Quoting for Insurance Work and Storm Damage Repairs

Summary

Storm and weather-damage repair — roofs, fencing, guttering, chimneys, fallen trees — is one of the most reliably recurring sources of insurance-instructed trade work in the UK. When the Met Office names a storm, insurers see a spike in claims within days, and tradespeople who understand how this work actually gets quoted, approved, and paid win a disproportionate share of it over competitors who treat it as a normal domestic quote.

The core difference from direct-customer work is who controls the specification. On a normal job you survey, decide the scope, and quote it. On insurance-instructed work, a loss adjuster or surveyor has often already inspected and written a schedule of works before you're even called. Your job shifts from "propose a solution" to "price an already-defined scope accurately, flag what's missing, and document the difference between storm damage and pre-existing condition." Get that distinction wrong, or fail to document it, and the insurer reduces the claim — or you do extra work nobody pays for.

This article covers how insurance-instructed quoting differs from direct work, the "like-for-like" reinstatement principle and where betterment gets charged to the policyholder, the documentation that protects your invoice, the two payment routes and the cashflow risk of the policyholder-pays route, approved-contractor panels, and how a legitimate tradesperson differentiates from storm-chasing rogue traders. It complements variation orders (getting extra scope approved once on site) and public liability insurance guide (the insurance you carry, distinct from the policy funding the claim).

Key Facts

• Loss adjuster or surveyor writes the scope first — on most claims above a low-value threshold, an adjuster or surveyor inspects and produces a schedule of works before a contractor is instructed; you price against that document, not your own survey.
• "Like-for-like" is the default reinstatement principle — a standard buildings policy restores the property to its condition immediately before the loss, not an upgrade.
• "Betterment" is charged to the policyholder — any upgrade beyond like-for-like (better materials, higher spec) is itemised separately and paid by the customer, not the insurer.
• Two payment routes exist — insurer pays you direct (common on panel schemes) vs insurer pays the policyholder, who then pays you; the second carries real cashflow risk.
• Excess collection is usually your job — on direct-payment jobs, the insurer typically pays claim value minus the policy excess, and you collect the excess from the policyholder.
• Approved-contractor panels exist for most major insurers — pre-vetted contractors get steady instructed work, usually at panel rates rather than your normal rate.
• Photographic evidence decides most disputes — before, during, and after photos, time-stamped, are expected as standard.
• Storm has a specific evidential threshold — policies typically require sustained wind of a defined strength (commonly around Beaufort force 9/48mph, wording varies by insurer), not just "it was windy."
• Pre-existing wear is the most common reason claims get reduced — insurers routinely argue damage was age or maintenance-related rather than storm-caused.
• Quotes should mirror the insurer's schedule line by line — free-form quotes in your own layout are more likely to be queried, even if the total is accurate.
• VAT rules are normal, not insurance-specific — VAT-registered tradespeople charge VAT as usual; state your VAT status clearly since it affects the insurer's settlement figure.
• Timescales run to weeks, not days — adjuster visit → report → insurer approval → instruction to start; commonly 2-6 weeks, longer after a major named storm.
• Variation orders still apply on site — extra damage found once work starts needs written approval before you proceed, exactly as on any job (see variation orders).
• Storm chasers damage trust in the whole sector — doorstep contractors who appear straight after a storm and pressure households into signing are a recognised problem insurers and consumer bodies warn against.
• A written contract and 14-day cooling-off period still apply to doorstep instructions — the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 off-premises rules apply exactly as on any other job agreed away from your premises.
• Roofing, fencing and guttering are the three most common storm-damage trades, followed by fallen-tree damage and consequential water ingress.
• Emergency "make-safe" work is usually pre-authorised up to a modest policy limit, invoiced separately from the main reinstatement quote.
• Retention is common on larger claims — some schemes hold back a final percentage until the policyholder confirms satisfactory completion.

Quick Reference Table

Detailed Guidance

How insurance-instructed work differs from direct-customer work

The typical sequence: the policyholder reports the claim → the insurer or loss adjusting firm arranges an inspection (a desk-based photo assessment for low-value claims, a site visit for anything more complex) → that produces a schedule of works, often down to individual line items → you quote against that schedule, not your own survey.

This matters in two ways. First, your quote needs to mirror the schedule's structure and wording — if it says "renew 4no. ridge tiles, re-bed and point," your line should say the same, not a paraphrase. Mismatched terminology slows approval and invites the adjuster to query whether you've scoped the same work. Second, you have far less latitude to propose your own solution. If the schedule looks wrong or incomplete, raise it as a query before quoting — don't quote what you think is right and hope it's approved, because it usually isn't.

