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Damage Review Without the Sales Circus.
Free inspections are common in roofing. Some are useful. Some are just sales appointments with a ladder. Stated starts with facts before pressure.
You may not know whether your roof is damaged. That is the honest answer. Roof damage is often not obvious from the ground, and we do not recommend climbing on your roof. Start by documenting what you can safely see: interior stains, active leaks, missing or lifted shingles, granules collecting near downspouts, dented gutters, damaged vents, storm date, and any carrier estimate or prior contractor scope.
If your insurance company inspects the roof, send us the carrier scope. If another contractor provides a scope, send that too. Stated can prepare contractor-side pricing, measurements, photos, and project documentation for the work we would perform. Stated can discuss its own estimate, photos, measurements, and technical scope with the homeowner, carrier, or adjuster — but Stated does not represent the insured or negotiate coverage.
What Stated Does — and Doesn't Do
We do not negotiate your claim, represent you against your insurer, waive deductibles, promise coverage outcomes, or act as a public adjuster. We get to the heart of the project issue: what work is needed, what it costs, what is included, what is excluded, and what remains the homeowner's responsibility.
Traditional Storm Path vs. Stated Path
| Traditional Storm Path |
Stated Path |
| Free inspection first — salesperson controls the visit | Facts, photos, and storm context first — homeowner controls the starting information |
| Price comes after the sales appointment | Planning Range comes before commitment — no appointment required |
| Contractor may offer claim opinions or negotiation | Stated provides contractor-side scope only — no claim negotiation |
| Scope may be verbal or unclear until contract | Scope and exclusions are written before any payment |
| Deductible may be "handled" by the contractor | Deductible is the homeowner's responsibility — stated in every insurance contract |
| Customer may feel pressured to sign before understanding scope | Customer decides after reviewing the written quote — no pressure, no expiring offer |
1
What to do — in order.
The order matters. Most problems happen because homeowners skip step one and go straight to step four.
1
Don't sign anything yet.
Seriously. If someone knocked on your door and handed you a contract, an AOB (Assignment of Benefits), a "direction to pay," or anything asking you to authorize work or sign over your insurance rights — stop. You can walk away from any of these before you sign. Once you sign, options close. Unless you have active water intrusion that requires temporary tarping or mitigation, nothing about your roof requires signing a full replacement contract today.
⬡ Before anything else
2
Document what you can safely see from the ground.
Walk your property. Take photos of anything visible: damaged gutters, dents in AC units, cracked fascia, tree debris, broken skylights. Do not get on your roof yourself — it's a safety risk and not necessary at this stage. Date your photos. Note the date of the storm. This documentation is yours and belongs to you regardless of who does the work.
⬡ Day 1–2
3
Call your insurance company directly — not through a contractor.
Call the claims number on your insurance card. Report the storm event and the date. Ask what the process is. Ask when an adjuster can come out. Ask what documentation they'll need. Do this yourself, in your own words, before anyone else does it on your behalf. You are the policyholder. The claim is yours to manage.
⬡ Day 2–5
4
Get a written contractor assessment — after the insurance adjuster visits.
Once your adjuster has visited and you have an initial estimate or denial letter, that's the right time to get a contractor involved. A legitimate contractor will document the damage, provide a written scope, and give you a written price. They will not need you to sign over your insurance rights to do this.
⬡ After insurance adjuster visit
5
Compare the contractor scope to the adjuster estimate — in writing.
You should be able to compare line by line: what the adjuster approved versus what the contractor says is needed. Legitimate gaps exist and a contractor can document them. What you're looking for is clarity, not pressure. If the contractor says "your insurance will cover everything" without seeing the adjuster estimate, that's a flag.
⬡ Before signing a contract
6
Make sure the contract states the actual scope and price — before work begins.
Your contract should list exactly what materials are being installed, what is excluded, what your deductible is and that you owe it, and what the total contract price is. "We'll do whatever insurance pays" is not a scope. It is a blank check. Do not sign a contract without a written scope, written price, and written payment terms.
⬡ Before signing the contract
2
Storm chaser warning signs.
Storm chasers are contractors — sometimes from out of state — who follow hail events and work neighborhoods aggressively. Some are legitimate. Many are not. Here's how to tell the difference.
"We'll handle your insurance for you."
