Start with your own documentation
Photograph and video the damage as soon as it's safe to do so, before any cleanup or temporary repair changes what an adjuster will see, and note the date and likely cause while it's still fresh.[1]
Reporting the claim and limiting further damage
Most insurers expect a claim reported promptly, and most policies expect you to take reasonable steps to prevent additional damage in the meantime, such as a temporary tarp over an active leak once it's safe to place one.[1]
Where a contractor's estimate fits in
Lining up a roofer's own written estimate ahead of that adjuster visit is a step guidance on this process commonly recommends, so you're holding a second, independent number rather than taking whatever figure the adjuster lands on as the final word.[1]
Where storm chasers try to insert themselves
A legitimate carrier simply doesn't operate this way: collecting a deductible by phone before doing anything else isn't part of a normal claim, and a contractor who offers to waive yours, or claims to be speaking for your insurer, is describing something that doesn't exist.[2]
Interpreting your policy language or negotiating directly with the carrier on your behalf is generally public-adjuster work, which requires its own separate license in most states, distinct from a roofing license entirely.
After the repair is approved
Keep a copy of the adjuster's report, your contractor's final invoice, and any photos from before and after the work. If a second issue turns up later that's arguably related to the same storm, that paper trail is what supports reopening the claim rather than starting the whole conversation over from nothing.
Some policies withhold a portion tied to depreciation until the repair is actually done; if yours works that way, nail down exactly what paperwork releases that remaining piece, in writing, rather than going on whatever a phone rep described. That second payment can arrive weeks after the first, so plan the contractor's payment schedule around both, not just the initial check.[1]
When a second opinion is worth the trouble
If a contractor's assessment of the damage differs sharply from the adjuster's, a second roofing estimate, or in larger disputes a public adjuster, can help clarify whether the gap is about scope, pricing, or a genuine disagreement about what the storm actually did to the roof. Most policies also spell out an appraisal process for exactly this kind of standoff, which is worth reading closely before a disagreement turns into a drawn-out stalemate between you and the carrier.