Storm damage claim calculator: repair cost, then likely payout

Calculator

How a storm-damage roof claim is paid

Step 1: Replacement cost (RCV). The full cost to replace the roof new, driven by size (roofing squares), material, and how steep or cut-up the roof is. This is the number a storm-restoration roofer’s estimate and the adjuster’s scope should both work from.

Step 2: Depreciation and ACV. Insurers reduce the roof’s value for age and wear. Actual cash value (ACV) is the replacement cost minus that depreciation. A newer roof depreciates little; a roof near the end of its service life depreciates a lot.

Step 3: Deductible. Your deductible comes out before any payment. In hail and hurricane states this is often a percentage of your dwelling coverage (1–5%), which can be far larger than a flat deductible and can push an older roof’s claim “under deductible.”

Step 4: First check, then recoverable depreciation. On a replacement-cost policy the insurer first pays ACV minus the deductible. After the roof is actually replaced and final invoices are submitted, they release the held-back “recoverable depreciation” — so your real out-of-pocket on a covered claim is usually just the deductible. On an ACV policy, depreciation is never released.

Replacement-cost reference (installed, per square)

National ballpark installed costs used by the calculator. Storm-restoration pricing, steep-slope and access charges, and regional labor vary widely — your roofer’s measured estimate and the adjuster’s scope are the real numbers.

Frequently asked questions

• What is the difference between RCV and ACV on a roof claim?
  RCV (replacement cost value) is what it costs to replace your roof new. ACV (actual cash value) is RCV minus depreciation for the roof’s age and wear. On an RCV policy the insurer first pays the ACV minus your deductible, then releases the remaining "recoverable depreciation" after the roof is replaced and final invoices are submitted. On an ACV policy you only ever receive the depreciated value minus your deductible — you absorb the depreciation yourself.
• How is roof depreciation calculated on a storm claim?
  Most carriers depreciate straight-line over the roof’s expected service life — for example a 12-year-old architectural shingle roof on a 25-year schedule is about 48% depreciated. Many carriers cap how far they will depreciate a covered loss. This calculator uses an 80% cap. Your actual schedule is in your policy and on the adjuster’s estimate.
• What is a wind or hail (percentage) deductible?
  In hail- and hurricane-prone states, wind/hail losses often carry a percentage deductible — 1%, 2%, or 5% of your dwelling (Coverage A) limit rather than a flat dollar amount. On a $350,000 dwelling a 2% wind/hail deductible is $7,000, which can exceed the ACV of an older roof and leave a claim "under deductible." The calculator lets you model both flat and percentage deductibles.
• Does this calculator guarantee what my insurer will pay?
  No. It is an educational estimate. Whether a storm loss is covered, how it is depreciated, and what is ultimately paid depends on your policy language, the adjuster’s scope, local matching and ordinance-and-law rules, and the documented damage. Use it to set expectations before your adjuster meeting — then verify everything against your policy and a licensed professional.