Storm Damage & Insurance
Claims in Erie, PA

Erie homeowners are owed full replacement value under most standard homeowners policies. That holds when a storm, hailstorm, or heavy lake-effect snow event damages their roof. That's what the policy says.

But most Erie claims play out differently. A carrier adjuster shows up and writes an estimate well below replacement cost. Then they hope the homeowner accepts it.

The first adjuster estimate often leaves out line items and uses low material pricing. It makes depreciation arguments that don't hold up. And it ignores the carrier's own matching duties when shingle lines are discontinued.

TriState Home Consulting Group exists to fix that.

You might know the name on your policy. Erie Insurance itself is based right here in downtown Erie. It was founded in 1925, and today it's one of the largest property and casualty insurers in the country.

We work with Erie Insurance and every other carrier writing home policies in the region. We handle storm and snow-load claims in Erie from free inspection to final settlement.

After a hail, wind, or heavy snow event, we inspect your roof. We document every impact point, every lifted shingle, and every damaged flashing part. Photographs, measurements, and notes become the base of a complete Xactimate supplement.

We meet the carrier's adjuster at your property. The first estimate almost always comes in low. When it does, we build the supplement and submit it, along with the documentation for what Erie homeowners are owed.

Snow-Load and Ice Dam Claims Are a Different Category

Most storm damage claims elsewhere in Pennsylvania focus on hail and wind. In Erie, sustained lake-effect snow load is just as significant a category of covered loss.

The city logged 93.8 inches of snow in December 2017 alone. That was its snowiest December on record. It included an official storm total of 48.9 inches at Erie International Airport from December 24 through 27.

That much built-up weight can stress roof framing. The ice dams that follow force water back under shingles. That damages decking, insulation, and interior finishes.

Standard Pennsylvania homeowners policies usually cover this kind of sudden weight and water damage just like hail or wind. But carriers still often lowball the claim. Homeowners often don't link a February ceiling stain to a snow event from weeks earlier.

What Hail and Snow-Load Damage Looks Like on Erie Roofs

Most homeowners in Erie have no idea a hail event or heavy snow season damaged their roof. That's because you can't always see the signs from the ground. Here's what our inspectors look for and document.

First, granules knocked loose at impact points, leaving small bare spots in the shingle mat. Second, soft bruises on the shingle surface. These mean the mat fibers under the granules have cracked.

Third, cracked or split shingles on steep slope areas. Fourth, dents on soft metal parts like gutters, flashing, drip edge, and AC units. Fifth, sagging along the ridge line after a heavy snow season.

We also check for cracks in pipe boot flashings and ridge cap shingles that took hits or held weight. Any mix of these signs is grounds for a real insurance claim in Pennsylvania.

Why the First Adjuster Estimate Is Almost Always Low

Insurance adjusters who work for your carrier are employees or contractors. Their job is to keep claim payouts low within policy limits. Their first estimate is a starting point, not a final settlement.

It often leaves out overhead and profit. That's usually owed when a job needs a general contractor to run three or more trades. It also skips code upgrades for drip edge, ice-and-water shield, and ventilation that don't meet current building code.

It ignores matching rules when your shingle line is discontinued and can't be matched for a partial repair. And it leaves out depreciation recovery. You're owed that as ACV + RCV under a replacement cost policy.

TriState knows every one of these arguments. We document them in words carriers can't easily brush off. Erie homeowners often recover a lot more than the first estimate once we get involved.

Estimates high and schedules booked out? Labor is a big part of the reason. We wrote about how I.C.E. enforcement is affecting the roofing industry.