Like-for-like reinstatement and betterment

Standard UK buildings insurance runs on an indemnity principle: the payout restores the policyholder to their pre-loss position, not a better one. A like-for-like felt shed roof gets replaced with felt, not upgraded to tile, even if felt has degraded further since.

"Betterment" is anything beyond like-for-like — the original fence was untreated softwood and the customer wants pressure-treated close-board, or Building Regulations now require an upgrade that didn't exist when the original was installed. Split your quote into a like-for-like value (fundable by the insurer) and a clearly labelled betterment value (paid by the policyholder directly). Get the policyholder's written sign-off on the betterment element before ordering materials to the upgraded spec — don't deliver an upgrade the insurer never agreed to fund. Where regulations do force an upgrade as a condition of doing the repair at all, some policies include a "trace and access" or regulation-upgrade allowance, but check with the adjuster rather than assuming it.

Storm damage specifics: roof, fencing, guttering

Roofing. The evidential question insurers scrutinise hardest is whether tiles were lifted by wind (covered) or had already worked loose through age or poor fixing (wear and tear, usually not covered). Photograph the pattern of loss — a directional pattern consistent with the day's wind, recent fixing failure rather than long-corroded nails, and undamaged tiles nearby of clearly similar age. Use the terminology in pitched roof repairs and reference how often should a roof be inspected if maintenance history becomes a dispute point.

Fencing. Often lower value and processed on photos alone. Show the failure mode: a panel or post snapped or lifted clean out of the ground indicates wind force; a post rotted through at the base and simply toppled indicates pre-existing decay, which insurers decline or heavily discount. See fence repair replacing posts for repair method, and price to the schedule's specified method (spur repair vs full replacement) rather than defaulting to your own preference.

Guttering. Photograph the fixing failure point. A bracket torn from the fascia with screws still attached, or split fascia timber, points to wind force; guttering that's sagged or pulled away gradually points to blockage or age. See guttering and gutter downpipe sizing for reinstatement spec where the schedule doesn't give exact dimensions.

Documentation that protects your invoice

A third party who never sees the site — the insurer — decides whether to pay based on what you and the adjuster put in front of them. Minimum standard:

• Before photos of the damage, wide shots for context plus close-ups of the failure point, time-stamped.
• During photos of anything not visible at first inspection (rot found once tiles are stripped, extra damage found once a panel is removed) — this is where you flag a variation.
• After photos matching the before angles, so the comparison is obvious.
• An itemised quote matching the schedule's line-item structure and reference numbers, not your own free-form template.
• Materials and labour split clearly, with product/spec references where the schedule requires like-for-like matching.
• Your VAT status stated on the quote, since it affects the insurer's settlement figure.
• Any variation requests in writing before you proceed, per variation orders — insurance work has zero tolerance for undocumented scope changes.

Payment routes and cashflow risk

Insurer pays you directly. Common on panel schemes and increasingly common generally. The insurer pays your invoice, usually claim value minus the excess, which you collect from the policyholder yourself. Cashflow risk is manageable, though settlement can still take 30 days or more from a correctly submitted invoice.

Insurer pays the policyholder, who then pays you. Common on non-panel, customer-instructed claims. The insurer settles to the policyholder's account, and they're then responsible for paying you. This carries real cashflow risk: policyholders under pressure sometimes use the funds elsewhere, dispute your invoice, or simply pay slowly. Protect yourself with a deposit before starting, staged payments tied to progress (see pricing jobs during a cost of living squeeze), and written confirmation of the settlement amount and their commitment to pay it promptly on receipt.

Establish which route applies before you quote — it changes your invoicing process and how much risk you're carrying.

Panels, excess collection, and rogue traders

Most major insurers, directly or via loss adjusting firms, run approved-contractor panels: vetted tradespeople who get a steady flow of instructed work in exchange for meeting accreditation requirements (insurance minimums, trade body membership, agreed panel rates, usually lower than your normal rate). It's a legitimate route to reliable storm work if you want the volume.

Where you're not on a panel, state clearly in the quote who collects the excess and when it's due — usually you, if the insurer is paying you direct and settling net of excess.

The storm-chasing pattern — doorstepping straight after a storm, claiming to have "noticed damage" from the street, pressuring for an on-the-spot signature, inflating scope, asking for cash upfront — is a known problem consumer bodies and insurers actively warn about. Differentiate by doing the opposite: work from a genuine insurer or customer instruction, provide a written itemised quote against a proper inspection, carry evidenceable public liability insurance (see public liability insurance guide), and be transparent that a genuine claim goes through the insurer's process, not an on-the-spot doorstep deal.

