Roof Insurance Claim Calgary
Storm damage on your roof? Get it documented first.
A roof insurance claim goes better when a roofer has been up there first. We inspect before you file, photograph the damage slope by slope and write a line-by-line scope you can give your insurer. City Roofing & Exteriors has documented more than 1,200 hail claims in Calgary since 2014. You file the claim, and it stays between you and your insurer.
What Calgary homeowners say about us
Our reviews do the explaining. These are word for word from public Google reviews.
That is 4.8 stars across 187 Google reviews. Read all of them on Google before you call anyone, including us.
What home insurance usually covers on a roof
Policies vary, so read yours. In general, insurers pay for sudden damage and treat slow wear as maintenance.
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Hail and wind
Sudden storm damage is what most roof claims in Calgary are for. The August 5, 2024 hailstorm alone caused nearly $2.8 billion in insured damage in Calgary (Insurance Bureau of Canada).
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Wear, age and slow leaks
Damage that builds up over time, like a worn-out roof or attic rain, is usually treated as maintenance. See attic rain or a roof leak.
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Older roofs and depreciation
An older roof usually gets less back, because depreciation comes off the payout. See how much insurance pays toward a new roof.
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Code upgrades
If your policy covers by-law or code upgrades, our scope notes the work the current building code requires, so you can ask your insurer whether it applies.
How a roof insurance claim works in Calgary
Every insurer and policy is different, so check yours. Most claims follow the same steps.
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Get the roof looked at.
Photograph what you can see from the ground. A roofer’s inspection tells you whether the damage is worth claiming.
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Open the claim.
You contact your insurer. Check your policy for the deductible and any reporting deadline.
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The adjuster inspects.
The insurer sends someone to look at the roof and write up what they find. Compare it with your roofer’s photos and scope.
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You get the settlement.
It covers what the insurer accepts, less your deductible. Many policies pay the actual cash value first and the rest once the work is done.
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The repair, then the paperwork.
You choose the contractor and approve the scope. After the work, the final invoice and photos go to your insurer.
Why roof insurance claims miss damage
Mark Dawson, our owner, says almost every insurance claim he sees is missing items. Hail leaves bruises more often than holes, and the damage is often where you cannot see it from the ground:
- Vents, pipes and other penetrations.
- Ridge caps and valleys.
- The slope facing away from the street.
- Soft metal, siding and trim on the storm side.
- Garages and sheds.
- The attic, where water shows up weeks later.
Two reviewers wrote about what was found. One wrote that we “discovered and fixed hail damage that had been overlooked by the insurance inspector.” Another wrote that we “identified a hidden leak in my garage roof that the insurance inspector had missed.”
If we find damage after the first settlement, we document it with new photos and a written scope you can send to your insurer to ask for a review. If a claim was denied, we can re-inspect and give you date-stamped photos of what is there.
Is a roof insurance claim worth making?
A claim is worth making when the damage costs clearly more than your deductible. You cannot tell that from the ground, which is why we inspect before you file.
- Compare the damage with your deductible, and check whether your policy has a separate wind and hail deductible.
- Check whether the policy pays replacement cost or actual cash value. On an older roof, depreciation can take a large share of the payout.
- Count everything the storm hit: eavestroughs, vents, siding, window trim, garages and sheds, not just the shingles.
If the damage is small, a repair outside the claim may cost less than your deductible. If it is spread across several slopes, a replacement through the claim usually makes more sense. A typical shingle roof replacement on a two-storey Calgary home runs $5,000 to $15,000. See what a Calgary roof replacement costs.
Insurance claims on condo and commercial roofs
On most condo buildings the roof is common property, insured under the condominium corporation’s policy, so the claim runs through the board and the property manager.
Since 2020, Alberta has let a condominium corporation charge an owner up to $50,000 of its deductible when the damage started in that owner’s unit or exclusive-use area, and the rules on how a board applies that charge were updated in February 2026 (Government of Alberta). That makes a clear written record of the damage matter.
Our commercial and condo roof inspections end with a photo report and a priority action list, so a board or property manager has photos of what was found and what to fix first. Buildings on a Portfolio maintenance plan also get a priority inspection after a storm, so damage is photographed early.
See condo roofing in Calgary, or book a commercial roof inspection.
What to do before the adjuster comes
The first few days after a storm decide how complete your claim is. Do these in order.
