Good afternoon Fellow Columbus, OH Homeowners
I am Lane Campbell, I am Head of Operations with Columbus Roofing Company, I have come to notice just how many different roofing companies there are in Columbus, OH. With that many different companies you are bound to run into all types. Whether they are reputable or maybe not so reputable, so then the question pops up, “Well who to choose?”
I am not here to sell you on me or our company but more to inform and educate you and help you pick the right people to work on your home rather than just looking at google reviews, facebook profiles, word of mouth.
These are all great ways to vet a contractor, absolutely, but let me help you really dive into questions to ask, standards to set, and the processes for which your contractors should be following in order to help you through some of the toughest decisions and insurance battles you may ever face.
Most homeowners don’t think about their roof until a storm hits — and then it’s chaos. The insurance process feels confusing, every contractor says something different, and the paperwork gets overwhelming.
Here’s what’s actually happening behind the scenes — and how to navigate it.
The Role of Certifications in Roof Inspections
You might hear terms like “HAAG Certified” or “FORTIFIED Roof” thrown around by contractors. Here’s what they actually mean:
HAAG Certification:
This is an advanced inspection training used by insurance adjusters and engineers. It focuses on how to identify storm-related damage — like hail or wind — in a way that holds up during the claims process.
Why it matters: A proper HAAG-style inspection documents not just that there’s damage, but exactly how it happened, how extensive it is, and whether it qualifies for insurance coverage. Insurance adjusters often rely on this level of documentation to approve claims.
I would highly recommend going with a contractor that has this certification, they are able to talk on your behalf, point out damages in the same way the insurance companies do, and help you a lot better in the long run vs someone that doesn’t have this certification and “learned from other roofers what hail damage is”
FORTIFIED Roofing:
This is a standard developed by the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety. It goes beyond basic code and outlines how to build or upgrade a roof to withstand severe weather.
Why it matters: Some homeowners can qualify for insurance discounts by installing FORTIFIED elements during a replacement. It’s also becoming more common in areas where wind or hail damage is frequent.
Fortified Roofing is really making your roof bulletproof in a way. This goes far beyond typical Ohio Building codes. Insurance companies are starting to offer these upgrades in your policies, known as the “Better roof Program” . There are even grants out there that can help you get this so that you don’t pay out of pocket for it. Essentially what it is, once your roof is torn down to the decking or plywood, your plywood would be renailed to a specific pattern so there are so many nails per so many inches, after that they go over all seams of the plywood with a flashing tape to completely seal all edges and seams of the plywood so in the event all of your shingles get blown off the inside of your house doesn’t get leaks. Then shingles are installed a certain way to lessen the chances of them getting blown off or damaged.
Navigating the Insurance Process
Here’s the general flow after a storm or damage event:
- Storm Happens: Bam! Hail or wind storm happens. Roofers show up everywhere, start knocking your doors from morning til night. You have so many choices, so many options on what to do, who to go with, who to let on your roof, who not to let on your roof, how do you ever choose? I will go further into that in my next article on how to vet your contractors and who to let do what.
- Inspection: Either you decided to let one of these contractors on your roof, or you called your insurance company to tell them you had damage, in the event shingles get blown off your roof and theres a leak. Typically i would recommend against that. Your insurance is going to send out two chucks and a truck and have them tarp your roof, get a thorough inspection done by a contractor that is HAAG certified. Insurance company is a business just like all else and they want to pay out as little as possible, I do understand that some people are buddies with their agents and play golf with them, but at the end of the day, that guy isn’t getting bonuses by getting you a new roof and siding every time a storm comes through. Just keep that in mind, I’m not saying all insurances are bad, they’re not, they are a necessity and are there to help when things go sideways, but you do need someone else to help you out through the process. Just like getting a lawyer when you go through a divorce or get caught doing some things you shouldn’t be doing.
- Claim Filing: Your contractor of choice that you allow to assess the damages should provide you with a detailed photo report and go over it all with you so that you know exactly what you are filing a claim on. If they skip this step, I would get another opinion of someone who will. Filing false claims just because someone told you there’s damages without showing you pictures can be insurance fraud. So make sure the contractor you choose, provides you with a detailed photo report, goes over what damages you are filing a claim on so that way you can report all of this to your insurance company and they know exactly what is going on.
- Adjuster Meeting: Once you have filed a claim, an insurance adjuster is going to reach out to you and schedule a meeting to basically reinspect your roof so that they can either approve or deny your claim. It is especially important for your contractor that found all of this damage and told you to file a claim there so that they can point all of this out to the insurance adjuster and make sure that they are paying out on everything that is actually damaged. If the contractor had you file with the wrong storm date, that is grounds for denial, if they had you file due to hail and it’s all blistering (due to improper ventilation) that’s a denial. So it is extremely important to find a contractor that knows what to look for so that you aren’t filing false claims.
- Scope of Work: Once approved, or repairs are approved whatever it may be, you will get a scope of work back. Showing line items, amounts, for everything that insurance is agreeing to pay for. This is a crucial part in the step and having a reputable contractor. They will be able to look over this, tell you if insurance is missing things, or if they are spot on and can move forward with repairs or a full replacement. A lot of the times they come back with repairs, but due to Ohio building codes that insurance doesn’t take into consideration, it can often become a full replacement once your contractor explains to them the necessary steps it would take to make these repairs and how it goes against Ohio Building codes.
- Repairs or Replacement: Work begins on your replacement or repairs, often times this is where things get supplemented, which means insurance didn’t cover it so your contractor has to document what exactly was damaged or they missed on their scope of work and now has to supplement, Typically you want to get all of the supplemented items covered on the front end. Sometimes i have seen where its not, and then once the work has been completed insurance will say well that wasn’t necessary and now the contractor tries to invoice the homeowner for what should have been covered by your insurance company, so making sure supplementing is all done on the front side, even though it may extend the process a couple extra weeks or months.
These are some of the basic steps throughout the insurance process. Like i said before, it is extremely important to choose the correct contractor for you and your home. In my next Article we will cover vetting contractors and finding the right one for you. I hope this was helpful and if you ever have any questions with this process or just want to share good or bad experiences you have encountered throughout the game of insurance feel free! I will be more than happy to help you or anyone you know answer any questions. Thank you Columbus, OH and i hope everyone has had a great week!