Storm Damage & Insurance Claim Support

The DMV does not get hurricanes often, but it gets straight-line wind, hail, and the freeze-thaw cycles that turn a minor defect into an opening. Commercial policies generally cover sudden storm damage; they generally do not cover deterioration.

The line between those two is drawn by evidence. That is the part we can help with, and the part that has to happen immediately.

The first 72 hours

• Stop the water. Temporary dry-in is almost always covered and failing to mitigate can jeopardise the claim.
• Photograph everything — roof, interior damage, contents, and the date. More than you think you need.
• Report to your carrier promptly. Policies have notice requirements and late notice is a real denial reason.
• Keep every invoice including emergency work, containment supplies and any business interruption.
• Do not sign anything a door-knocking contractor puts in front of you.

What a defensible scope of loss looks like

Adjusters are looking for storm-consistent damage: uplifted or displaced membrane, torn flashings, punctures with impact signatures, wind-scoured edge metal, damaged equipment. What they will push back on is anything that looks like age.

A credible report distinguishes the two rather than blurring them — it says what is storm damage, what is pre-existing, and what is arguable. That honesty is what makes the storm-damage portion stick.

About storm chasers

After every significant weather event, out-of-state crews work the DMV knocking on commercial doors. Some are legitimate. Many will have you sign a contingency agreement or an assignment of benefits that hands them control of your claim, then disappear when the adjuster pushes back.

Two rules: never sign an assignment of benefits without your own counsel reading it, and never let anyone onto your roof who cannot show you a local licence and current certificates of insurance.

What it costs

Code & compliance

The requirements below apply throughout the DMV. Jurisdiction specifics are on each service area page.

Repairs must meet current code

Storm repairs are not exempt from the building code. If the repair rises to a replacement, current insulation and attachment requirements apply — which is what "code upgrade coverage" in your policy exists to pay for. Check whether you have it.

Recover limits still apply

A storm does not reset IBC §1511. Two existing layers still means tear-off.

Emergency work needs documenting, not permitting

Temporary dry-in to protect the building is mitigation. The permanent repair follows the normal permit path.

Inspections & quality control

• Immediate damage assessment with dated photographic documentation.
• Moisture survey to establish the extent of water intrusion into the assembly.
• Joint inspection with your adjuster where they will accommodate it — it resolves far more than correspondence does.
• Post-repair verification and final documentation for your file.

Important things to know

• Wear and tear is excluded in essentially every commercial policy. A roof at the end of its life that finally failed in a storm is usually a denied claim, and a contractor promising otherwise is setting you up.
• Ask your broker whether you carry ordinance-or-law / code upgrade coverage. Without it, the gap between "repair what broke" and "what the code now requires" comes out of your pocket.
• A dated pre-loss inspection report is the single most valuable document in a storm claim. That is a strong argument for a maintenance program before you need one.
• Deductibles on commercial wind claims are often a percentage of insured value, not a flat figure. Know yours before you file.

Questions we get