Storm Damage and Insurance Claims in Franklin County: what we actually do
Tom Emmendorfer runs roofing and the insurance-claim side of Emmendorfer Exteriors, and that is the difference on a storm claim in Franklin County. Spring and summer hail, straight-line and storm wind, and freeze-thaw cycles through a Missouri winter are what tear up roofs in Union, Washington, and Pacific, and they drive most of the claims the family handles. Tom climbs the roof, finds the hail bruising and the wind-lifted shingles a homeowner cannot see from the ground, and documents it before a single phone call goes to the insurance company.
More than 2,400 Missouri homes have come through the Emmendorfer family since 1990, and a large share of them after a storm. When the adjuster comes out, Tom is on the roof with him, not waiting in the driveway. He walks the adjuster through the hail strikes on the shingles, the soft metal on the vents and flashing, and the wind damage along the ridges, so nothing real gets written off the scope. The family is already on the ground in Union when the adjuster arrives, which a franchise call center rotating crews through Franklin County cannot match.
Emmendorfer is a factory-certified installer of CertainTeed, Owens Corning, Malarkey, and GAF, and names the manufacturer on the written estimate instead of a generic shingle. When a storm claim turns into a replacement, the family replaces any failed decking and fascia before the new roof goes on, not after, and the price you approve is the price you pay because Matt's standard is to walk the roof before quoting. Crews work Union, Washington, Pacific, St. Clair, Sullivan, Villa Ridge, and New Haven, across Franklin County, Missouri.
Document the hail and wind damage before the claim
Tom climbs the roof first and finds what a homeowner cannot. Hail leaves bruises and knocks the granules off the shingles, and straight-line wind lifts and creases the shingles along the ridges. He documents the hits on the shingles, the soft spots on the metal vents and flashing, and the wind damage with photos and measurements, so the claim is built on what is actually up there, not a guess from the ground.
Walk the adjuster through the damage in person
Tom Emmendorfer meets the insurance adjuster at your Franklin County home and goes up on the roof with him. He points out every hail strike and wind-lifted shingle and the failed flashing, so the scope reflects the real damage. Homeowners who let the adjuster inspect alone often get a thin scope. Having Tom on the roof, who runs only claims, is how the legitimate damage stays in the estimate.
Handle the claim from first call to final payment
Tom runs the claim start to finish. He helps file it, meets the adjuster, reconciles the insurance scope against what the roof actually needs, and follows the paperwork through to the final check after the work is done. The homeowner is not left chasing the insurance company alone between the deductible and the final payment. One named person owns the whole process from the first call to the last.
Replace the failed decking and fascia, not cover it
When the storm claim becomes a replacement, the family tears off the old roof and looks at the wood underneath. Years of Missouri freeze-thaw and trapped humidity rot decking and fascia, and Emmendorfer replaces the failed wood before the new roof goes on. Matt's standard since 1990 is to replace it instead of nailing new shingles over soft decking, because covering bad wood is how a roof fails again in a few years.
Name the manufacturer on the replacement estimate
The written estimate names the system going on the roof. Emmendorfer is factory-certified across CertainTeed, Owens Corning, Malarkey, and GAF, and the homeowner sees which one is on the page instead of a generic shingle line. For a low-slope porch or addition section caught in the same storm, the family installs TriBuilt. Naming the manufacturer is also what keeps the insurance scope honest about the quality of materials being installed.
How the storm damage and insurance claims process works
Step 1
Free storm inspection
Call (314) 568-4163 after a hail or wind event and the family comes out to Union, Washington, Pacific, or wherever the storm hit in Franklin County. Tom climbs the roof and inspects it for hail bruising, wind-lifted shingles, and damaged flashing, and tells you straight whether there is a real claim. When a repair beats a replacement, he says so.
Step 2
Document the damage
Tom photographs and measures the hail strikes, the wind damage along the ridges, the granule loss, and the soft metal on the vents and flashing. The documentation is built before the claim goes in, so the insurance company is looking at the same damage Tom found on the roof, not a vague description over the phone.
Step 3
File and meet the adjuster
Tom helps file the claim and meets the insurance adjuster at the home on inspection day. He goes up on the roof with the adjuster and walks him through every hail and wind hit in person, so the legitimate damage lands in the scope instead of getting written off because nobody was up there to point it out.
Step 4
Reconcile the scope and schedule
Once the claim is approved, Tom reconciles the insurance scope against what the roof actually needs and the family schedules the work. Matt walks the roof so the written estimate names the manufacturer and the approved price holds. Any failed decking and fascia found at tear-off gets handled, not buried under new shingles.
Step 5
Install and close the claim
The in-house family crew tears off the old roof, replaces failed decking and fascia, and installs the CertainTeed, Owens Corning, Malarkey, or GAF system named on the estimate. Tom follows the paperwork through to the final insurance payment after the work passes, so the claim closes clean and you are not chasing the last check alone.
Frequently asked questions
Will Emmendorfer handle my whole insurance claim?
Tom Emmendorfer runs the claim start to finish. He inspects the roof, documents the hail and wind damage, files the claim, meets the adjuster on the roof, reconciles the scope, and follows the paperwork through to the final payment after the work is done. One named person owns the whole process instead of a call center.
How long do I have to file a storm claim in Missouri?
Most Missouri homeowner policies give you a window after the storm to file a hail or wind claim, and many run around a year, but the exact deadline is in your policy. Call (314) 568-4163 soon after the storm so Tom can document the damage while it is fresh, because fresh hail and wind damage is far easier to prove than a months-old roof.
What does a storm claim cost me out of pocket?
On an approved claim you pay your insurance deductible and the policy covers the approved scope, so the cost is set by your policy, not a flat price. Emmendorfer walks the roof and names the manufacturer on the written estimate, and the price you approve is the price you pay. The inspection is free, so a homeowner finds out where they stand at no cost.
What causes most storm roof claims around Union and Washington?
Spring and summer hail and straight-line and storm wind are the two biggest drivers across Franklin County. Hail bruises the shingles and strips the granules, and wind lifts and tears shingles along the ridges. Freeze-thaw cycles through a Missouri winter then open up the weak spots. These are the failures Tom looks for on every storm inspection.
Do I need a full replacement or just a repair after a storm?
Tom walks the roof first and tells you straight. When the hail and wind damage is isolated and the rest of the roof is sound, a repair beats a replacement and the family says so. When the damage is widespread across the field of the roof, a replacement is the honest call. The free inspection settles which one you actually need.
Should I be on the roof when the adjuster comes?
Tom Emmendorfer meets the adjuster and goes up on the roof with him, which is the single most important part of the claim. An adjuster inspecting alone often writes a thin scope and misses real hail and wind damage. Tom points out every hit in person, so the legitimate damage stays in the estimate instead of getting written off.
What roofing systems does Emmendorfer install on a storm replacement?
Emmendorfer is a factory-certified installer of CertainTeed, Owens Corning, Malarkey, and GAF, and names the manufacturer on the written estimate. For a low-slope porch or addition section, the family installs TriBuilt. The in-house family crew replaces any failed decking and fascia before the new roof goes on, the same standard Matt set in 1990.
