Insurance Claims
— Insurance Claims · Plain English
Recoverable depreciation, finally explained.
If your insurer's first roof check came in lower than the estimate, you're seeing depreciation at work. Most of it is usually recoverable, you get it back once the job is done. Here's how ACV, RCV, and that second check actually work.
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Leaving money on the table? Let's check.
The most common way homeowners lose their recoverable depreciation is by never completing the work or never submitting the final paperwork. A free inspection is the first step to getting the full amount.
— The Two Terms
SEC 01 / 07
ACV vs RCV, in plain English.
Your policy is built on one of these two ideas. It decides whether you get the full cost to replace your roof, or only its depreciated value.
Actual Cash Value
ACV
Replacement Cost Value
RCV
— How It Pays Out
SEC 02 / 07
From estimate to final check.
On a replacement-cost policy, the money comes in stages. Here's the typical path, step by step.
— A Worked Example
SEC 03 / 07
The math, with round numbers.
Numbers make this click. The figures below are a simple illustration, not a quote, your policy and actual amounts will be different.
Why the first check looks "short."
That first payment isn't the insurer low-balling you. It's the ACV, the depreciated value, paid before the work is done. The held-back 5,000 here is recoverable: you get it once the roof is replaced and the final invoice is submitted.
The only money you don't get back is your deductible. Skip the work or the paperwork, though, and the recoverable depreciation can be left unclaimed.
— Getting It All
What Matters
Good documentation is what gets you the full amount.
Recoverable depreciation isn't automatic. It's released when the work is completed and the right paperwork reaches your insurer. Thorough documentation up front, and a clean final invoice at the end, is what keeps the second check on track.
— How We Help
SEC 04 / 07
We do the work that unlocks the second check.
As your roofing contractor, we inspect, document, and complete the replacement, the steps that make recoverable depreciation payable. One customer summed up the experience simply: they paid their deductible and we worked with the insurance.
— Who This Is For
SEC 05 / 07
If a check came in lower than expected.
Recoverable depreciation trips up a lot of homeowners. These are the situations where it matters most.
Got a smaller first check
Wondering why the payment didn't match the estimate.
Claim in progress
Want to make sure you recover everything you're owed.
Sitting on a check
Took the ACV but haven't done the work yet.
Older roof, big claim
An aging roof where depreciation is significant.
— Why Buckshot
SEC 06 / 07
Straight With You
We make sure no second check gets left behind.
We've guided storm claims as a roofing contractor since 1979: document thoroughly, complete the work with our own crews, and submit the final paperwork that releases your recoverable depreciation. We tell you plainly what we can and can't do, so you always know the lay of the land.
— What Homeowners Say
Reviews
— Home Base
Madison, WI · Centerville, IA
— Depreciation FAQ
FAQ
It’s the part of your claim the insurer holds back at first to account for age and wear, then releases to you once the work is completed and the final paperwork is submitted. On a replacement-cost policy, it’s money you get back, not money you lose.
ACV (Actual Cash Value) is replacement cost minus depreciation, the roof’s depreciated value today. RCV (Replacement Cost Value) is the full cost to replace it. An RCV policy pays ACV first, then the recoverable depreciation after the work is done.
Because the first check is usually the ACV, the depreciated value minus your deductible, paid before any work happens. The rest is recoverable depreciation, released after the roof is replaced. It’s not necessarily a low offer, just the first of two payments.
Complete the approved work and have your contractor submit a final invoice (and any required documentation) to your insurer. Once they confirm the job is done, they release the held-back depreciation. Skip the work or the paperwork and it can go unclaimed.
Not always. It depends on your policy. RCV policies generally let you recover it; ACV-only policies pay the depreciated value and stop there. Check your declarations page, or we can help you read it during a free inspection.
We handle the contractor side: documenting damage, providing a scope, completing the work, and submitting a clean final invoice. We are not public adjusters and don’t negotiate or settle your claim (Iowa Code §522C), but thorough work and paperwork is exactly what keeps your payout on track.
— Related
More
More on storm claims.
Free Inspection · Honest Answers · WI & IA
Make sure you get every dollar back.
Get a free, documented roof inspection and a clear read on your claim, including how to recover the depreciation you're owed.
Buckshot General Contracting, family-owned since 1979. Headquartered at 621 N Sherman Ave, Suite B5, Madison, WI 53704, with a field office in Centerville, IA. WI Lic. DC-080900045 · IL Lic. 104017198. GAF Master Elite, FORTIFIED Provider, and BBB A+ accredited. This page is general educational information, not legal, tax, or insurance advice; the example figures are illustrative only and are not a quote or a prediction of any claim outcome. Buckshot is a licensed roofing contractor; we are not Iowa public adjusters, nor do we offer public adjusting services (Iowa Code §522C). We do not negotiate or settle insurance claims on your behalf or charge a percentage of any settlement. Coverage and recoverability depend on your individual policy. Credentials current as of publication.