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Tony,

As a professional adjuster I would not try to give you specific advice or opinions on the merits of your claim or the cause of the damage because I have not seen the damage myself. I will give you general advice as to possible courses of action if you believe your claim to have been wrongfully denied.

An attorney is always an option, but may cost you some money. There are other options that are free. The first would be to appeal to the supervisor of the adjuster who made the decision to deny your roof. You can run up the line to as high as you can get in the company hierarchy. In dealing with some companies you can go as high as the CEO, but that is often in theory because the higher ups then just delegate it back down the line.

If you get no satisfaction in that way, you can visit the Department of Insurance or Department of Financial Services website for your state, and they will have some procedure outlined by which you can make a formal DOI complaint. These usually get prompt attention from the carrier complained against.

A 4x4 section of wind damage can be repaired, subject to the wind storm ded. If its a composition roof made by a man it can be repaired by a man. Thats how it should be estimated.

Agree with Mr. Hall, 4x4 section of damaged shingles is not enough to recommend a full replacement. Also, when you state that the shingles "pulled away from the roof. Does that mean they are lifted or missing? Another thing to consider is that the wind it not partial, it does not concentrate on one 4x4 area, why didn't the rest of the shingles on that slope pull away? In some cases the roofing could have been inappropriately installed (like being nailed too close to the top of the shingles) causing the nails to pop up and raise the shingles. Since your roof is 17 years old, you would think it would have already occurred by now if it was going to, I’m not sure how many wind storms occur in your area every year. If your adjuster told you that they would not replace your based on its age, that is never the only deciding factor, however it does factor in the decision making process at times. How long have you had your policy? Were you paid for roof damage in the past that was not repaired? There are many reasons why an adjuster makes a recommendation, and it is only a recommendation. All adjusters have to answer to someone up the ladder.

I've figured repair estimates on many old-old-old roofs- roofs that had literally no life left in them- and had the carrier come back to me and ask me to re-write the estimate to replace the slope- and if the affected slope or slopes were more than 50% of the entire roof area they replaced the entire roof. Even though the roof  couldn't possibly hold out water in a rainstorm. Interesting contrast from the previous posts. Most of the carriers mentioned that the roof could not be satisfactorily repaired and/or guaranteed, thus their decision to replace. I don't think I will replace my own roof anytime soon! Respectfully submitted, and not to be argumentative- just an observation from my own field experiences.

Be Safe- Be accurate- Be employed!

In a situation where we have basically 2 squares of damage including waste, you can certainly justify replacing the slope. Further, many carriers accept responsiblity for a nailable and/or merge-capable surface (I just made that up). Also, there is the cosmetic argument if the slope faces the street. Basically, I rarely patch a roof.

Have you tried getting a roofer to come out, do an inspection and then write a report for your insurance comapny; ie. cause of lift, approx age of roof (if unknown to you), if it can be repaired, or if the shingles have been discontinued, especially due to code (thickness). Most roofers I know of will do the inspection for free because they want your business. Just tell them you are trying to work with your insurance company, and they may help out...word of caution, get a reputable roofer - somebody who the insurance company can trust. Good Luck!

Have you tried getting a roofer to come out, do an inspection and then write a report for your insurance comapny; ie. cause of lift, approx age of roof (if unknown to you), if it can be repaired, or if the shingles have been discontinued, especially due to code (thickness). Most roofers I know of will do the inspection for free because they want your business. Just tell them you are trying to work with your insurance company, and they may help out...word of caution, get a reputable roofer - somebody who the insurance company can trust. Good Luck!