Start by contacting your commercial property insurance carrier and opening a claim — you’ll receive a claim number and be assigned an adjuster. Before the adjuster visits, call us. We will conduct our own independent damage assessment and prepare a comprehensive documentation package (photos, drone imagery, moisture data, written damage narrative) that you provide to your adjuster. This ensures the adjuster is evaluating the full scope of damage rather than only what they identify during a brief site visit. We attend the adjuster meeting with you when possible to answer technical questions in real time.

Kentucky statute generally allows one year from the date of loss to file a property insurance claim, but your specific policy may have shorter notice requirements — review your policy language or ask your agent immediately after a storm event. In practice, we recommend calling your insurer within 48 to 72 hours of a storm event to preserve your options. Late-filed claims face greater scrutiny and may be denied if the insurer argues that delayed reporting prevented them from assessing conditions accurately.

On TPO and EPDM membranes, hail damage appears as circular bruising, surface crazing, and in severe cases, punctures or tears. On modified bitumen surfaces, you’ll see granule displacement and surface impressions. On metal roofing, look for dents concentrated on horizontal surfaces (top of ribs, copings, gutters). Many hail impacts are not visible to the naked eye from ground level — the damage is identified through close-up inspection and, for insulation damage, infrared thermal scanning. This is why a professional post-storm assessment is essential even if the roof “looks fine” from the parking lot.

Possibly yes, depending on damage extent and your policy type. If hail or wind has damaged a significant percentage of the membrane surface, many adjusters will approve full replacement rather than a patchwork repair, particularly on older roofs where matching materials is difficult. The key is documentation: a damage assessment that quantifies the percentage of affected area and demonstrates that partial repair would not restore the system to pre-loss condition. We build that case systematically in our claim documentation package.

No — and using a single contractor who handles both the documentation and the repair is strongly in your interest. When the same team that builds your claim file also performs the restoration, there is complete continuity of knowledge about damage scope, material specifications, and insurance coverage. Splitting these functions between a “claims consultant” and a separate roofer creates communication gaps that frequently result in work that doesn’t match the approved claim scope. White Services Group manages the entire process from first call to final inspection.