific trades. I note the ACV and the RCV totals as well as the Net Claim totals. If you read your claim summary in this manner, it should be easier to understand fully. It is important to understand exactly what you have been paid and will be paid ultimately when hiring contractors to complete the repairs. Supplements may be needed to get approval for components that are omitted or correct the quantity on a specific component. If this is the case, a revised claim summary in writing should be obtained before starting the repairs.
Our office and project managers often assist in clarifying questions on claim summaries for our clients. If in doubt, it is an excellent idea to call the office or ask your project manager specific questions regarding your own claim summary.

Integrity Roofing and Painting, LLC is an insurance restoration contractor. As one of the premier roofers Colorado Springs, CO has to offer, we have a former insurance adjuster on our team. We don’t provide insurance adjusting services for that is the responsibility of the insurance company. We are more than willing to share our insurance restoration experience with you. It is illegal for a contractor to act as an insurance adjuster. The information that has been provided is not legal advice, nor are we acting as insurance experts, we are only sharing our experience in the insurance restoration industry. Please contact us for your roofing in Denver or Colorado Springs, Colorado.