After the Storm: Roof Damage and Insurance Claims in Georgia

After hail or a windstorm, stay off the roof, photograph any damage from the ground, and call your insurance company before you let anyone inspect or repair it. Georgia law lets you cancel a roofing contract paid from insurance proceeds before midnight on the fifth business day after your insurer tells you in writing that all or part of the claim isn't covered. Don't sign anything on the spot, and never sign over your insurance check to a contractor.

What should I do in the first 48 hours after a storm?

Start with safety. The National Weather Service advises staying away from downed power lines and reporting them, staying out of damaged buildings, and wearing long pants, long sleeves, and sturdy shoes when you walk through storm debris. Don't climb onto your roof; leave that to a professional with the right equipment.

Once it's safe, document the damage and prevent more of it. The Georgia Office of Commissioner of Insurance and Safety Fire says your policy might require temporary repairs, such as a roof tarp, and should cover their cost, so keep every receipt. But don't make permanent repairs: an insurer may deny a claim if you make them before the damage is inspected.

First 48 hours checklist

Check for hazards. Look for downed lines, gas smells, and structural damage. If anything looks unsafe, stay out and call the utility or local authorities.
Stay off the roof. Do your looking from the ground, a window, or with binoculars.
Photograph everything. Take dated photos and video of the roof, gutters, siding, windows, and anything in the yard, before any temporary repair.
Stop water getting in. Arrange a temporary fix such as a tarp, and keep the receipts.
Call your insurer or agent. The Commissioner's office says to file as soon as possible, because your policy might require notice within a certain time frame.
Start a claim log. For every call or visit, note the date, the person's name and title, and what was said.
Hold off on signing. Don't sign a contract or any other paperwork with a door-knocker until you've talked to your insurer and compared roofers.

What does hail or wind damage look like from the ground?

Shingle damage is hard to see from the yard, but storms leave clues. The Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) says that spatter marks or impact dents on other items around the building are good indicators that hail has occurred.

Signs of hail you can check from the ground:

Dents in metal, such as gutters, downspouts, flashing, vents, and the fins of your outdoor A/C unit
Spatter marks, where hail knocked dirt or oxidation off metal surfaces (a sign of hail, not damage itself)
Damage to other property, such as siding, windows, screens, fences, patio furniture, or vehicles

Signs of wind damage you can check from the ground:

Shingles in the yard or bare, discolored patches on the roof where shingles are missing
Lifted, curled, or creased shingles
Fallen limbs resting on the roof, or bent gutters and flashing
Water stains on ceilings or in the attic after the storm

Not every mark is storm damage. IBHS warns about look-alikes such as manufacturing defects, marks from installation, and normal granule loss along shingle edges. A qualified roofer or your adjuster can tell the difference up close.

How does a roof insurance claim work in Georgia?

This is general information, not legal or insurance advice. Your policy controls, so check it and ask your agent about anything unclear.

The adjuster's inspection. After you file, an adjuster typically inspects the damage and offers a payment for repairs based on your policy's terms and limits. The Commissioner's office suggests learning what repairs will cost before you meet the adjuster, sharing records of improvements you've made, and asking for an itemized explanation of the settlement offer.

Your deductible. The Commissioner's office says to know what your deductibles are. Some policies have a separate wind or hail deductible figured as a percentage of your home's insured value rather than a flat dollar amount. As an example, the Insurance Information Institute (Triple-I) notes that a 5 percent deductible on a home insured for $300,000 means the first $15,000 of a claim comes out of the policyholder's pocket.

Replacement cost vs. actual cash value. Triple-I explains the two common ways roofs are covered:

Replacement cost value (RCV) pays to repair or replace the damaged property with materials of similar kind and quality, without deducting for depreciation.
Actual cash value (ACV) pays replacement cost minus depreciation for age and wear. On an older roof, that deduction can be significant.

Even with replacement cost coverage, Triple-I notes the first check is often an advance based on the depreciated value, with the rest paid after the work is done. If you have a mortgage, the check is generally made out to both you and your lender.