- Take your own photos from the ground, with the date on them: the roof, eavestroughs, siding, windows and any water inside.
- Stop water getting in and keep the receipts, but hold off on permanent repairs until the adjuster has seen the roof.
- Read your policy for the deductible, any reporting deadline and whether it pays replacement cost or actual cash value.
- Get a roofer’s photos and written scope, so you have something to compare with the adjuster’s report.
- Ask your insurer for the adjuster’s name and contact details.
- Keep every photo, invoice and letter. You will need them to release the depreciation holdback.
After a big storm, contractors go door to door. Do not sign anything at the door, do not sign over your insurance payment, and walk away from anyone who offers to cover your deductible or wants a large cash deposit. You choose who inspects your roof and who repairs it.
Water coming in now? See roof repair, or call 403-608-9933.
What we do on a roof insurance claim in Calgary
You file the claim and deal with your insurer. We give you the evidence, then do the repair.
- We inspect the roof before you file and tell you whether the damage looks bigger than your deductible.
- We photograph the damage slope by slope, date-stamped and mapped to where it is on the roof, along with the soft metal and siding.
- You get a line-by-line written scope in the Xactimate format adjusters use.
- If your insurer sends an adjuster back out, we can meet them on the roof with our photos.
- When the work is done, you get the final invoice and completion photos your insurer asks for.
- We do not bill your insurer. You get our quote, you file, the insurer pays you, and you pay us.
We do not file the claim for you or decide the outcome, and we do not promise a claim will be approved, paid faster or paid more.
We have documented more than 1,200 hail claims in Calgary since 2014. Reviewers name Ashley, now our Residential Operations Manager, for help with the insurance paperwork.
One reviewer described the 2021 storm this way: “After the big hail storm in the summer of 2021 City Roofing came and met with us at the house. We went over the insurance details and came up with a plan to get the repairs done.” Another wrote: “I know dealing with the insurance company during this process wasn’t easy, but thanks to your help, everything went smoothly from start to finish.”
Service area
Our office is at 3935 3A St NE, Unit 3, Calgary, AB T2E 6S7. We document and repair storm damage across Calgary, and in Airdrie, Cochrane, Chestermere and Okotoks. Office hours are Monday to Saturday, 8am to 7pm. We speak English, Cantonese and Mandarin.
- Calgary
- Airdrie
- Cochrane
- Chestermere
- Okotoks
Questions about roof insurance claims
Should I call a roofer before I file a claim?
Yes, if you can. We inspect first and tell you whether the damage looks bigger than your deductible. Our photos and written scope also give you something to compare with the adjuster’s report. Check your policy for any reporting deadline.
Will you handle my insurance claim?
No. The claim is between you and your insurer. We give you photos, a line-by-line scope in the format adjusters use and the completion paperwork, and we can meet the adjuster on the roof. We do not bill your insurer.
What if the adjuster missed damage?
It happens. Mark Dawson says almost every claim he sees is missing items. We document what was missed with photos and a written scope, and you send it to your insurer to ask for a review.
What is the biggest mistake on a roof insurance claim?
Signing with a roofer before the scope is in writing, and letting the claim cover only what the adjuster saw. Photograph everything the storm hit, compare the adjuster’s report with a roofer’s scope, and ask for a review if something is missing.
What is the depreciation holdback?
Many policies pay the actual cash value of the roof first and hold back the depreciation until the work is done. When we finish, you get the final invoice and completion photos your insurer asks for to release the rest.
My claim was denied. Can you help?
We can re-inspect the roof and give you date-stamped photos and a written description of what is there. What happens next is between you and your insurer.
Can my condo board charge me the insurance deductible?
In Alberta, a condominium corporation can charge an owner up to $50,000 of its deductible when the damage started in that owner’s unit or exclusive-use area. Check your bylaws and the notice from your board.
What does hail damage roof repair cost?
A small repair costs far less than a new roof. A typical shingle roof replacement on a two-storey Calgary home runs $5,000 to $15,000. See hail damage roof repair.
Storm hit your roof?
Tell us what you noticed. We will look at the roof, soft metal and siding, photograph what we find and send a written scope before you decide what to claim. If water is coming in now, call 403-608-9933 instead. We serve Calgary, Airdrie, Cochrane, Chestermere and Okotoks.