Storm claims

Roof Insurance Claims in Tennessee, explained.

Tennessee law gives you specific protections when a roofer signs you up against an insurance claim. Most homeowners have never been told what they are.

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Read this before you sign anything after a storm

After any significant storm, roofing contractors appear. Some are the crews who have worked here for years. Some are not. Tennessee has a statute written specifically for this situation, the Residential Roofing Services Act, and knowing three things from it puts you well ahead of most homeowners.

1. You get three business days after the insurer's decision

Under Tenn. Code Ann. section 62-6-603, your contract must state, verbatim: "You may cancel this contract at any time before midnight on the third business day after you have received written notification from your insurer that all or any part of the claim or contract is not a covered loss under your insurance policy."

Note the trigger. The clock starts when the insurer tells you in writing that something is not covered, not when you signed. That is the protection: you are not locked into paying out of pocket for work the claim did not cover.

2. Your money comes back within ten business days

The same statute requires that "Any payments made by you under the contract, except those for emergency repairs already performed by the residential roofing services provider, will be returned to you within ten (10) business days." Emergency work already done is the only carve-out.

3. The contract has to say what the damage actually is

The contract must include a detailed description of all damage or repairs to be claimed or covered, and where on the property that damage is. A one-line contract for "roof replacement" with no description of the damage is not what the statute contemplates.

Deadlines

On the legal side, Tennessee's general limitation period for a breach of contract action on an insurance policy is six years under Tenn. Code Ann. section 28-3-109(a), while section 28-3-105 sets three years for actions involving injury to real or personal property. Which applies turns on what courts call the gravamen of the action rather than what it is labelled, and a policy's own terms may set a shorter deadline where that shorter period is reasonable.

Practically, none of that is the number that matters to you. Your policy will require prompt notice, and the real deadline is the one written into your policy, not the statute. Report it, take photographs, and get the roof looked at. This page is general information about Tennessee law, not legal advice, and your policy and your lawyer both outrank it.

Where the roofing crew fits

The operator these calls forward to has worked with insurance companies since the company was founded. Emergency tarping is available to stop the damage getting worse while a claim is in progress, and a free roof inspection documents what is actually up there. See also storm damage repair.

Call (865) 813-8020.

Good questions

Frequently asked

Can I cancel a roofing contract after my insurer denies the claim?
Tennessee's Residential Roofing Services Act, Tenn. Code Ann. section 62-6-603, requires your contract to state that you may cancel at any time before midnight on the third business day after you receive written notification from your insurer that all or any part of the claim or contract is not a covered loss. The clock runs from the insurer's written decision, not from signing.
Do I get my deposit back if I cancel?
The same statute provides that any payments you made under the contract, except those for emergency repairs already performed, are returned to you within ten business days.
What has to be in a Tennessee roofing contract on an insurance job?
Among other things, a detailed description of all damage or repairs to be claimed or covered by the contract and the location of that damage. A single line saying roof replacement with no description of the damage does not meet that.
How long do I have to file or sue on a claim in Tennessee?
Tenn. Code Ann. section 28-3-109(a) sets six years for a breach of contract action on an insurance policy, and section 28-3-105 sets three years for actions involving injury to real or personal property. Courts look to the gravamen of the action to decide which applies, and a policy's own terms may impose a shorter reasonable deadline. Your policy's notice requirement is the deadline that actually affects you. This is general information, not legal advice.
Will you work with my insurance company?
Yes. The operator has worked with insurance companies since the company was founded. Bring your claim number and adjuster details to the inspection.
The roof is open and rain is forecast. What now?
Call. Emergency tarping is available so the damage stops getting worse while the claim is being processed, which also matters for what the claim ends up covering.
Do I need an inspection before I file?
It helps to know what you are reporting. The free roof inspection documents what is actually up there, which is more useful to a claim than a description from the ground.
Is a storm-chasing contractor a real risk here?
Storms attract contractors from out of the area, which is precisely why Tennessee wrote a statute about roofing contracts tied to insurance claims. Knowing the three-day cancellation right and the contract requirements above is the practical protection.
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Storm damage and a claim to deal with?

A free inspection, documentation of what is actually up there, and a crew that works with insurers.

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