Field and Project Notes from Phase III Construction
Published by Phase III Construction LLC | phase3construction.com
The gap between what an insurance adjuster scopes on a hail claim and what a licensed contractor finds when they actually get on the roof is often significant. This fall, we're seeing it consistently across Southeast Michigan. Here's what it looks like from the job site.
When Phase III goes out on a hail loss, we bring a full scope checklist developed over 30-plus years of Michigan restoration work. It covers the roof plane by plane -- decking condition, drip edge, pipe boots, ridge cap, step flashing at all wall intersections, and any mechanical penetrations. It covers gutters and downspouts. It covers siding, window trim, and all painted wood surfaces. It covers A/C condenser fins, any exterior lighting, and attached structures including detached garages and fencing. Not every item on the list is damaged on every job. But every item gets checked, and every damaged item gets documented with photographs and measurements before we write the scope.
What we see from adjuster estimates this fall is that most of them start with the roof and don't go much further. A two-story home in Livonia we picked up last month had a complete roof replacement in the adjuster's estimate -- which was accurate -- but zero coverage for gutters that were visibly dented across two full elevations, a garage door with hail patterning across the top two panels, and exterior trim on three windows with paint stress fractures from direct impacts. None of those items are speculative. They were documented with photographs at the time of our inspection, correlated to the date of the storm event, and submitted as a supplement with Xactimate line items and references to the storm data.
That supplement was accepted. The homeowner recovered an additional $4,200 on top of the initial payment. That's not unusual. The supplemental items we most commonly recover on Michigan hail claims are gutters and downspouts, drip edge replacement, painted wood trim and fascia, A/C condenser coils, and permit fees. The common thread: they require getting out of the truck and looking at the whole structure, not just the roof.
Most homeowners treat the adjuster's estimate as the scope. It isn't. The adjuster produces a documented representation of what they observed on a given day, from their vantage point, with their checklist. The contractor's scope is the document that drives the actual repair -- and it's the contractor who holds the license, carries the liability, and writes the warranty.
When a Phase III scope and an adjuster's estimate diverge, we document the difference and submit a supplement. We don't ask homeowners to choose between accepting the adjuster's number and paying out of pocket for the difference. That gap is a supplement, and supplements are a standard part of the claims process. The key is having a contractor who knows how to write one.
Get a Phase III Inspection →As of late October, Phase III's project board shows active jobs across Wayne, Oakland, and Washtenaw counties with varying stages of completion. The projects with partial work -- roof replacements completed, interior work still pending, or gutters not yet replaced -- need to be on a November timeline. Here's why the calendar matters on this specifically.
Michigan's building permit system moves at its own pace. Final inspection scheduling in some municipalities can take two to three weeks from request. That inspection must happen before we can submit the completion certificate that triggers recoverable depreciation release from the carrier. A job that isn't final-inspected by mid-November may not produce the depreciation release payment until January. We're actively scheduling finals on every project that's at that stage.
Check Your Project Status →Homeowners who haven't had a professional inspection on 2026 storm damage still have time to file a valid claim -- but the window is narrowing. Michigan's standard homeowners policy requires prompt reporting, and "prompt" gets harder to argue as months pass between the storm and the claim. If you think you have hail or wind damage from any 2026 event and haven't had an inspection, schedule one now.
Phase III inspections are free. We document what we find, provide you with a written scope, and walk you through the process from claim filing through completion. There's no obligation to sign a contract based on the inspection. But having a documented record of the damage -- from a licensed contractor, with photographs and measurements -- is the foundation of every successful claim.
Schedule a Free Inspection →Across Phase III's hail and wind claim work in 2026, the pattern has been consistent: the initial adjuster estimate captures the primary loss component (usually the roof) but misses secondary damage that represents real, documentable scope. The supplement process exists precisely to address this gap, and it is a legitimate part of the insurance claim -- not an adversarial challenge to the carrier.
The items we most consistently recover in supplemental documentation: gutters and downspouts, drip edge, painted wood trim and fascia, A/C condenser coils, storm-pattern siding damage missed on initial inspection, and permit fees. On a typical full-replace roofing job, these supplemental items represent 10 to 20 percent of the total claim value.
Phase III manages the supplement process at no additional charge. It's part of the job. Call (734) 237-7322.
Field notes, project updates, and contractor perspective on insurance restoration in SE Michigan. Published quarterly, free to homeowners and property managers.
Published quarterly by Phase III Construction LLC -- 37600 Ford Rd, Westland MI 48185