The quality of your insurance claim documentation determines how much you recover on supplements. Adjusters approve or deny based on what you submit — and "we saw it on the roof" isn't documentation. Here's a complete checklist for capturing everything you need, in the field, before you leave the property.
Why Documentation Is the Whole Game
Most supplement denials don't happen because the damage didn't exist — they happen because the damage wasn't proven. Insurance companies respond to evidence: dated, geotagged photos, measurements, and specific language that connects physical damage to specific line items. The roofer who shows up with 80 organized, labeled photos gets paid. The roofer who shows up with a verbal summary gets questioned.
Before You Get on the Roof
Document the exterior from the ground first:
- Wide shot of the entire structure from each elevation (front, back, left, right)
- Street-level shot that shows the address visible in frame
- Close-ups of any visible gutter, fascia, or siding damage from the ground
- The storm date printed from a hail map or weather service (attach as a document, not a photo)
- Measurement of the perimeter and any detached structures (garage, shed) — these often get missed on initial scopes
Roof Surface Documentation
Once on the roof, work systematically — section by section, slope by slope. Don't randomly photograph; work left to right across each slope and photograph every 6-8 feet.
- Impact damage on shingles: Close-ups of individual hail strikes — circle them with chalk or paint marker so they're visible and countable in photos
- Granule loss: Close-ups showing exposed mat (the black fiberglass layer visible when granules are knocked off)
- Soft metal test squares: If you place test squares (aluminum flashing cut to ~12" squares) in various areas, photograph them after 30 minutes — they capture impact marks from smaller hail that might not be obvious on dark shingles
- Count of hits per 10 sq ft: Most carriers require demonstrating a minimum hit density (typically 8-10 per 100 sq ft) to trigger a full replacement. Document hit counts per area.
- Ridge cap and hip damage: These are often omitted from initial scopes — photograph each one separately
- Flashing damage: Step flashing, counter flashing, valley flashing — photograph each separately
Code Upgrade Documentation
Code upgrades are among the most supplemented items — and easiest to prove if you know what to look for:
- Existing underlayment: Peel back a shingle at the eave edge to photograph the existing underlayment material. If it's 15 lb felt and current code requires synthetic or self-adhering in your area, photograph the felt and document the code requirement.
- Drip edge: If there's no drip edge (or wrong size), photograph the eave edge showing absence and note the applicable building code.
- Ice & water shield: Photograph the eave edge and any valley areas. Document local code requirements for ice barrier coverage.
- Ventilation: If you need to add or modify ventilation to meet code, document the existing ventilation and measure the net free area to compare against requirements.
- Decking: If you find rotten, delaminated, or damaged decking once you start the tear-off, photograph each damaged sheet before replacement and note the measurements.
Soft Metal Documentation
Soft metals (aluminum gutters, downspouts, aluminum fascia, AC condensers, vents, skylights) show hail impact clearly and are strong evidence for claim approval. Many adjusters look for soft metal evidence before authorizing a full replacement scope.
- Photograph each impacted gutter section with a measuring tape or ruler visible in frame
- Photograph AC condenser fins (hail marks are unmistakable)
- Photograph any aluminum step flashing, vent boots, ridge vents, or soffit vents with visible impact marks
- Document any impacted skylights or solar tubes
Measurement Documentation
Accurate measurements prevent disputes on square footage and waste calculations:
- Satellite or aerial measurement report (from Ketterly, EagleView, or Google Solar API) with the address and date visible
- Manual slope measurements with a pitch gauge, photographed in place
- Separate measurements for each roof section (main, garage, additions) — lumping everything together makes it harder to identify discrepancies
- Overhang measurements for drip edge calculations
- Valley lengths for ice & water shield calculations
- Ridge and hip lengths for cap calculations
Organizing the Documentation
How you organize and label photos matters almost as much as taking them:
- Label each photo with slope (north, south, front, rear) and what it shows
- Group photos by section, not chronologically
- Include at minimum: wide shot, medium shot, and close-up for each key damage type
- Keep measurement reports as separate documents attached to the claim file — not embedded in photos
- Store everything in your CRM on the lead record, so the documentation follows the claim regardless of which rep is handling it
A Quick Field Checklist
Before you leave the property, verify you have:
- Wide shots from all 4 elevations
- Address visible in at least one photo
- Close-ups of hail strikes on shingles (circled/marked)
- Soft metal impacts documented (gutters, downspouts, AC, vents)
- Ridge and hip cap photos
- Flashing photos (step, valley, counter)
- Existing underlayment, drip edge, and ice barrier photos if code upgrades apply
- Decking photos if damage is visible
- Slope measurements or satellite report
- Valley, ridge, and hip lengths
A 20-minute documentation session on the roof generates the evidence that supports a supplement request worth many times that investment. The roofers who build this into a repeatable checklist recover significantly more per claim than those who rely on memory.
Further Reading
- Roofing Insurance Supplements: The Complete Contractor's Guide — Full supplement workflow including submission, tracking, and follow-up
- Insurance Supplement Items Adjusters Miss — What to look for once your documentation is in order
- How to Negotiate with Insurance Adjusters — Using your documentation to back up every supplement request