1. 7 Steps on How to File an Insurance Claim for Hail andWind DamageWhen hail and strong winds combine, they can cause serious damage to your house and property,especially your roof, siding, gutters, and windows. 1. Record the date. If you just recently had a hail or wind storm in your area write downthe date. If you are going to file an insurance claim you will need the date to file a claim.If you can it is also a good idea to take pictures to show your insurance company. 2. Get an opinion from an experienced contractor. If you think that you may have hail orwind damage to your home contact a qualified contractor to come out to your home andgive you an estimate. 3. Meeting with the contractor. When the contractor comes out to your home find outsome information on them and their company. Ask them what type of services theyprovide and how long they have been in business. It will take the contractor

2. approximately 10-20 minutes depending on what type of damage you have to your home. If you have extensive damage to your home it will take them longer. When the contractor is finished inspecting the damage ask them if they would recommend that you file a claim with your insurance company. Make sure to get a business card and ask them if they would be willing to be there when your insurance company comes out to access the damage.4. File Your Claim. If the contractor recommends that you file a claim, call your insurance company and tell them that you want to file a claim for hail and/or wind damage. Let your insurance company know that you had a contractor come out to your home for a hail and wind damage inspection and that they made recommendations that certain things needed to be replaced due to hail and wind damage. (for example: roof, siding, windows, and gutters) keep in mind that the age of your roof, siding, windows, gutters, or other damaged areas does not matter if they are damaged. The insurance company wants to prevent any further claims due to the hail and wind damage you may have.5. Meet with your Insurance Adjuster. When the insurance adjuster comes to your home it will take them about a half hour to assess the damage and take pictures of any damage. The adjuster will then explain the steps that will take place after that. Your insurance company might give you a quote right away, but some claims can take several weeks. Generally what happens is the insurance adjuster and the contractor compare notes with each other to make sure their measurements are the same or if they disagree on any damage that has been assessed by both of them. At this point the contractor will debate the claim with the adjuster until they agree with each other. If your contractor is not there at the time of the inspection you can inform your contractor what they said and most insurance companies will send their adjuster back to discuss the claim with your contractor.6. The Inspection has been completed by Adjustor. Hopefully the adjustor will let you know whether or not they feel you have a claim or not. Then you can make sure you get written quotes from contractors and compare them. As you are deciding on which contractor you are going to use take into consideration a companys experience, references, and their reputation not just the price they are offering you.7. Scheduling the Work. If youre insurance company approves your claim you will most likely get enough to cover your damage, less your deductible. If they dont give you enough ask your contractor to help you dispute the amount based on the estimate given to have the work done. Some insurance companies will hold back some money for depreciation however; at the end of the job all you have to do is have your contractor send them a letter of completion stating the total amount and your insurance company will send you the difference.