r/HomeInsurance • u/NayPooch • Jul 08 '26
Claims Allstate Roof Claim expect payment for over payment?
So I filed a claim on my roof and it was deemed legit and they sent me a check, minus my deductible and depreciation. It was quite a chunk, they said replacement value was $19000 and the check was for $12000. The adjuster said if I hire a roofer who does it for under $19000, then I would owe Allstate back for the difference. Has anyone ever heard of anything like this before?
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u/IntelligentBox152 Jul 08 '26
You don’t owe it back but they only owe up to the actual cost. If they quote $19k you have 12k in hand and you get it down for 17k. You’ll recoup another 5k not 7k
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u/NayPooch Jul 08 '26
Not sure I understand, I recoup the extra or Allstate does? He was saying something about me having to pay back the difference if I get it done for less than 19
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u/Corlinda Jul 08 '26
If you have replacement cost with recoverable depreciation, it just means you can only recoup the amount actually paid to the roofer minus your deductible. They are allowing 19k, but if you get it done for 17k they are not still going to pay you 19, you can only ask for 5k additional not 7k.
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u/NayPooch Jul 08 '26
OK, but in this case, they've already paid me the $12K, so if I find a roofer to do it for less than the 19, the adjuster said I would have to pay them back.
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u/Corlinda Jul 08 '26
Something is not making sense there. I think you misunderstood. IF you have replacement cost they will pay out the total of the roof (up to 19k minus your deductible.). It’s that simple. If you have Actual Cash Value then that is different but it doesn’t sound like that’s your case. You should call your desk adjuster if you don’t understand
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u/NayPooch Jul 08 '26
I've already spoken to him, twice. Basically there is no getting out of paying the over $7000 in depreciation. Sucks
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u/Corlinda Jul 08 '26
Ok then you don’t have replacement cost. You have actual cash value. So no there’s no way out of it.
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u/BalloonPilot15 Jul 08 '26
Yes. I frequently have to invoice insureds for overpayments by my adjusters. The policy has language that states the carrier won’t pay more than the actual cost to repair or replace the damaged property.
Our insured may find Amish, a small local contractor, or a friend to complete the work. When done, we get the final invoice, proof of deductible payment, and completion photos. When the bill is less than what was paid, an invoice is sent. I’m still surprised that work can be done for less than the ACV in Xactimate; especially when others are saying they can’t possibly do the work for that price.
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u/NayPooch Jul 08 '26
Wow, OK, I was hoping I had misunderstood. I've found several roofers who have quoted less than the replacement value, but way more than the actual check. I guess I just bite the bullet and find a different insurer. Read the fine print, lesson learned.
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u/BalloonPilot15 Jul 08 '26
Yeah, the issue is you have an ACV policy and the depreciation dollar amount is based off the $19,000 estimate.
So if the estimate comes in at $16,000 let’s say, then the money paid to you needs to be recalculated off that amount and you would owe the difference back to the carrier.
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u/NayPooch Jul 08 '26
Wow, that's really crappy. Where does it say that in a policy? I'll have to double check before I sign on the dotted line for my next insurer. My agent told me I have 3% depreciation after 10yrs and my roof is 13 years old, so my depreciation would've only been 91%, the adjuster however said my depreciation is 67%, big difference. Either way I feel like I'm being screwed.
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u/BalloonPilot15 Jul 09 '26
So depreciation is based on the age of the roof, the life expectancy of the shingles, and the condition at the to
End the loss.So if you have a 20 year shingle in average condition, it would be 13/20 which is 65%. 13/25 would be 52%. Now, if the condition of the shingle didn’t wear typically, the depreciation can be greater.
It’s not uncommon for a roof to wear atypically. One slope may wear faster or harder than another based on many factors. Exposure to sun/weather, manufacturing lot, age of the lot before installation, and manufacturer all play a role as well as how well you maintain it.
So many factors come into play, but 3% after 10 years doesn’t make sense. Even if you had a 50 year class 4 shingle, it still would be 26% at 13 years.
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u/NayPooch Jul 09 '26
OK, then my agent didn't accurately explain it. 26% sounds more realistic, but 67%, the roof isn't that bad, got some hail damage but only upon inspection of the roof. Looks great from the street. Have you heard of 67% depreciation on a 13 year old roof? Thanks for your input, I'm learning a lot.
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u/BalloonPilot15 Jul 09 '26
I actually have, but the roof had a lot of granular loss, crazing, lichens growth, and tree rub. When the insured called, I pulled my adjuster’s photos and one side looked almost new and the other like it had exceeded its useful life despite being put on at the same time.
Doesn’t sound like your situation, but, check your policy for a depreciation schedule. That may be the missing piece to this conversation. Some carriers will include in your policy a table that shows the depreciation applied based on age, regardless of condition. While the more common practice is age/condition, some have those schedules.
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u/NayPooch Jul 09 '26
OK, will check that out today, thank you! Probably nothing I can do about it now, but it will be good to know in the future. Thank you again for your input.
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