Estimate & Insurance-Claim Coordination: the full procedure

Build an accurate, professional estimate and coordinate cleanly with the homeowner’s insurance claim when storm or damage work is involved.

• Applies to: Estimator / Owner
• Frequency: Per qualified job
• Scope: Covers pricing the scope and supporting the homeowner’s insurance process as a contractor. The business documents damage and provides estimates; it does not adjust claims or practice public adjusting, and any legal/claim-eligibility question defers to the insurer, a licensed public adjuster, and applicable state law.

What you need

• Estimating software
• Measurement/inspection packet
• Material/labor cost database
• Photo documentation
• Written estimate template

The procedure, step by step

1. Build the scope from the inspection — Convert the measurement and condition packet into a line-item scope of work.
2. Price materials and labor — Apply current material costs, labor, waste factor, disposal, and margin per the pricing standard.
3. Document damage for insurance jobs — Compile dated photos and notes supporting the scope; the business documents damage, it does not determine claim eligibility (defer to the insurer/adjuster).
4. Stay in the contractor lane — Coordinate with the homeowner and, with permission, the adjuster, without performing public adjusting or making coverage promises.
5. Present the estimate clearly — Deliver a written estimate showing scope, materials, exclusions, timeline, and price.
6. Reconcile with the insurance scope — On claims, compare the carrier’s scope to yours and document any supplements with evidence, routed through the proper channel.
7. Confirm payment and deposit terms — State deposit, draw schedule, and final payment terms in writing, complying with any state rules on deductibles.
8. Get written authorization — Secure a signed contract/scope acceptance before ordering material or scheduling.

Quality check before you finish

• Estimate built line-by-line from the inspection packet
• Pricing includes waste, disposal, and margin per standard
• Damage documented with dated photos (insurance jobs)
• No public-adjusting or coverage promises made
• Written estimate lists scope, exclusions, timeline, price
• Payment/deposit terms stated in writing and code/state-compliant
• Signed authorization obtained before ordering

This is a free, source-anchored standard operating procedure (SOP) you can print and hand to staff. It documents the work sequence for a Roofing business — not safety or regulatory rulings, which defer to the cited authorities, the applicable code, and your own health-and-safety plan. Open the tool above to print it, toggle ink-saver, or (with a free ToolFluency Business account) edit it to match your own workflow.

Sources

• NRCA (nrca.net)
• National Association of Insurance Commissioners (naic.org)
• U.S. Small Business Administration (sba.gov)