How to File a Roof Insurance Claim in Colorado
To file a roof insurance claim in Colorado after hail or storm damage: document the damage with photos, call your insurer to open a claim, schedule a free contractor inspection, meet your adjuster on-site, review the scope, and schedule repairs. Most claims process within 14–30 days.
The Process
Six Steps, Start to Finish
- 1
Document the damage
Take dated photos and videos of all visible damage. Note the date and time of the storm.
Shoot from the ground — don't climb on the roof. Hailstones next to a coin for scale, plus the soft metals that date a storm: gutters, downspouts, AC fins, window screens.
- 2
Contact your insurer
Call your insurance company and open a claim. You'll receive a claim number.
Use the claims line on your policy, have your policy number and the storm date ready, and write down the claim number and who you spoke with.
- 3
Schedule a free Red Hawk inspection
We'll inspect, photograph, and document damage in adjuster-ready format.
Free and no-obligation across the Front Range — licensed and insured, with a written, photo-documented report your adjuster can work from.
- 4
Meet your adjuster on-site
We can attend the adjuster meeting to advocate for the full scope of repair.
Having your contractor at the adjuster's inspection is common and legal — we point out damage in the adjuster's own terms and take our own photos during the visit.
- 5
Review the scope
Review the adjuster's scope of loss with us before signing anything.
The scope lists what the insurer will pay for. Your deductible is your out-of-pocket — by Colorado law, no roofing contractor may pay or waive it.
- 6
Schedule the work
Once approved, we schedule the work, complete it, and submit any necessary supplements.
If the scope missed line items, we document them and submit supplements so the roof gets the full repair — not just the approved minimum.
Your deductible is the real out-of-pocket.
Know Your Rights
Three Colorado Rules Worth Knowing
- The contract must be in writing. Colorado's residential roofing statute requires the scope and cost of the work stated in a written contract (C.R.S. 6-22-103). Read the scope before you sign.
- You get 72 hours after a denial. If your insurer denies the claim in whole or in part, you may rescind the roofing contract within 72 hours of the written denial and get your payments back (C.R.S. 6-22-104).
- No one may waive your deductible. A contractor cannot pay, waive, or rebate any part of it (C.R.S. 6-22-105) — it's the single most useful storm-chaser filter in Colorado.
Wondering when storms actually hit? See the Colorado hail season guide for the month-by-month calendar, or the hail season survival guide for the deeper legal playbook.
Frequently Asked Questions
Most Colorado roof claims process within 14–30 days from filing to approval, though complex or disputed claims can take longer. Reporting promptly and having complete photo documentation keeps the clock short.
No. Colorado law (C.R.S. 6-22-105) prohibits a residential roofing contractor from paying, waiving, or rebating any part of your insurance deductible. A contractor who offers to "cover your deductible" is proposing something the statute forbids.
Yes. Under C.R.S. 6-22-104, if your insurer denies the claim in whole or in part, you may rescind a residential roofing contract within 72 hours of receiving that written denial, and the contractor must return any payments.
It isn't required, but it's common, legal, and worth it. A contractor can point out damage the adjuster might miss, speak to repair scope in the adjuster's own terms, and photograph the inspection for your records.