How to get roofing leads from insurance companies (and what insurers won't do)

This guide is about homeowner leads for roofing contractors, the people who need a roof inspected or replaced after a claim. It is not about lead (the metal) used in roof flashing.

TL;DR

Insurance companies do not sell roofing leads, and most will not refer a specific roofer to a policyholder. What restoration roofers can build is a referral network around the claim: local insurance agents, field and independent adjusters, preferred-contractor programs, and public adjusters. Each one comes with state rules on deductibles, solicitation and payment that you need to know first.

The short version for an owner deciding where to spend time:

• Agents are the best long-term relationship. They talk to homeowners before and after a claim, but they rarely get paid for a referral and many states restrict what can change hands.
• Adjusters work for the insurer (or for the policyholder, if they are public adjusters). Clean estimates and accurate photos earn you a reputation with them, not a lead feed.
• Preferred-contractor and managed-repair programs send real volume, at the price of insurer-set pricing, audits and slower pay.
• Public adjusters can bring jobs, but contractors and public adjusters sit on opposite sides of strict licensing lines in many states.
• Buying storm leads is the fastest way to get homeowners who asked for an inspection. See storm and hail roofing leads.

Do insurance companies sell roofing leads?

No. Carriers do not sell policyholder contact details to roofers, and their claims departments are generally careful not to steer a homeowner to one contractor. The homeowner chooses who repairs the roof. Insurers can run preferred-vendor or managed-repair programs, but those are contracts you apply to, not lead lists you buy.

That is the honest answer most guides skip. If a vendor tells you they have "leads from insurance companies," ask exactly where the homeowner's name came from and whether that homeowner asked to be contacted by a roofer. A list of addresses inside a hail polygon is not an insurance lead, and calling it one does not make it consented contact data. Our page on consent and the TCPA covers what a valid consent record looks like.

What insurers do produce is claim activity, and claim activity is where the referral relationships form. A homeowner files a claim, talks to an agent, meets an adjuster, and then looks for a roofer. Every one of those touchpoints is a person who can mention your name, if you have earned it.

Insurance agents

Local property and casualty agents are the most useful insurance-side relationship a restoration roofer can build. Agents hear about damage first, field "who should I call" questions, and care about their clients getting a clean, honest repair. They will refer a roofer who makes them look good, but do not expect them to accept payment per referral.

How to build it without being the tenth roofer dropping off donuts:

1. Pick a handful of agencies in your ZIPs. Independent agencies and captive agents both work. Start with the ones whose clients live where you install.
2. Offer something useful to the agent, not a kickback. A short, plain explanation of what you document on an inspection (photo set, measurements, code items) helps them answer client questions.
3. Make one promise and keep it. For example: you call their client back the same day, and you never tell a homeowner what the policy "will pay." Agents get burned by roofers who overpromise coverage.
4. Report back. A one-line update after the inspection ("met the homeowner, damage documented, claim is with the carrier") is what earns the second referral.
5. Stay off the money. Many states regulate what agents may receive or give in connection with a policy, and roofing statutes add their own limits. Paying an agent per referral is the fastest way to end the relationship, or worse. Check your state before offering anything of value.

Agents are a slow channel. It can take a season or two before referrals are steady, and volume depends on their book in your area. That is why most restoration owners pair agent relationships with a paid channel. For the full list of channels, see how to get roofing leads.

Adjusters and preferred-contractor programs

Adjusters are not a lead source in the usual sense. Staff and independent adjusters work for the insurer and need to stay neutral, so most will not recommend a contractor by name. What they remember is which roofers send accurate scopes, clear photos and no padded line items. That reputation shortens claim cycles on every job you already have.

What helps with adjusters:

• Be on the roof at the adjuster meeting when the homeowner wants you there, with your own photos and measurements ready.
• Scope what is there. Disputes over items that are not damaged cost you credibility with the next adjuster, too.
• Use the estimating format the carrier works in if you can, so your supplement reads like their estimate.

Preferred-contractor, direct-repair or managed-repair programs are the closest thing to an insurer "giving" you work. The carrier or a program administrator assigns claims to approved contractors. In exchange you usually accept:

• A set price list or estimating rules
• Insurance, licensing and background requirements
• Quality audits, photo standards and response-time targets
• Program fees or payment timelines set by the administrator

Whether a program pays off depends on your margins and cash flow. Some owners like the steady volume. Others find the pricing too tight for a re-roof. Ask any program for its written terms before you sign, the same way you would ask a lead vendor.

Public adjusters

Public adjusters are licensed to represent the policyholder in a claim, usually for a percentage of the settlement. They can be a real source of roofing jobs, but the relationship has hard limits. Many states bar a contractor from acting as a public adjuster on the same claim and regulate how a public adjuster and contractor can share work or money.

How roofers usually work with public adjusters:

• Referral both ways, no fee. You meet homeowners who have a complicated or underpaid claim; the public adjuster meets homeowners who need a roofer. Each side refers when it helps the homeowner.
• Separate contracts. The homeowner signs with the public adjuster for claim representation and separately with you for the work. Do not bundle them.
• No claim negotiation by the roofer. In states that restrict contractors from adjusting claims, your role is scope, photos and the repair. The licensed public adjuster negotiates.
• Check the license. Public adjusters are licensed by the state insurance department. Look them up before you refer a homeowner.