A contractor cannot act as a public adjuster on a property where they are also doing the roofing work. In Texas, this is illegal. A contractor can provide documentation and technical support for your claim. They cannot represent you to the insurer, negotiate your settlement, or sign insurance documents on your behalf.
"We'll waive your deductible."
Texas law (Insurance Code §707.002) prohibits contractors from waiving, rebating, absorbing, or offsetting your insurance deductible. If someone offers to "take care of your deductible," they are offering something illegal. They may be planning to overbill your insurance by the deductible amount, which exposes you to insurance fraud. Your deductible is your responsibility.
"Sign here so we can get started — we'll work out the details."
Any contract without a written scope, written price, and written exclusions is a liability. "We'll do what insurance approves" is not a scope. "We'll bill your insurance" is not a price. You should never sign a contract you cannot read start to finish and understand completely.
"Your neighbor already got a new roof — this is a limited window."
Insurance claims do not expire in 48 hours. You have time — typically 12 months from the storm date to file, though you should verify your policy's specific timeline. Urgency is a sales tactic. A legitimate contractor will give you time to think, read, and ask questions.
Assignment of Benefits (AOB) or Direction to Pay forms.
These documents transfer your insurance rights to the contractor. Once signed, the contractor can negotiate directly with your insurer, receive payment directly, and you lose significant control over the claim. Texas has reformed some AOB abuse, but these documents still carry risk. Do not sign one without understanding exactly what you're agreeing to — and consider consulting a public adjuster or attorney first.
No local address, no license information, no verifiable history.
Ask for proof of insurance (a Certificate of Insurance naming you as the project location), local contractor registration where required by the city or municipality, verifiable business information, references, and any voluntary roofing credentials such as RCAT licensing. Texas does not issue a statewide roofing contractor license through TDLR — verify the specific credential being presented and confirm it is current.
3
How insurance-funded roofing actually works.
Most homeowners go through this process once in their life. Here's how it works without the sales spin.
Your homeowner's insurance policy covers sudden, accidental damage from named perils — like hail, wind, or fallen trees. It does not cover wear and tear, deferred maintenance, or a roof that was already past its useful life.
After you file a claim, your insurer sends an adjuster to inspect. The adjuster documents the damage and prepares an estimate of what it will cost to repair or replace the affected components. That estimate uses industry-standard pricing software (typically Xactimate). You will receive a copy of this estimate.
Your claim payment will typically be in two parts: the Actual Cash Value (ACV) — which is the replacement cost minus depreciation — and a recoverable depreciation payment that releases when work is completed and documented. Your deductible is subtracted from the first payment.
What this means in plain terms
If your roof costs $18,000 to replace, your insurer might pay $13,000 ACV (after depreciation and deductible), then release another $3,000 in depreciation after the job is documented. Your deductible — say $2,000 — is yours to pay. That's $18,000 total: $13K + $3K from insurance, $2K from you.
This is the legitimate version of how it works. Anyone offering to make the $2,000 deductible disappear is either overbilling your insurer or asking you to participate in something that could be considered fraud.
A legitimate contractor helps you understand the adjuster estimate, identifies any line items that were missed or undervalued (these do occur and can be documented), provides a written scope and price, and executes the work. They do not negotiate your claim on your behalf, promise you a specific settlement number, or absorb your deductible.
4
Your deductible is yours. That's the law.
This is important enough to repeat clearly.
Texas Law — Insurance Code §707.002
A contractor cannot waive, rebate, absorb, or offset your insurance deductible. If they offer to do so — in any form, by any name — they are violating Texas law. This includes "we'll waive it," "we'll credit it," "we'll upgrade your materials to cover it," or "don't worry about it."
Contracts of $1,000 or more involving insurance settlements must include written notice that the deductible is the policyholder's responsibility. Ask to see this notice in any contract before you sign.
There are two types of deductibles common in DFW policies: a flat dollar deductible (e.g. $2,000) and a percentage deductible (e.g. 2% of your home's insured value for hail or wind). Percentage deductibles can be larger than homeowners expect. If you have a $350,000 insured home with a 2% wind/hail deductible, your deductible is $7,000. Know your number before you start a conversation with any contractor.
Your deductible is the money you owe. Your insurer pays the rest of the covered loss. A contractor who promises to eliminate your deductible is not helping you — they are either planning to overbill your insurer (which is your exposure too) or absorbing a real cost somewhere else in the contract without telling you.
5
Questions to ask any contractor before signing.
