Storm Damage & Insurance Claims Guide

When a storm hits Jackson County, the clock starts — on the damage, on your insurance claim, and on the out-of-town crews already headed this way. This is the process, in plain English, from the local veteran-owned contractor that’s been rebuilding Northwest Florida since Hurricane Michael. Save this page before you need it.

1The First 48 Hours: Document Everything

Before anything gets moved, repaired, or cleaned up — get your phone out.

• Photograph and video all damage, wide shots and close-ups, inside and out. Date-stamped photos are your best friend in a claim.
• Photograph what the house looked like where it isn’t damaged too — it establishes condition.
• Keep damaged materials when it’s safe to. Don’t drag the shingles to the burn pile yet.
• Save receipts for anything you buy to protect the property — tarps, plywood, water extraction. Reasonable protection costs are typically claimable.

2Stop the Bleeding — Emergency Dry-In

Your policy requires you to prevent further damage — it’s called “mitigation,” and insurers can reduce payment for damage that got worse because nothing was done. That means tarping the roof, boarding openings, and getting standing water out. It does not mean starting permanent repairs before the adjuster sees it.

JB’s runs emergency tarping and dry-in after storms across Jackson, Holmes, and Washington counties. We document everything we cover up — photos before the tarp goes on, so your claim doesn’t lose evidence.

3How the Claim Actually Works

• Report the claim promptly to your carrier — most policies require timely notice, and Florida law limits how long you have to file.
• The adjuster inspects. You’re allowed to have your contractor there — we meet adjusters on-site regularly, and it matters: we speak scope, they speak scope.
• The estimate battle. The carrier’s first number is based on what their adjuster saw. If it misses hidden damage — decking, underlayment, interior water paths — a detailed contractor’s scope with photos is how it gets corrected.
• Storm damage vs. wear. We keep storm-related work clearly separated from pre-existing wear in our scopes. That honesty protects your claim — inflated or mixed scopes are how claims get denied.

4Storm Chasers: Red Flags

After every named storm, out-of-town crews sweep through Marianna, Chipley, and Bonifay knocking doors. Some are legitimate. Many aren’t. Watch for:

• No Florida license number on the truck, card, or contract — ask for it and verify it at myfloridalicense.com. (Ours are at the bottom of this page.)
• Pressure to sign anything on the spot, especially papers that hand over control of your claim or its proceeds.
• Big cash deposits up front, “today-only” pricing, or offers to “eat your deductible” — that last one is insurance fraud, and it’s your name on the claim.
• No local address. When the roof leaks eight months later, a company from three states away isn’t coming back. We’re on Lafayette Street.

5What JB’s Handles For You

• Emergency tarping and dry-in, with photo documentation
• Full damage inspection — roof, siding, gutters, interior water paths, structure
• A detailed, line-item repair scope with photos, written the way adjusters need to see it
• On-site meeting with your adjuster when it helps your claim
• Permitted repairs to the 2023 Florida Building Code — roofing, structural, and the plumbing and electrical behind the walls, all licensed in-house
• Written change orders if hidden damage turns up — no surprise costs, ever

6Before the Next One: Get Ahead of It

The cheapest storm repair is the one you don’t need. A pre-season roof checkup catches lifted panels, aged boots, and soft decking while it’s a maintenance item — not a claim. Total HomeCare Plan members get an annual roofing and building evaluation included, plus priority scheduling when a storm does hit — and after a storm, the schedule is the whole ballgame.

JB’s Contracting & Maintenance LLC · Marianna, FL · Veteran-owned · Licensed & Insured: Building RB29003726 · Roofing RC29027629 · Plumbing RF11067733 · Electrical ER13015488
This guide is general information, not legal or insurance advice — your policy and your carrier’s process control your claim.