3 Roof Insurance Questions Every Colorado Homeowner Asks Us

After 15 years as a roofing contractor here in Colorado, there are three questions I get from homeowners more than any others when it comes to insurance. One, should I even file a claim? Two, if my claim gets denied, what do I do now? Three, what does insurance actually pay for when I need a new roof? This guide walks through all three, honestly, from what we have seen in the field.

Should You Even File a Claim?

Sometimes you should not file a claim at all. We tell people that all the time, right to their face, even though we are the ones who would want to do the work.

Here is how I think about it. Before you ever call your insurance company, you need to know two things: how bad the damage actually is, and roughly what it costs to fix. That is the whole reason you get an inspection of your roof first.

If the repair is small and it is at or below your insurance deductible, filing a claim does nothing for you except put a claim on your record. But if you have real storm damage that is clearly going to cost more than your deductible to fix, especially if the roof is totaled under that 10-hits-per-square standard, then yes, it probably makes sense to file. That is exactly what you have been paying premiums for all these years.

The biggest mistake I see over and over is folks calling insurance the second they find one shingle in their yard, before anybody has even looked at the roof. Do not guess. Have a roofing contractor get up there, find out what is actually true, and then decide whether to file.

Two real examples of filing when you shouldn't

The first one that comes to mind is 2024, in the hailstorm that hit Broomfield and Thornton. There was a lot of legitimate hail damage in that storm, but out on the periphery, there were a lot of homes with very slight damage or none at all. When one roof in a neighborhood got replaced, neighbors would see it and file claims of their own, expecting the same result. The claim would get denied, we would get on the roof, and we would have to tell them the truth: you have a higher-grade shingle, your roof is actually fine, you should not have filed. We see that in every hailstorm. We call it neighbor-itis.

The other one was Boulder this spring, in 2026, after a windstorm. A lot of people had legitimate wind damage, multiple shingles missing. But legitimate damage does not automatically mean you should file. A lot of these were smaller repairs, $800, $1,200, $1,500, all under the homeowner's deductible. We did those repairs, but we also watched people file claims when it did not make sense for them to.

Your Claim Was Denied. Now What?

A denial letter feels final, but it is not. It is not a judge ruling against you. It is one insurance adjuster's first answer, and I have seen a lot of them get turned around.

Think about what actually happens out there after a big storm. Adjusters are walking dozens of roofs a day, and hail damage can be tough to spot even for people who do it for a living. Things get missed. That is just the real world.

So the first move is simple: read the denial. You will get a formal letter, and it will tell you the exact reason they said no. That reason decides what you do next.

Then get your own independent inspection so the damage is documented. This assumes you actually have legitimate damage. If you do not, you should not have filed in the first place. From there, you can ask for a reinspection, where somebody like me gets on the roof with the insurance adjuster and we walk the damage together. I cannot tell you how many denials flip to approvals right there. In our experience it is around half of them, because now somebody is standing on the roof pointing at the bruising and the damage.

The appraisal clause most homeowners have never heard of

If the insurance company is still denying the claim at that stage, keep in mind that almost every insurance policy has some version of an appraisal clause that most homeowners have never even heard of. The appraisal process is a formal process you are entitled to as the policyholder.

Here is what it means. You invoke the services of a formal appraiser. You name an appraiser, your insurance company names an appraiser, and they go out independently, not the roofing company, not the insurance company. They meet, and they agree on the extent and cost of the damage together.

In our experience, a lot of homeowners go through the appraisal process and come out very successful. We were tracking it, and it is about 96% over the last two years, for the claims we have observed.

Just recently, we had a homeowner in Longmont with very legitimate hail damage to their windows, siding, roof, and gutters, who got a complete denial from their insurance company. They had to fight it, which in this case meant using the appraisal process they were entitled to under the policy. It took about 11 months for the claim to settle, but they were awarded over $50,000, and we were able to complete all of the work. They told me they wanted to give up several times, but they stuck with it, and it was worth doing. That is what taught me to tell homeowners: the appraisal process is a valid, legitimate process you are entitled to, and do not be afraid to use it if it is appropriate.

