A roofing claim in Virginia is decided by the homeowner's policy and the insurer, on the evidence of the damage. This guide sets out the general pattern and the Virginia Bureau of Insurance as the complaint route. It gives no deadlines, statutes or limits, because those belong to the policy and the insurer.
Key takeaways
- A policy generally responds to sudden damage from a covered event, such as wind or flood, and generally excludes wear and long-term damage.
- Storm and flood claims turn on the event, its date and the difference between new damage and older wear.
- Photographs taken before any repair, with dates and labels, are the most useful evidence a homeowner keeps.
- The Bureau of Insurance, part of the State Corporation Commission, takes homeowner complaints.
- The Bureau expects the policyholder to try the insurer first, and it cannot act as the policyholder's attorney.
What a standard policy generally covers
Sudden damage from a covered event. Gradual wear and long-term damage are generally excluded. Flood is often a separate question under the policy.
These are general patterns. The wording of the policy decides what is covered, and an endorsement can add or remove cover. Read the policy and ask the insurer to explain any term that is unclear.
Wind and flood on the same claim
A storm that brings wind and water needs the two kept apart in the record, because a policy may treat them differently.
The record separates the wind marks on the covering from the water marks on the walls and in the gutters. Each is dated and photographed. An insurer that reads a mixed record may treat it as one event, and the homeowner should ask which parts the policy covers.
What to photograph and keep
The damage before anything is repaired, the storm date, the roof and attic from several angles and any receipt or note.
Photograph the damage from the ground first, then from a safe position. Include a wide shot of each side of the house, a close shot of each damaged item with a scale and the date where possible. Keep earlier inspections and repair receipts, because they show the roof's history.
What the adjuster usually asks
When the damage was seen, what happened, whether a temporary cover was made and what the roof's age and maintenance history are.
Be accurate and specific, and say what is not known. An honest account is better than a confident one that cannot be checked. Keep a note of each conversation with its date.
Mitigation
A policy generally expects the homeowner to limit further damage once it is found, and the insurer may ask what was done.
A temporary cover over an open area, or drying a wet ceiling, is that kind of step. The insurer may want to see the permanent repair before it is made, so ask in writing whether it wants to inspect first.
Complaints and the Bureau
The insurer first, in writing. Then the Bureau of Insurance, which takes homeowner complaints about claims.
The Bureau expects the policyholder to try to resolve the matter with the insurer first. It cannot act as the policyholder's attorney, and it looks at how the insurer handled the file. Keep the dates and the written answers ready.
What a homeowner can ask the insurer in writing
The insurer's requirements, the documents it needs, the decision date and the basis for any refusal, citing the policy term.
Ask for each requirement in writing: the documents, the photographs, the inspection and the decision date. Ask for the basis of any refusal, citing the policy term. A written answer is easier to take to the Bureau if the matter is not resolved.
- Each requirement in writing
- The documents and the inspection
- The basis of any refusal, citing the policy
Using the Bureau's complaint route
The Bureau expects the insurer to have been tried first, and it looks at how the insurer handled the file.
Before complaining, keep the dates of each contact with the insurer and each written answer. The Bureau looks at the handling, so a complete file that shows the sequence of requests and replies makes the complaint specific. It cannot act as the homeowner's attorney, so the homeowner presents the file in their own name.
- Try the insurer first
- Keep the dates and written answers
- Present the file in the homeowner's own name
Flood and wind on one claim
When a storm brings both, the policy may treat them differently, so the record and the claim keep them apart.
A claim that mixes wind and flood can be judged on the wrong terms. Ask the insurer which parts of the loss fall under which terms, and keep the wind and water records separate in the file so each can be judged on its own.
- Ask which terms apply to each part
- Keep wind and water records apart
- Each part judged on its own terms
Timing and the file
The file stays open until the claim is paid or closed in writing, and each letter is kept with its date.
A claim can take weeks. Keep the file open until the insurer closes it in writing, and keep each letter and call note with its date. Closing the file early leaves the homeowner with nothing to show if a question returns.
