Most of the roofs we replace in Dallas-Fort Worth are replaced after hail, and many of those homeowners are making an insurance claim on their policy. If you have never been through one, the process can feel confusing, mostly because nobody explains who does what. This page is that explanation, written from the homeowner's side.
The short version: the claim is between you and your insurance company. You file it, your insurer sends an adjuster, and the adjuster decides what the policy covers. Our part is the roof. We inspect it, photograph the damage so you have clear evidence to share, and once your insurer has approved a scope of work, we do the work from that scope. We are a roofing contractor, not a public adjuster, and we do not act as your adjuster or speak for you with your insurer.
Viva Roofing is a family-owned company with an office in Frisco, working across Dallas-Fort Worth, Austin and San Antonio since 2021. We are rated 5.0 on Google from 63 reviews, and the word that comes up again and again in them is honest. That matters on an insurance job, where you want a roofer who tells you what is really on your roof.
How an Insurance Roof Job Works, Step by Step
Step 1: The inspection and photos
It starts with knowing what is on the roof. We inspect every slope, the ridge, the flashing, the vents and the gutters, and we photograph what we find, close up and wide, often with drone photos of the whole roof. The inspection is free, and the photos are yours whether or not you hire us.
This step comes first for a reason. If the roof has no storm damage, we tell you so, and you can decide whether a claim makes sense at all. If it does have damage, you go into the claim knowing what is there, with pictures in hand. Our free roof inspection page goes into more detail on what we check.
Step 2: You file the claim with your insurer
If you decide to make a claim, you contact your insurance company and file it. This is your claim on your policy, and it stays that way the whole time. You can send your insurer our inspection photos along with the date of the storm and anything else they ask for. Your policy documents and your insurer are the right place for questions about what the policy covers, the claim timeline, and any amounts you are responsible for.
Step 3: Your insurer's adjuster inspects the roof
Your insurance company will usually send an adjuster to look at the roof. The adjuster works for the insurer and decides what damage the policy covers. Many homeowners like to have their roofer there at the same time so the adjuster can see the same spots we photographed. If you want us there, ask, and we will show the adjuster what we found on the roof. The adjuster makes the decision; we answer questions about the roof itself.
Step 4: We review the approved scope with you
After the adjuster's inspection, your insurer sends you their decision and, if the claim is approved, a scope of work: a line-by-line list of what they agreed to cover. Share it with us and we go through it with you, item by item, so you understand what the roof job includes. We work from your adjuster's approved scope. If the inspection photos show something that is not on it, we point that out to you with the photos; raising it with your insurer is your decision and your conversation.
You also get a written estimate from us before work starts. If you want anything beyond the approved scope, such as an upgrade to a Class 4 impact-resistant shingle, it is listed separately so you can see exactly what it adds, and you decide whether you want it.
Step 5: The install
We schedule the job with you, then tear the old roof off down to the decking, replace any decking that is soft or damaged, lay new underlayment, and install the new shingles, flashing, vents and ridge cap. The crew cleans up the property when the roof is done. Mike Zhukov, the owner, stays personally involved, and many of our customers get before-and-after drone photos of their roof. For more on the work itself, see our roof replacement page.
Step 6: The paperwork you need afterward
When the roof is finished, you get the paperwork that goes with it: our final invoice for the work done, and the before-and-after photos of the roof. Insurers often ask for proof that the work was completed before they release the rest of a claim payment, and these are the documents homeowners are typically asked for. Your insurer will tell you exactly what they need, and we provide whatever records we have for your job.
Reading an Approved Scope
An insurer's scope of work can look like a wall of codes and line items the first time you see one. It is easier once you know what roofing lines usually appear on it. Every insurer formats it differently, so treat this as a guide to the vocabulary, not a promise of what yours will include.
Tear-off and disposal
Removing the existing shingles down to the decking, and hauling the old material away. If the roof has more than one layer of old shingles, that is usually its own line.
Underlayment and decking
The layer that goes between the decking and the new shingles. Decking itself is often handled separately, because nobody can see how much of it is damaged or soft until the old roof is off. If we find bad decking during the tear-off, we photograph it before it is replaced so you have a record.
Shingles, starter, ridge cap
The main roofing material, measured in squares (one square covers 100 square feet), plus the starter strip along the edges and the ridge cap along the peaks.
Flashing, vents and pipe boots
The metal and rubber pieces that seal the roof around walls, chimneys, vents and plumbing pipes. These are where many leaks start, so it is worth checking that they appear on the scope.
If you are unsure what a line on your scope means, ask us and we will explain what that part of the roof work is. Questions about whether something should be covered go to your insurer.
What We Do, and What We Do Not Do
Texas law draws a clear line between a roofing contractor and a public adjuster, and we stay on our side of it. Here is where that line falls on your job.
What we do
- Inspect and photograph the roof. Free, with photos you keep.
- Document the damage. Clear close-up and wide photos you can send to your insurer.
- Meet the adjuster on the roof, if you ask. We show them what we found and answer questions about the roof.
- Work from the approved scope. We walk you through it and write you an estimate before anything starts.
- Do the roofing. Tear-off, decking, underlayment, shingles and cleanup.
What we do not do
We do not file claims for homeowners, and we do not act as your adjuster or argue your claim with your insurance company. Those are things only you, or a public adjuster you hire, can do. We also do not make promises about what your insurer will approve. Nobody but your insurer can decide that, and a roofer who promises otherwise is promising something they cannot deliver.
When There Is No Claim
Not every roof job goes through insurance. Sometimes the inspection shows wear and age rather than storm damage, and sometimes a homeowner simply prefers to pay for a new roof directly. That is common for our customers in Austin and San Antonio. In that case the process is the same minus steps 2 through 4: inspection, written estimate, install. Financing is available on approved credit through a third-party lending partner if you would rather spread out the cost.
Questions to Ask Your Insurer
We cannot answer questions about your policy, but these are the ones homeowners tell us they wish they had asked early:
- Is there a deadline to report storm damage on my policy?
- Will the adjuster contact me to schedule the inspection, or do I call them?
- How will the claim payment be made, and is any of it held back until the work is complete?
- What documents do you need from me once the roof is finished?
Why Homeowners Choose Viva Roofing for Insurance Work
- The roof is documented properly. Close-up and drone photos, so everyone is looking at the same damage.
- You stay in charge of your claim. We explain the process plainly and keep to our side of it.
- No upselling. Reviews keep coming back to fair pricing and honesty. Upgrades are listed separately, and they are your call.
- An owner who picks up. Customers name Mike for being responsive from the first call to the final photos.
- Local and family-owned. Office in Frisco, serving DFW, Austin and San Antonio since 2021.
If a storm has just come through, start with our hail and storm damage page, or call us to set up the inspection.