Insurance
Understanding Your Roof Insurance Claim, Line by Line
ACV, RCV, depreciation, deductible, supplements — what the numbers on your adjuster's summary actually mean and what you should be paid.
By Taylor Smith · · 7 min read
The adjuster's summary is written for adjusters. Here is the translation.
RCV — Replacement Cost Value
What it costs to replace the roof today, at current material and labor prices. This is the full number.
Depreciation
The value your roof lost through age and wear. A 15-year-old roof has real depreciation; a 3-year-old roof has almost none.
ACV — Actual Cash Value
RCV minus depreciation. On a replacement-cost policy, this is your first check.
Recoverable depreciation
The withheld amount, released after the work is completed and invoiced. On a replacement-cost policy you get it. On an actual-cash-value policy you do not — that difference can be thousands of dollars, and most homeowners never read which one they bought.
Deductible
Your share, subtracted from what the carrier pays. In Texas many policies use a percentage of dwelling coverage rather than a flat amount, so a 2% deductible on a $350,000 home is $7,000. Nobody can legally waive or absorb it.
Supplements
Items missed on the initial scope — extra layers found at tear-off, code-required ice-and-water, drip edge, decking. These are submitted with documentation after the fact and are a normal part of a fair claim.
The two mistakes we see most
- Cashing the ACV check and never completing the work, forfeiting the recoverable depreciation.
- Accepting a repair scope on a roof where matching shingles no longer exist. If the slope cannot be matched, that is worth discussing before you sign anything.
