Quick Answer: File a roof insurance claim in Des Moines when the storm damage clearly costs more to repair than your deductible. If the damage looks minor, filing can put a claim on your record without putting money in your pocket. Get a free inspection first, find out what the repair actually costs, then decide. The Iowa Insurance Division gives the same advice: understand your coverage before you call.
Deciding whether to file a roof insurance claim in Des Moines comes down to one question that most roofing companies skip. Does your damage cost more to fix than your deductible? If yes, call your agent. If no, filing may cost you more than it returns.
Most articles about hail claims are written to sell you a roof. They walk you through the paperwork and assume you should file. We think you deserve the honest version first, because sometimes the right answer is to wait.
Andrew’s Roofing Company has inspected storm-damaged roofs across the Des Moines metro since 2008. In 18 years we have told plenty of homeowners that their roof was fine. That conversation costs us a sale and earns us a neighbor.
Should You File a Roof Insurance Claim in Des Moines?
Work through these three questions in order.
1. Did a specific storm cause the damage?
Homeowners policies cover sudden events like hail and wind. They do not cover a roof that simply wore out. Age and normal wear are the most common reasons carriers deny roof claims, so a storm date matters.
2. Does the repair likely cost more than your deductible?
This is the whole decision. Pull out your policy and find your deductible. Some Iowa policies carry a separate, higher deductible for hail, and some carry a percentage of your home’s insured value rather than a flat dollar amount. A $300,000 home with a 2% hail deductible means $6,000 out of pocket before your carrier pays anything.
The Iowa Insurance Division advises homeowners to understand their coverage before filing, and to contact their agent if the damage appears to be over the deductible. Note the order. Understand first, then call.
3. Do you know what the repair actually costs?
You cannot compare the damage to your deductible until someone tells you what the damage costs. That takes an inspection. Ours are free, and we hand you the photos whether you hire us or not.
Will Filing a Roof Insurance Claim in Des Moines Raise My Rates?
It might, and nobody can promise otherwise. Carriers weigh your claim history when they set your premium and when they decide whether to renew you.
The Iowa Insurance Division explains that a high insurance score reflects a lower probability of filing a claim, which leads to lower premiums. Iowa also runs the FAIR Plan for homeowners who lose coverage and cannot find a new policy on the open market. That program exists because non-renewal happens.
None of this means you should avoid filing a legitimate claim. You pay premiums for exactly this. It does mean a small claim that barely clears your deductible deserves a hard look, and a claim that does not clear it deserves none at all.
Ask your agent how a claim would affect your specific policy. They will tell you, and the call is free.
How Long Do I Have to File a Hail Damage Claim in Iowa?
Check your policy. That is the only honest answer.
You will find Iowa roofing websites stating that you have exactly 12 months, and others stating one to two years. Some of those sites contradict themselves from one page to the next. The Iowa Insurance Division states that policies may contain exclusions, specific hail deductibles, and claim filing deadlines. Deadlines vary by carrier and by contract.
Move quickly regardless. Evidence fades. Adjusters grow skeptical of damage reported long after the storm that supposedly caused it, and a delay hands your carrier an easy argument that your roof simply aged.
ACV vs. RCV: What Will You Actually Pay?
Two letters on your policy change your out-of-pocket cost more than anything else.
- Replacement Cost Value (RCV) pays what a new roof costs today.
- Actual Cash Value (ACV) subtracts depreciation for the age and wear of your old roof.
With an RCV policy, carriers commonly issue the first check for the depreciated amount, hold back the rest, and release that remaining money once you finish the work and submit the final invoice. You still pay your deductible. With an ACV policy, the depreciation stays gone, and you cover the gap.
Read your declarations page before the adjuster arrives. If the numbers still feel steep after the claim settles, we offer roofing and home improvement financing options, and we help homeowners find local assistance programs.
How Do You Know If You Even Have Hail Damage?
Stay on the ground. Walk your property and look for the evidence adjusters trust, because hail leaves fingerprints on more than your shingles.
- Dented gutters and downspouts. Aluminum records hail impacts clearly, which is why adjusters check gutters first.
- Splatter or dimpling on siding and trim. Impact marks on siding confirm how hard the storm hit.
- Torn window screens and dented AC fins. Both establish hail size without a ladder, and our storm damage window replacement services in Des Moines can handle screens and glass in the same claim.
- Granules collecting at downspout outlets. Your shingles are shedding their protective layer.
- Dark bruises or missing granules on shingles. Random, circular, scattered. Wear and tear looks uniform.
The Iowa Insurance Division recommends photographing and recording the affected areas after a hailstorm and giving your insurer a detailed description of the damage. Do that before anyone touches the roof.
Our post on signs of Iowa storm roof damage covers what to look for in more detail.
Can My Roofer File the Claim or Cover My Deductible?
No, and be careful with anyone who says yes.
Here is how the roles actually divide. You file the claim. Your carrier and its adjuster decide the claim. A licensed public adjuster or an attorney can represent you if you want help interpreting your policy. Your roofer inspects the roof, documents the damage, explains construction details, and answers technical questions when the adjuster comes out.
Your deductible belongs to you. When a contractor offers to waive it, absorb it, or make it disappear, that offer usually buries the cost somewhere else in the job, and it exposes you to real trouble. Walk away.
Watch for the crews that appear the week after a hailstorm and vanish the month after. They knock on doors, press you to sign on the spot, and leave blanks in the contract. Read every line before you sign, verify the company is registered in Iowa, and pick a contractor who lived here before the storm and will live here after it.
Andrew’s Roofing holds GAF Master Elite Contractor status, which only a small share of roofing companies nationwide earn. We also install FORTIFIED roofing systems and hold Vinyl Siding Institute certification.
What to Do in the First Week After a Storm
- Wait until conditions are safe, then inspect from the ground.
- Photograph and record everything, including gutters, siding, screens, and your AC unit.
- Cover broken windows or openings with tarps to prevent further damage, and keep the receipts.
- Note the storm date.
- Get a free professional inspection and a written repair estimate.
- Compare that estimate to your deductible.
- Call your agent if the damage clears it.
Never climb onto a storm-damaged roof yourself. Wet shingles and loose debris send homeowners to the emergency room every spring.
Get an Honest Look Before You Call
We inspect the roof for free. We photograph what we find, tell you plainly whether the damage looks storm-related, and give you a written estimate so you can weigh it against your deductible. If your roof is fine, we say so.
Andrew’s Roofing has protected homes across the Des Moines metro since 2008, from Des Moines and Ankeny to Waukee, West Des Moines, Urbandale, Clive, Johnston, Pleasant Hill, and Polk City. Explore our roof repair and replacement services in Des Moines, or read about the warning signs that your roof needs attention.
Storm rolled through? Contact us today for a free inspection before you file a roof insurance claim in Des Moines.
This article explains general information about the insurance claim process in Iowa. We install roofs, and we do not sell insurance or interpret policies. For questions about your coverage, deductible, or claim, contact your insurance agent, your carrier, or the Iowa Insurance Division in Des Moines.
