That photo thing gets me too—sometimes I wonder if adjusters are just looking for an excuse to ask for more proof. Did they want you up there with a drone, or just hanging off the gutters for that “perfect” shot? Midwest weather is brutal, though, no doubt. I’ve seen asphalt shingles curl up like potato chips after a couple of bad hail seasons.
Curious—did you have to provide any documentation besides photos? Some carriers are starting to ask for receipts or even contractor statements, which feels a bit much. And twice-a-year checks? That’s gold standard around here. Most folks don’t even think about the roof until water’s dripping on the kitchen table.
Did you end up having to patch anything yourself while waiting for approval, or did you just cross your fingers and hope for dry weather? I’ve had people try everything from tarps to duct tape... not always pretty, but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do.
I get why people feel adjusters are just piling on with the documentation, but honestly, it’s not always about making things harder. The industry’s been burned by a lot of fraudulent claims, especially after big storms roll through. I’ve seen plenty of cases where photos alone don’t tell the full story—missing granules look a lot like dirt in low-res shots. Contractor statements or receipts can actually speed things up if there’s ever a dispute about when the damage happened.
As for patching, I’m all for doing basic temp repairs—tarps, plastic sheeting, whatever keeps water out. But duct tape? That’s asking for trouble. Water finds every gap eventually, and then you’re dealing with rot or mold on top of everything else.
I get the point about documentation, but sometimes it really does feel like overkill—especially when you’re just trying to get a small claim sorted. I had to dig up receipts from years ago that I honestly never thought I’d need. I do see how it helps with fraud, but for folks like me who just moved in and inherited an older roof, it’s tough to provide proof for stuff you didn’t even install.
On the patching side, I actually used heavy-duty waterproof tape once (not duct tape, but similar idea) after a branch punched through a shingle. It held up surprisingly well for a couple weeks until the roofer could get out. Maybe not ideal, but sometimes you just have to work with what you’ve got on hand.
Yeah, I get what you mean about the paperwork. It’s wild how much stuff they want, especially when you’ve just moved in and don’t have all the old records. Honestly, for a lot of older roofs, nobody keeps receipts from 15 years ago.
That waterproof tape hack is actually pretty common—seen it hold up better than expected on a few jobs. Not a long-term fix, but in a pinch? Sometimes it’s the only thing keeping water out until someone can get up there. Just gotta remember to check for leaks after heavy rain, since even the best tape can start to peel if the surface isn’t super clean or if it gets too cold.
I get why people use waterproof tape in a pinch, but I’ve actually had mixed results with it, especially here in the Midwest where the temps swing pretty wildly. On my old asphalt shingle roof, that stuff lasted maybe two weeks before curling up at the edges. I guess it’s better than nothing if water’s actively coming in, but I’ve found even a cheap tarp, weighed down well, did a better job of keeping things dry until I could get someone out.
One thing I’d add—if you do go with tape, definitely check what type you’re buying. Some of the hardware store brands just don’t hold up to UV or cold snaps. It’s easy to think they’re all the same, but there’s a big difference once you’ve lived through a couple heavy storms.
And about paperwork—I’m right there with you. My insurer wanted proof of installation from 18 years ago... like I kept a file cabinet just for single receipts. Ended up having to get an inspector’s letter instead. Whole process was way more complicated than I expected.