Insurance Claims for Storm Damage: A Sonoma County Homeowner's Guide

Atmospheric rivers, redwood limbs, and 60-mph wind gusts off the Pacific are part of life here. So is the question every homeowner eventually asks: do I file an insurance claim for this?

The honest answer is: only if the damage is from a covered event AND the cost to repair exceeds your deductible by enough to make a claim worth the impact on future premiums. Here's how the process actually works.

Step 1 — Document Immediately

Before you call anyone, photograph everything. Date-stamped phone photos are fine. Get:

• Wide shots of the affected roof slope from the ground
• Close-ups of any missing or lifted shingles, dented metal, broken tile
• Any debris on the property (fallen branches, blown-off material)
• Interior damage — water stains, drips, ceiling sag
• The weather event itself if you can — radar screenshots, news clips, your own video of the storm

Documentation gathered in the first 24 hours is dramatically more credible to an adjuster than photos taken a week later.

Step 2 — Mitigate Further Damage

Your policy requires you to take reasonable steps to prevent additional damage. This means tarping an exposed area, moving belongings out of a leak path, and arranging emergency repair if water is still coming in.

Save every receipt — emergency repairs, tarps, temporary lodging if the home is uninhabitable. These are typically reimbursable.

We do emergency tarping across Sonoma County. Call (707) 232-8622 — we'll be on-site within hours.

Step 3 — File the Claim

Call your insurance company's claims line (not your local agent — claims go through a separate intake). You'll be asked for the date of loss, type of damage, and a brief description. Get a claim number in writing before you hang up.

Step 4 — Adjuster Visit

Within a few days to a few weeks, an adjuster will visit. Some carriers send their own staff; others contract it out to independent adjusters. Either way, you should have a roofing contractor on-site for the visit. Why?

• Adjusters look at a lot of roofs and miss things. A contractor who climbs roofs daily catches damage the adjuster doesn't see.
• Adjusters can be optimistic about partial repairs. A contractor can speak to why partial repairs won't blend with the existing roof.
• Having a written contractor estimate in hand at the inspection sets the baseline for the claim.

We do this regularly — meet the adjuster, walk the roof together, point out damage, and provide a written estimate on the spot. There's no charge for this.

Step 5 — Claim Decision

Within 1–3 weeks, the carrier issues a decision and an initial payment (the actual cash value, or ACV — replacement cost minus depreciation). The depreciated portion is held back and released when the work is completed.

Read the scope of work the adjuster wrote. If it misses anything (decking allowance, code upgrades like ice and water shield, ridge ventilation), we file a supplement with documentation. Most carriers approve well-documented supplements.

Step 6 — Repair and Final Payment

We complete the work, the building inspector signs off, and we send the carrier a Certificate of Completion plus the final invoice. The depreciation holdback is released — typically within 2–4 weeks of submission.

What's Typically Covered

• Wind damage (lifted shingles, blown-off sections, torn flashing)
• Hail damage (rare in Sonoma County but does happen)
• Falling objects — tree branches, neighbor's debris
• Lightning strikes
• Sudden water damage from a storm event

What's Typically NOT Covered

• Wear and tear, age-related deterioration
• Lack of maintenance (clogged gutters causing ice damming or backup)
• Manufacturing defects (those go through the manufacturer warranty)
• Pre-existing damage not previously disclosed
• Cosmetic damage on metal roofs, on many policies

When NOT to File a Claim

If repair cost is under or near your deductible, paying out of pocket is almost always the right call. Filing a small claim can raise premiums for years and may count against you at renewal, especially in California's tight insurance market.

We'll tell you honestly which side of that line you're on. If a $4,500 repair is just over your $5,000 deductible, we'll say so.

Storm damage anywhere in Sonoma County: call (707) 232-8622. We do free assessments, emergency tarping, and full insurance-claim coordination — and we'll tell you straight whether to file or not.