- Keep the file until closed in writing
- Each letter kept with its date
- Do not close the file early
A worked example of a claim
A homeowner's roof is hit by a storm with wind and water. The homeowner keeps the wind record and the water record apart, sends the insurer the file in writing and receives a request for an inspection.
A homeowner sends the insurer a letter with the storm date, the wind record and the water record, each in its own section. The insurer asks for an inspection, and the homeowner is present and shows the photographs. The insurer's answer comes in writing and gives its reasons, which the homeowner checks against the policy.
- Wind and water records sent apart
- Insurer's request for inspection met
- Answer checked against the policy
What the policy says about flood
Flood is often a separate question under the policy, so the homeowner reads the policy for it before assuming the wind cover applies to water.
A standard homeowner policy may treat flood water differently from wind. Read the policy's wording on flood, and ask the insurer in writing whether the water damage is within the cover. Do not assume that a wind cover includes water.
- Read the policy's wording on flood
- Ask in writing whether water is covered
- Do not assume wind cover includes water
Records that help the claim most
Dated photographs, the roofer's written inspection, the earlier repair receipts and the insurer's written requests, kept together.
The most useful records in a claim are the ones made at the time: dated photographs, a written roofer's inspection and any earlier repair receipts. Add the insurer's written requests as they arrive. Keep them together in a single folder with the policy.
- Dated photographs made at the time
- A written roofer's inspection
- Earlier receipts and the insurer's requests
A worked example of an appeal
An insurer declines a storm claim on the ground that the damage is wear. The homeowner asks for the reasons in writing and sends the roofer's dated record in reply.
The insurer's letter gives the reason as wear. The homeowner asks which marks were judged to be wear and why, in writing. The reply names the marks. The homeowner sends the roofer's dated record, which separates storm marks from older wear, with a note answering each named mark. The insurer's second reply is filed with the first.
- Reasons asked for in writing
- Named marks answered with the record
- Replies filed in order
Dealing with a claim that drags
Write to the insurer at set intervals, keep a diary of each call and ask for a date for the decision.
A claim that stalls is a common problem. Write to the insurer at set intervals, asking for the status and a date for the decision. Keep a diary of each call with the name of the person spoken to and the date. A diary is the record that makes a complaint specific if the delay becomes unreasonable.
- Write at set intervals
- Keep a diary of each call
- Ask for a date for the decision
What the homeowner keeps after the claim
The policy, the final decision, the record, the correspondence and the payment record, kept together for as long as the roof is in service.
Once the claim is settled, keep the final decision, the policy, the record and the correspondence together. Keep the payment record as well. These documents are what a buyer, a lender or a later insurer will ask for about the roof's history.
- Policy and final decision together
- Record and correspondence kept
- The payment record kept with them
When to get advice beyond the Bureau
Where a claim is large or disputed, a homeowner may want a second opinion on the policy from a qualified adviser, separate from the roofer and the insurer.
The Bureau does not act as the homeowner's attorney, so a large or contested claim may need advice on the policy from a qualified adviser of the homeowner's own choosing. That adviser reads the policy and the correspondence, and the roofer's record stays a record of the roof.
- The Bureau does not act as attorney
- An adviser of the homeowner's own choosing
- The roofer's record stays a record of the roof
Frequently asked questions
Is there a deadline for a claim in Virginia?
This guide states none. Deadlines and limits are in the policy and the rules that apply, and the insurer or the Bureau can confirm them.
Does a policy cover flood?
It depends on the policy. Flood is often a separate question, so the policy should be read for it.
Should I repair before the adjuster visits?
Make a temporary cover if needed, photograph everything and ask whether the insurer wants to inspect first.
Who takes a complaint about a claim?
The insurer first, then the Virginia Bureau of Insurance.
Sources
This guide is general information for Newport News (independent city) homeowners, not a substitute for an on-site inspection. Prices are estimates. See our disclaimer.