Roofing Questions, Answered Honestly

Get the roof inspected and documented first. If there's no real damage, you avoid an unnecessary claim on your record; if there is, you call your insurer with photos and a written scope in hand instead of a guess. We don't file or negotiate the claim for you (that's your call to make), but our documentation is built to hand straight to an adjuster.

No, and no honest Indiana contractor can. Indiana law (IC 24-5-11) makes it illegal for a contractor to pay, rebate, or promise to offset any part of your deductible, and treats it as a deceptive act. Anyone offering a “free roof” by eating the deductible is breaking the law before the job even starts. Your deductible is yours; everything else is what insurance is for.

Most Indiana homeowner policies require claims within a set period after the date of loss, commonly one to two years, but it varies by policy. Hail damage isn't always visible from the ground, so if your area took a hit, get an inspection on the calendar even if nothing looks wrong; documentation dated near the storm makes the claim far cleaner.

Maybe. Storms do total roofs. But out-of-town crews flood Indiana after every major hail event, write fast quotes, and are unreachable by the time the first shingle lifts. Take their card, then get a second opinion from a company with a local address and a warranty that will still have a phone number behind it in five years. If the damage is real, we'll document it; if it isn't, we'll tell you that too.

Nothing. Every Checkered Flag inspection is free, photographed, and reviewed with you, storm or no storm. If the roof is fine, you get peace of mind and a baseline record that makes any future claim easier to prove.

Most residential repairs land between $300 and $1,500 depending on scope: a pipe boot or a few shingles at the low end, chimney reflashing or a small deck repair toward the top. You get a fixed price after the free inspection, and the quote is good for 60 days.

Isolated damage — say 5 to 10 shingles — on a roof under 15 years old almost always calls for repair. Widespread damage across multiple slopes, or any significant problem on a roof past 20 years, usually makes replacement the better spend. We give you the repair number and the replacement number side by side so the decision is yours.

If the damage came from a specific storm event (hail or wind), often yes, subject to your deductible. We photo-document storm damage during the inspection so you have real evidence for the claim. What no legitimate contractor can do is waive or absorb your deductible — that's illegal in Indiana.

Call us and say so — active leaks go to the front of the schedule. In the meantime: move belongings, catch the drip in a container, and if water is pooling in a ceiling bubble, a small puncture to drain it into a bucket prevents a larger collapse. Avoid going on the roof yourself, especially when it's wet.

Plan on 20–25 years of real-world life from architectural shingles here. Indiana’s freeze-thaw cycles and summer heat trim a few years off the rated maximum. Good attic ventilation is the single biggest factor you control: a cooked attic can cost a roof five years.

Algae (Gloeocapsa magma), not dirt or mold damage. It feeds on the limestone filler in shingles and thrives on north-facing slopes. It’s cosmetic, but if it bothers you, every line we install is available with algae-resistant copper-infused granules.

Yes, and it matters. Unregistered roofs often default to a shorter base warranty. We file the registration in your name within days of completion and include the confirmation in your closeout packet with photos of the installed system.

It depends on roof area and pitch, not preference. A steep roof sheds water faster and concentrates it into valleys; a 6” gutter with 3×4” downspouts handles roughly 40% more flow. We calculate it from your actual roof measurements during the free inspection. Most homes are fine at 5”, and we’ll tell you if yours isn’t.

If you have mature trees within 50 feet, usually yes: quality micro-mesh guards end cleaning chores and prevent the overflow damage clogs cause. If your lot is treeless, save the money. Skip the cheap snap-in screens either way; they shed into the gutter and make cleaning harder.

Unguarded gutters near trees: twice a year, after spring seed drop and after leaf fall. We check gutters as part of every roof inspection, so if you’re already a Checkered Flag customer, you’ll know their condition without climbing a ladder.