For example, Texas law says a licensed public adjuster may not act as a contractor on a claim they are adjusting, and a contractor may not act as a public adjuster without a license (Tex. Ins. Code ch. 4102, checked October 2026).

Compliance by state

Roofing and insurance statutes in several storm states limit what restoration contractors can offer, say or pay around a claim. The common themes are deductibles, rebates and gifts, interpreting policy coverage, and acting as an adjuster. The table below covers five states with specific rules, checked October 2026. Rules change after big storm seasons, so verify current text.

What this means for your marketing in practice:

• Never advertise "we cover your deductible" or anything that reads like it ("no out-of-pocket," "we'll make the deductible work"). In several states that wording alone is the violation.
• Do not tell a homeowner what the policy will pay. Describe the damage. The carrier and, if hired, the public adjuster handle coverage.
• Do not pay per referral to agents or adjusters unless your counsel has confirmed it is allowed in your state.
• Check consent on every contact list. A homeowner who filed a claim did not agree to calls from roofers. See consent and the TCPA.

General information, not legal advice. Confirm with your counsel.

Retail vs insurance homeowners: free inspections and contingency objections

Insurance homeowners and retail re-roof homeowners buy differently. A retail homeowner is comparing price, product and financing for a roof they are paying for. An insurance homeowner wants to know whether the damage is covered and often asks for a free inspection only. Sales scripts that work for one usually stall with the other.

Two objections come up on almost every insurance appointment.

"I just want a free inspection." That is fine. Treat the inspection as the product: a photo report the homeowner keeps, a clear statement of what you found, and a plain next step. Do not pressure a signature on the roof. Homeowners who feel pushed call the second roofer on their list.

"I don't want to sign anything until the claim is approved." This is where contingency agreements come in. A contingency agreement says you will do the work at the approved scope if the claim is paid. Whether you can use one, and what it must say, varies by state. Florida, Texas and others have specific contract and cancellation rules for residential roofing. Use a form your attorney has reviewed for your state, explain the cancellation right out loud, and never use it to lock a homeowner in before they understand it.

Know which homeowner you are talking to before the first call. Your lead source should tell you whether the request was about storm damage or a retail replacement.

Buying storm leads instead

If you need inspections this month, a referral network built over two seasons will not fill the calendar. Buying storm leads gives you homeowners who asked a roofer to look at damage, in the ZIPs you serve. The trade-off is cost, and the risk is buying shared or unconsented leads from the wrong vendor.

What to ask any storm lead vendor:

• Where did the homeowner come from? A form the homeowner filled out asking for a roof inspection, or a list of addresses near a hail path?
• Is it exclusive? How many roofers get the same lead? Our exclusivity and credit terms are on our exclusive leads page, and we confirm each one in writing on the call.
• What gets credited? Get the credit reasons and the reporting window in writing before you pay.
• Is there a consent record? You want a timestamped certificate per lead.
• Can I start small? A test batch beats a 12-month contract.
• How fast is delivery? Storm homeowners call several roofers. The first one to answer usually gets the inspection.

On our storm and hail leads page you can see how we filter by ZIP and county and ramp up after a hail event. If you want to check whether your territory is open, book a call and we'll check your ZIPs.

Agents, adjusters and public adjusters are worth the effort for the long run. Paid storm leads are how you keep crews working while those relationships grow. Most restoration owners run both.

FAQ

Do insurance companies give roofing leads?

No. Insurance carriers do not sell or hand out policyholder contacts to roofers, and claims staff generally avoid steering a homeowner to one contractor. The closest thing is a preferred-contractor or managed-repair program, which assigns claims to approved contractors under set pricing and audit rules. Most restoration roofers get insurance-related work through local agents, public adjusters and paid storm leads where the homeowner asked for an inspection.

Can roofers pay for insurance referrals?

Often not, and it depends on the state and on who receives the payment. Insurance agents are regulated by state insurance codes that restrict rebates and inducements. Several storm states also limit gifts, rebates and incentives that roofers can offer around a claim, including Florida under Fla. Stat. 489.147. Do not pay per referral to an agent or adjuster until your attorney confirms it is allowed where you work.

Is it legal to advertise covering the deductible?

In several states it is not. Texas (Ins. Code ch. 707), Colorado, Minnesota (Stat. 325E.66) and others prohibit roofing contractors from paying, waiving or rebating a homeowner's insurance deductible, and some ban advertising it. Phrases like "no out-of-pocket" can count. Rules were checked in October 2026 and change often, so remove deductible language from ads and scripts and confirm with your counsel. This is general information, not legal advice.

How do roofers work with public adjusters?

Usually as referral partners with separate roles. The public adjuster is licensed by the state to represent the homeowner on the claim; the roofer handles inspection, scope, photos and the repair. Keep contracts separate, do not negotiate coverage yourself, and check the adjuster's license with the state insurance department. Many states, including Texas, bar contractors from acting as public adjusters and limit how the two share money.

Next step

Agent and adjuster referrals take time. If your calendar needs inspections now, we can tell you whether your ZIPs are open for storm and insurance-restoration leads and walk through every term in writing. Book a call to check your ZIPs.