Avoiding "storm damage vs pre-existing wear" disputes

This is the most common friction point, and it's worth building into your standard practice, not just addressing if a dispute arises.

• Photograph adjacent, undamaged elements alongside the failed one, so the adjuster can judge overall condition, not just the failed section in isolation.
• Describe the failure mechanism, not just the outcome — "bracket torn from fascia, fixing intact" reads very differently to an adjuster than "guttering damaged."
• Note the date and, where possible, the specific named storm your assessment relates to, and cross-reference public wind-speed data if the claim is challenged.
• Don't assert causation you can't evidence — if a failure could be either storm-related or wear, say so plainly rather than overstating storm causation, which risks your credibility with insurers you may want repeat panel work from.
• Keep make-safe invoices separate from the disputed reinstatement work, since emergency mitigation is usually payable regardless of how the causation dispute resolves.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need special insurance or accreditation to do insurance-instructed work?

Not in general — the public liability cover and trade body membership you'd carry for any domestic work (see public liability insurance guide) is usually what adjusters check before approving you on a claim. Joining a specific insurer's approved-contractor panel is a separate, optional step with its own vetting criteria and rate card — worth pursuing for a steady pipeline of this work, but not a prerequisite for doing insurance-instructed jobs generally.

Can I quote for more than the schedule specifies if I think it's missing something?

Raise it as a query before quoting, rather than quoting your own higher figure and hoping it's approved. If you find something once work starts that wasn't on the schedule, stop and get written approval before proceeding — treat it as a variation order (see variation orders), with photographic evidence of what you found and why it's additional.

What happens if the insurer decides the damage wasn't storm-caused?

The claim can be declined or reduced, and the policyholder becomes responsible for the cost, or it becomes a dispute between them and the insurer that doesn't directly involve you, provided your invoice was addressed to the correct party for the payment route in use. This is why documentation matters so much — your photos and description of the failure mechanism are often the evidence that decides the claim, even though the causation decision itself sits with the insurer.

Should I charge my normal rate or a discounted "insurance rate"?

Depends on whether you're on a panel scheme (which sets its own benchmarked rates as a condition of membership) or quoting independently against an adjuster's schedule, where you can generally quote your normal, reasonable, evidenced rate. Don't assume insurance work automatically means a discount.

How do I handle a customer who wants an upgrade "while the insurance is paying anyway"?

Split the quote clearly into the like-for-like value and the betterment value, and get written agreement to fund the difference before ordering upgraded materials. Insurers don't fund upgrades beyond like-for-like, and delivering one on the assumption "the insurance will probably cover it" is a common way to end up unpaid for the difference.

Regulations & Standards

• Consumer Rights Act 2015 — governs the underlying service contract with whoever instructs and pays you; services must be provided with reasonable care and skill.

• Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013 — applies if you agree work off your business premises (e.g. on a policyholder's doorstep), giving a 14-day cancellation right; directly relevant to avoiding storm-chasing-style doorstep practices.

• Insurance Act 2015 — governs the policyholder's duty of fair presentation to their insurer; not a duty on the contractor, but relevant background to why some claims get queried or delayed for reasons unrelated to your work.

• **** — the FCA regulates insurers and claims handling in the UK; the precise conduct rules are outside a tradesperson's direct scope but worth knowing exist if a claims dispute arises.

• This is primarily an industry-practice area rather than a heavily regulated one on the contractor's side — schedules of works, panel schemes, and the like-for-like principle are insurer/industry practice, not statute.

• Citizens Advice — Home insurance claims and rogue traders after storms — Consumer guidance on avoiding storm-chasing contractors and the claims process.

• Which? — How to make a home insurance claim — Independent guidance on the loss adjuster process, timescales, and like-for-like reinstatement.

• GOV.UK — Consumer Contracts Regulations guidance for businesses — Off-premises contract rules relevant to doorstep-agreed storm repair work.

• Financial Conduct Authority — ICOBS — Regulatory framework for how insurers and claims handlers must treat policyholders.

• Met Office — UK Storm Centre — Reference for confirming named storm events and dates when evidencing storm causation.

• Chartered Institute of Loss Adjusters — Professional body for loss adjusters; background on the adjusting profession.

• variation orders — Getting additional scope approved once on site, directly applicable when storm damage extends beyond the original schedule.

• public liability insurance guide — The insurance you carry as a contractor, distinct from the policy funding the claim, and what adjusters/panels typically check.

• pitched roof repairs — Repair methods and terminology for the most common storm-damage trade, useful for matching quote wording to an adjuster's schedule.

• fence repair replacing posts — Repair method options (spur vs full replacement) relevant to matching fencing schedules and evidencing wind-failure vs decay.