If you disagree. The Commissioner's office says not to rush into a settlement, to ask for the policy language behind any disagreement, and to get any denial in writing with the reason. Its Consumer Services Division takes complaints at 1-800-656-2298.

How do I spot storm chasers and door-knockers?

Georgia's Attorney General warns that "storm chasers" may take upfront payments and disappear, overcharge, sell unnecessary repairs, or do substandard work. Some offer to cover your deductible and persuade you to give fake reports to the insurer, which can implicate you in insurance fraud.

Red flags from the Attorney General and the Federal Trade Commission:

Pressure to sign today, such as a discount that only lasts if you sign right away
An offer to pay or waive your deductible, or other no-cost incentives. Georgia's consumer protection office says plainly: "In Georgia, roofers are no longer allowed to pay a storm victim's insurance deductibles."
A request to sign over your insurance check. The FTC says never sign your insurance check over to a contractor.
Full payment up front, cash only, or no written contract
Payment by wire transfer, gift card, payment app, or cryptocurrency
A blank or incomplete contract with spaces that could be filled in later
An offer to handle your claim for you. Only a licensed public adjuster can do that (more below).

Never sign anything on the spot, and never sign away your claim or insurance money unless you fully understand what you're signing. The Attorney General suggests skipping door-to-door offers and asking neighbors for referrals instead. If a contractor sells to you at home, the FTC's Cooling-Off Rule generally gives you until midnight of the third business day to cancel, though there are exceptions, such as purchases needed to meet an emergency.

What protections does Georgia law give homeowners?

You can cancel if the claim isn't covered. Under O.C.G.A. § 10-1-393.12, if you sign a written contract with a residential roofing contractor to be paid from insurance proceeds, you may cancel it "prior to midnight on the fifth business day after the insured has received written notice from the insurer that all or any part of the claim or contract is not a covered loss." Written notice to the contractor's address in the contract is enough, in any form. The contractor must give you a notice of this right, plus a detachable "NOTICE OF CANCELLATION" form, before you sign.

Limits on upfront payment. The same law says a residential roofing contractor "shall not require any payments from an insured until the five-day cancellation period has expired." The exception is emergency work you acknowledge in writing was needed to prevent damage.

Roofers can't negotiate your claim. The law says a residential roofing contractor may not represent or negotiate on your behalf on an insurance claim for roof repair or replacement, or offer to. That doesn't apply to a public adjuster licensed by the state. You can confirm a public adjuster's license with the Commissioner's office at 1-800-656-2298.

Added protections after natural disasters. The Attorney General's office says a part of SB 201 that took effect July 1, 2025 applies when a contractor signs a contract within one year of a natural disaster to repair damage it caused. Under it, the contractor may not fail to substantially begin work within one year, do substandard work, take an assignment of your insurance proceeds, or ignore the five-business-day cancellation rule.

Report problems. For suspected home repair fraud, contact the Attorney General's Consumer Protection Division at 404-651-8600 or 1-800-869-1123. For suspected insurance fraud, contact the Commissioner's office at 404-656-2070 or 1-800-656-2298.

How do I choose a roofer for storm work?

Storms bring out-of-town crews into neighborhoods from Johns Creek to Marietta and Alpharetta. A local, established roofer is more likely to be around to honor a warranty. Before you sign:

Check credentials. Georgia doesn't require roofers to hold a state license, according to the Attorney General, so ask for a business license, proof of general liability and workers' compensation insurance, and written manufacturer and labor warranties.
Call references. The Attorney General recommends asking for three references from customers with similar projects, and checking them.
Get three written bids. Be skeptical of a bid that's far below the others.
Get everything in writing, including scope, price, dates, warranties, and payment schedule.
Pace your payments. The Attorney General suggests paying no more than one-third as a down payment and tying the rest to completed work, with the final payment due only when the job is finished.

Our questions to ask a roofer guide gives you a script. If you'd rather have some of that screening done for you, RoofNuts is free for homeowners, because roofers pay a fee for each homeowner introduction. It lists only roofers that passed our vetting process: a license or registration lookup, an insurance certificate, reference calls, review checks, and evidence of local jobs.

Roofers: here's how to get vetted.