What Does Insurance Actually Pay For?

There are two big factors here.

The first is simply the extent of the damage. Are they covering a repair or a replacement? Keep in mind, they are only going to pay for what is damaged. I have had scenarios where people feel entitled to a full roof replacement because they found a couple of shingles in their yard. If that damage is isolated and can be repaired, that is all the insurance company is going to pay for. Just because you have a problem with your roof does not mean your insurance company is going to pay for a new one.

In the same breath, I have talked to people who say, "I need a new roof, I'm just going to claim it on my insurance." Claim what? Is it hail damage, wind damage, fire, a lightning strike? Those are covered losses under most policies. Just because you have an old roof and you have been paying premiums for a long time does not mean they are going to pay for a new roof.

I like to use a car analogy, because people are more familiar with cars. If I need new tires on my pickup truck, I am not filing an insurance claim, because that is not sudden or accidental. It happened over a long time. That is wear and tear. But if somebody runs into my truck, or there is hail damage to it, those are sudden and accidental events. When I explain it that way, people start to understand it. Extent of damage, and what caused it, are the two things that determine whether they are paying a little bit of repair money or giving you the full cost of a new roof.

RCV versus ACV: your policy type changes everything

The second big factor is the type of policy. Keep in mind, I am a roofing contractor, not an insurance professional. I have observed this and can speak to my own claim experience.

There are two main types of homeowner policy when it comes to hail damage: RCV, which stands for replacement cost value, and ACV, which stands for actual cash value.

Here is what that means. With a replacement cost policy, the insurance company covers the full replacement cost less your deductible. With an actual cash value policy, they owe for what the roof is worth at the time it was damaged. So if you have a really old roof, say 25 years old, that gets damaged by hail at the very end of its life, and you have an actual cash value policy, they do a depreciation calculation on it, and then they also subtract your deductible. I have seen $30,000 roof claims that were technically approved where the homeowner only got $1,000 or $2,000 after depreciation and deductible. Most cases are not that dramatic, but the difference between the two policy types is big.

Both of these could be total losses. You could have 10 hail impacts per square, every side of the roof damaged, the damage extensive and easily documented. But even then, on an actual cash value policy, they are only going to pay the value of what is currently there, not the cost to replace it. The type of policy and the extent of damage blend together to determine how much you actually get.

The Bottom Line

Quick note on deductibles first. Regardless of the type of policy you have, the deductible always comes out of the total, and you are responsible for paying that portion.

The honest, legal move is to get the damage documented properly, understand what type of policy you have, and let that guide the conversation with your adjuster and your roofing contractor.

So the claim process really comes down to three things. One, knowing whether to file in the first place. Two, knowing that a denial is not the end. Three, understanding what your policy will actually pay, and having your feet underneath you. Through all of it, the foundation is the same: a properly documented inspection tells you what is truly going on with the roof. That is what a company like us does, and we will tell you honestly where you stand, claim or no claim.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I file a roofing insurance claim for minor damage?

Usually not. If the repair cost is at or below your deductible, filing does nothing but put a claim on your record. Get an inspection first so you know how bad the damage is and roughly what it costs, then decide.

What should I do if my roofing insurance claim is denied?

Read the denial letter to find the exact reason they said no. Get an independent inspection to document the damage, then request a reinspection where your contractor and the adjuster walk the roof together. In our experience about half of denials flip to approvals at that stage. If it is still denied, you may be entitled to the appraisal process under your policy.

What is an insurance appraisal clause?

It is a formal process in most policies that lets you resolve a disputed claim. You name an appraiser, your insurance company names an appraiser, and they independently meet and agree on the extent and cost of the damage. It is a right you have as the policyholder.

What is the difference between RCV and ACV insurance policies?

RCV (replacement cost value) covers the full replacement cost of your roof less your deductible. ACV (actual cash value) pays only what the roof is worth at the time of damage, after depreciation and your deductible, which can be dramatically less on an older roof.

Can a roofing contractor pay or waive my insurance deductible in Colorado?

No. It is illegal in Colorado for a contractor to waive, absorb, or offset your deductible. Anyone offering to make your deductible disappear is a red flag.