For Arkansas property owners / Insurance & storm education
Know the process.
See the construction.
Clear guidance for the questions that arrive after the storm.
Understand the claim process, read an estimate and keep the property record useful. Learn which questions belong with your insurer, your contractor or a licensed attorney.
Schedule a roof inspection
Choose the question / Ten homeowner guides
A clearer next step.
At your own pace.
Start with the process
Understand the estimate
Questions about a decision
Explore the process / Select a step
Two tracks.
One property.
The insurer evaluates the policy. The contractor evaluates the construction. Steps may overlap or repeat; this is an educational sequence, not an insurer’s schedule.
01
Document the conditions
Begin with safety and a dated record. Photograph what you can reach safely; leave roof access and temporary roof protection to qualified professionals.
- Who is involved
- Property owner; emergency services when needed; contractor for safe construction observations.
- Useful records
- Date, overview and detail photographs, affected rooms and any emergency-work receipts.
- Alden Stone’s construction role
- Inspect visible construction conditions and organize a factual property record.
02
Notify your insurer
Report the loss through your insurer or agent. Describe what you know, identify uncertain details, and ask what your policy requires next.
- Who is involved
- Property owner and insurer or agent.
- Useful records
- Policy and claim numbers, date of loss, current contact details and insurer instructions.
- Alden Stone’s construction role
- Provide construction observations if requested. We do not open or negotiate a claim for you.
03
Separate the inspections
An insurer inspection supports its claim evaluation. A contractor inspection examines the property and the work that may be needed. They answer different questions.
- Who is involved
- Insurer-appointed adjuster and construction contractor, with the owner.
- Useful records
- Inspection notes, photographs, measurements and access arrangements.
- Alden Stone’s construction role
- Explain visible damage and practical construction needs; identify areas requiring further assessment.
04
Read the proposed scope
Compare locations, measurements and work descriptions. A construction estimate and an insurer estimate may use different descriptions or assumptions.
- Who is involved
- Owner, contractor and insurer-appointed adjuster.
- Useful records
- Itemized estimates, quantities, material descriptions and photographs tied to each question.
- Alden Stone’s construction role
- Explain construction operations and prepare additional factual documentation where useful.
05
Understand the decision
The insurer determines coverage under the policy and the facts. Ask it to explain any deductible, valuation, exclusion or limit used.
- Who is involved
- Owner and insurer; licensed legal counsel for legal questions.
- Useful records
- Written decision, relevant policy wording, endorsements and payment explanation.
- Alden Stone’s construction role
- Explain the proposed construction work. We do not interpret coverage or negotiate settlement.
06
Plan the construction
Agree on the contractor scope, access, materials and payment responsibilities before permanent work. Confirm insurer documentation requirements separately.
- Who is involved
- Owner and contractor; insurer for claim requirements.
- Useful records
- Written construction agreement, material choices, applicable permit requirements and schedule.
- Alden Stone’s construction role
- Coordinate a defined construction project. A consultation request is not a confirmed appointment.
07
Repair or replace
The agreed work proceeds. If previously hidden conditions become visible, document them and discuss the construction change before proceeding.
- Who is involved
- Contractor and owner; insurer if additional information is submitted.
- Useful records
- Progress photographs, condition records and any agreed construction change.
- Alden Stone’s construction role
- Execute or coordinate the construction scope and document observed conditions. Additional work does not guarantee additional insurance payment.
08
Keep the completion record
Retain invoices and completion photographs. Ask the insurer which records and deadlines apply if your policy provides recoverable depreciation.
- Who is involved
- Owner, contractor and insurer.
- Useful records
- Final invoice, proof of payment where requested, completion photographs and insurer correspondence.
- Alden Stone’s construction role
- Provide construction completion records. The insurer evaluates any further payment under the policy.
General concepts / Policy language controls
A little less jargon.
Open a term to read its meaning. The wording in your actual policy and decision remains the starting point.
11 terms
Deductible
The portion of a covered loss assigned to you under the policy. It may be a dollar amount or a percentage. A wind/hail deductible may differ from the ordinary deductible.
Official explanation ↗ACV / actual cash value
A valuation approach that accounts for depreciation. Ask the insurer how it calculated the amount and which policy language applies to the roof.
Official explanation ↗RCV / replacement cost value
A repair/replacement valuation for comparable materials without a depreciation deduction in the final valuation, subject to policy terms, limits and any completion requirements.
Official explanation ↗Depreciation
A reduction associated with age, condition and wear. The applicable method and treatment of individual items depend on the policy and applicable law.
Official explanation ↗Recoverable depreciation
An amount initially withheld that may be eligible for later payment when the policy provides for it and its requirements are met. It is not automatically payable on every roof claim.
Official explanation ↗Scope
The description of construction work: locations, operations, materials and quantities. It explains the proposed repair; it does not itself determine insurance coverage.
Official explanation ↗Estimate
A calculation of the cost of described work using stated quantities and assumptions. A contractor price and an insurer valuation are different documents to read together.
Official explanation ↗Covered peril
A cause of loss covered by the applicable policy. The cause, exclusions and other policy conditions still matter when the insurer evaluates a loss.
Official explanation ↗Exclusion
Policy wording that removes or limits coverage for a described cause, condition or type of loss. Ask the insurer which wording it relies on in your claim.
Official explanation ↗Endorsement
A document that changes the policy. Roof valuation, deductibles and other terms may be affected by endorsements, so the declarations page alone is not the complete policy.
Official explanation ↗Supplement / additional documentation
A request for the insurer to review further relevant information or estimated work. Contractor documentation may explain a construction difference; submission does not assure acceptance or payment.
Official explanation ↗No matching term. Try a shorter word or clear the search.
For the construction questions
Start with the property.
Tell us what you have noticed or which construction details need review. We can inspect, explain the scope and discuss practical project next steps.
A request starts the conversation. Availability and an appointment are confirmed separately.
A practical take-away
Keep a useful storm record
A safety-first, printable checklist for observations, photographs and the next questions.
Open the homeowner checklist →