DC · Maryland · Northern Virginia
Storm damage: get it documented before you file.
Most denied claims are not denied because the damage was not real. They are denied because nobody proved when it happened or what caused it. We inspect, photograph, and write it up — then tell you honestly whether we think a claim is worth filing.
- Free inspection with dated photos and a written report
- We can meet your adjuster on site
- Active leak? Say so and we prioritise it
- We will tell you if we think a claim will not succeed
Storm damage inspection
Tell us what happened and when. If water is coming in now, say so — we prioritise active leaks.
If it is happening right now
Active leak? Do these four things.
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Move what you can and contain the water
Buckets under active drips, belongings out of the path. A small hole punched in a bulging ceiling will drain a pocket of trapped water in a controlled spot instead of letting it collapse — do that only if the ceiling is already visibly sagging.
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Photograph everything before you clean up
Interior staining, the ceiling, wet insulation, damaged belongings, and anything you can safely see outside. Time-stamped photos taken before cleanup are worth more to your claim than anything produced afterwards.
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Do not get on the roof
A wet, storm-damaged roof is genuinely dangerous, and falls are the real risk after a storm, not the leak. Let someone with equipment do it.
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Call us and say the word "leak"
Active water intrusion gets prioritised. Stabilising is a fast, separate job from the permanent repair — worth knowing in DC and historic districts, where approvals for the permanent work can take weeks.
What is actually covered
Sudden damage yes, worn out no
The line insurers draw is between a sudden, identifiable event and gradual deterioration. Understanding which side your roof falls on before you file saves a great deal of frustration.
Typically covered
- Wind damage — lifted, creased, or missing shingles
- Hail bruising and granule loss from impact
- Impact damage from falling limbs or debris
- Flashing, vent, and ridge damage from a wind event
- Resulting interior water damage from a covered opening
Typically not covered
- Age — a roof at the end of its service life
- Granule loss from ordinary weathering
- Deferred maintenance and long-standing leaks
- Poor original installation or previous bad repairs
- Damage that cannot be tied to a specific event date
Why the storm date matters so much
A claim needs a date of loss. If damage cannot be connected to an identifiable weather event, an adjuster has little to work with and wear-and-tear becomes the default explanation. When you call, tell us roughly when you first noticed the problem and whether it followed a specific storm — it genuinely changes how we document.
How we work a storm claim
Documentation first, decision second
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Free inspection
We walk the roof, check the flashing, vents, and penetrations, and look at the elevations and gutters for impact evidence. Usually about 45 minutes.
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Written report with dated photos
What we found, where, and what caused it — in writing, with pictures. Yours to keep and to file, whatever you decide to do next.
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A straight recommendation
We give you the repair number and our honest read on whether a claim is likely to succeed. Sometimes the answer is that your deductible makes filing pointless. We would rather tell you that than sell you a claim.
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Adjuster meeting, if you file
We can be on site with your adjuster so the damage is being discussed by people who have both actually seen it.
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The repair, at a fixed written price
Scope, materials, timeline, and price agreed before work starts — and we pull the permit wherever your jurisdiction requires one.
What we will not do
We will not promise you an insurance approval, offer to "cover" or absorb your deductible, or tell you damage is storm-related when we do not believe it is. Waiving a deductible is not a favour — it is insurance fraud, and the contractor offering it is telling you exactly how they treat rules. That is the same company you would then be trusting with concealed work nobody inspects.
After a hail event
How to screen a door-knocker in two questions
Storm chasing is real here. Crews follow weather into a region, sign fast, work fast, and leave. Two questions cost nothing and remove most of them.
1. What is your licence number in this jurisdiction?
DC requires a Home Improvement Contractor licence for work over $300. Virginia requires a DPOR licence over $1,000, with the class set by project value. Maryland requires MHIC. All three publish free public lookups. A contractor who cannot produce a number for the jurisdiction your house is in has answered the question.
2. Are you licensed here, or where you came from?
This is the one that catches storm chasers. A licence in another state is not a licence here. In Maryland it matters twice over: the MHIC Guaranty Fund can reimburse you up to $30,000 of actual loss, but only if the contractor held a valid MHIC licence at the time of the work. Hire unlicensed and that protection simply does not exist.
Questions
Storm damage and insurance
Will my insurance cover storm damage to my roof?
Wind and hail damage is typically covered by a standard homeowners policy; ordinary wear-and-tear and age-related deterioration are not. The outcome usually turns on documentation — dated photographs, the storm date, and a clear description of the damage mechanism. We produce that report and can meet your adjuster on site. What we will not do is promise you an approval. If we look at your roof and think a claim is unlikely to succeed, we will tell you that before you file.
Should I file a claim or just pay for the repair?
It depends on your deductible and the size of the damage. If the repair is close to or below your deductible, filing gains you nothing and puts a claim on your record. We give you the repair number first so you can make that decision with real information rather than filing blind. That is your call to make, not ours, and any contractor pushing you to file before they have quoted the work is not working in your interest.
A company knocked on my door after the storm. Should I use them?
Be careful. Storm chasing is a real pattern in this region: crews follow hail into an area, sign as many contracts as possible, do fast work, and are gone before problems surface. Two protections cost you nothing. First, verify the licence — DC requires a Home Improvement Contractor licence over $300, Virginia a DPOR licence over $1,000, and Maryland an MHIC licence. Second, in Maryland, the MHIC Guaranty Fund only covers you if the contractor was licensed at the time, so hiring an unlicensed door-knocker forfeits up to $30,000 of protection.
How fast can you get out after a storm?
We reply to every request the same business day. If you have active water coming in, say so when you call and we will prioritise it. Stopping the water is a separate and faster job from the permanent repair, and in DC or a historic district — where approvals can take weeks — stabilising first is usually the right sequence.
Do I have to use the contractor my insurer suggests?
No. You choose who works on your house. An insurer may recommend a preferred vendor, but you are entitled to select your own licensed contractor.
What if the adjuster misses damage?
It happens, particularly with hail bruising that is hard to see from the ground and with flashing and vent damage that is easy to overlook. That is precisely why we document before the adjuster visit and can walk the roof with them. A photograph taken before anyone touched anything is the most useful thing you can have in that conversation.
Where we respond
- Washington, DC
- Bethesda, MD
- Chevy Chase, MD
- Potomac, MD
- Silver Spring, MD
- Rockville, MD
- McLean, VA
- Arlington, VA
- Alexandria, VA
- Falls Church, VA
- Vienna, VA
- Fairfax, VA
Get it documented
Free inspection, dated photos, a written report, and an honest read on whether to file. Same-business-day reply — active leaks prioritised.