A legitimate contractor should be able to answer every one of these without hesitation.
| Question | What a legitimate answer sounds like |
|---|
| Will you put the full scope and price in writing before work begins? | Yes — always. That's in our contract. |
| Can you provide proof of insurance and your business credentials? | Yes — here's our COI, business address, and any applicable local registration or voluntary credentials (e.g. RCAT). |
| Will you waive my deductible? | No. That's illegal in Texas and we don't do it. |
| What happens if the adjuster estimate is lower than your quote? | We document any gaps with photos and scope notes. You decide how to proceed. |
| Are you asking me to sign an Assignment of Benefits? | No. You retain control of your claim. |
| What exactly is included in the price and what's excluded? | Here is our written scope. Gutters, skylights, and [X] are excluded unless you add them. |
| When does final payment happen? | After you inspect the completed work and sign off in writing. |
Red-flag answers
"We'll do whatever insurance approves" — this is not a scope or a price. Walk away until they give you a written document.
"Don't worry about the deductible — we take care of our customers" — this is not a legal answer. Ask them to put in writing that you owe your full deductible. If they won't, walk away.
"We need you to sign today to hold your spot" — urgency is a sales tactic. You have time. Use it.
6
What a legitimate contractor process looks like.
Written scope before signing
Every material, every included item, every excluded item. You should know exactly what is being replaced, what brand, and what grade — before the contract is signed, not after.
Written price that matches the scope
A fixed price for the stated scope. If the scope changes (for example, more decking damage is discovered), a written change order with a new price is presented before that work proceeds. Nothing appears on your final invoice that wasn't documented first.
Payment in stages, not all upfront
Materials at booking, partial labor before start, final payment after you approve the work. No legitimate contractor needs 100% of the contract price before touching your roof.
Permit pulled and inspection scheduled
A full roof replacement in most DFW jurisdictions requires a permit. A contractor who skips the permit is skipping the city inspection — which means your work may not be code-compliant and your insurance company may not recognize it if you file another claim later.
You inspect and sign off before final payment
You should have a window to walk your property, inspect the work, and provide written sign-off before the final payment is due. If something is wrong, it gets fixed before you pay — not after.
What Stated Homes Does — and Doesn't Do
This is how we handle storm-related projects.
We'll tell you upfront what we do and don't do so you can decide whether we're the right fit. No sales pressure here — just clarity.
What We Provide
Written scope of work, photos, itemized contractor pricing, measurement documentation, permit coordination, and signed closeout documentation.
What We Don't Do
We do not adjust claims, negotiate insurance settlements, waive deductibles, act as a public adjuster, or sign insurance documents on your behalf.
On Deductibles
Your deductible is your responsibility. Texas law is clear and so are we. Every insurance-funded Stated contract includes the required statutory notice.
On Pricing
You receive a Planning Range first. Then a Verified Stated Quote with fixed scope and price. That goes in your contract — not a vague "we'll do what insurance pays."
If your insurance estimate is lower than our quote, we'll document the gaps with photos and written scope notes you can use in your conversation with your insurer. We won't inflate scope to chase a bigger payment. We'll tell you what we see, price what we see, and execute what's in the contract.
If your project is primarily a low-margin repair or your damage is minor, we'll tell you that too — even if it means we're not the right fit. We'd rather you make a good decision than a fast one.
7
When you're ready to start.
There's no rush. Your claim window is typically 12 months from the storm date — verify your specific policy. Use that time to read your policy, talk to your insurance company, and choose a contractor you understand and trust.
When you're ready for a contractor quote, here's the Stated path:
✓
Get a Planning Range online — no roof size required
Enter your property details on the roofing page. Get an instant budgetary range. No phone call, no salesperson, no commitment. You can do this before or after your adjuster visits — it's just information.
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Receive a Verified Stated Quote with written scope
After you submit your details and photos, a project manager issues a written fixed-price quote. That quote includes exactly what's covered, what's excluded, your deductible notice, and the payment gate structure. Read it start to finish before accepting.
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Decide when you're ready — no pressure
Accept the quote when you've read it and you're comfortable. There's no expiring offer, no follow-up pressure calls, and no one showing up at your door. You decide when you're ready.
One More Thing
If a contractor — including Stated — ever says something that doesn't match what's written on this page, ask them to put it in writing. The written document is what matters. Any claim that can't survive being written down probably shouldn't be made.