What your roof insurance claim actually entitles you to in Louisiana

A roof claim in Louisiana is not a favour your insurer is doing you. It is a contract being performed, and the policy sets out what you are owed. Most of the frustration homeowners feel comes from not knowing three things: how your deductible is actually calculated, what documentation you are entitled to, and what happens to your policy afterwards.

Your deductible may be a percentage, not a dollar figure

Many Louisiana policies carry a named-storm or hurricane deductible expressed as a percentage of the dwelling coverage, commonly 2% to 5%. On a home insured for $350,000, a 2% deductible is $7,000 before the insurer pays anything. That is a very different conversation from the $1,000 all-perils deductible on the same policy for a non-named event.

Read the declarations page before you file. If the damage is close to the deductible, filing may cost you more in claim history than it returns in payment, and we will tell you that plainly rather than pushing you into a claim.

You are entitled to see the estimate

When an adjuster inspects your roof, the estimate they produce, usually a line-item document, is the basis of the settlement. Ask for the full copy, not just the summary page. You are looking for whether the scope includes tear-off, underlayment, flashing, drip edge, ridge vent, permit and code-required upgrades, and whether depreciation was applied.

Replacement cost policies hold back depreciation initially and release it once the work is complete and invoiced. That withheld amount is yours on completion. Actual cash value policies do not release it at all, which is worth knowing before you sign anything.

Supplements are normal

Adjusters work from the ground and from photos, and they miss things: rotten decking under the shingles, a second layer nobody knew about, code requirements for ice-and-water or ventilation. When the roof is opened up, the contractor documents what is actually there and files a supplement. This is a standard part of the process, not a dispute, and a contractor who never files supplements is usually absorbing the difference with cheaper materials.

What we will and will not do

We are a licensed roofing contractor, not a public adjuster or an attorney. We document damage thoroughly, provide a line-item scope in the format adjusters use, meet the adjuster on site, and file supplements with photographic evidence. We do not negotiate your claim for you, and we do not offer to "cover your deductible", in Louisiana that is insurance fraud, and any contractor offering it is telling you what they think of the law.

After a covered loss

Louisiana law limits an insurer's ability to non-renew a homeowner policy solely because of claims arising from a declared catastrophe, and there are protections tied to how long you have held the policy. The specifics change, so confirm your situation with the Louisiana Department of Insurance rather than relying on what an adjuster or a salesperson tells you.

If you want a documented inspection before you decide whether to file, that is what our roof inspection is for, and our insurance claims page explains exactly how we work alongside an adjuster. Storm season questions are welcome any time, get in touch.