For many roofing contractors, insurance projects bring in a steady flow of work. The days after a storm invariably result in an increase in demand for roofing repairs. But although this is good news for contractors, insurance work comes with its own problems:
And the process that underpins many of these challenges?
Supplementing.
Often treated as an admin task or something to handle at the end of a job, in reality, supplementing plays a major role in how quickly contractors get paid - and how much of their hard-earned revenue they actually keep.
In simple terms, supplementing refers to anything added to an insurance claim after the first payment has been issued. From the insurer’s perspective, any additional funds approved beyond that first check are considered a supplement.
For contractors who’ve worked in insurance restoration for years, this is familiar territory. But for those newer to insurance work - for example, those coming from a retail background - the term can feel vague or confusing.
That uncertainty often leads to missed opportunities. Supplementing isn’t about inflating claims or asking for unnecessary extras. It’s about making sure the full scope of work is properly documented, supported, and paid according to the insurer’s own guidelines.
One of the most common issues contractors face is missed revenue - incomplete recovery of what they’re already entitled to. And this usually comes down to process gaps.
This usually happens when:
In many cases, contractors complete the work, incur the costs, and move on - without realizing they’ve left a significant portion of revenue on the table simply because the process wasn’t fully closed out.
Over time, those small misses add up and take a real toll on margins.
Given how complex insurance claims can be, it’s easy to see why many roofing companies outsource supplementing.
After a major storm, the volume of work spikes. Internal teams can quickly become overwhelmed - estimators are stretched thin, office staff are juggling homeowner communication, and production teams are focused on getting roofs completed. Handing supplementing off to a third party can feel like a necessary way to ease the pressure.
In the short term, outsourcing can help keep things moving. It reduces internal workload and ensures claims don’t stall entirely. For many contractors, it’s a practical and necessary solution.
Outsourcing can solve one problem; however, it often introduces others.
When supplementing is handled externally, contractors lose visibility of where claims stand or how quickly they’re being worked. Files sit in queues alongside dozens - or hundreds - of others.
There’s also the financial trade-off. Percentage-based fees reduce margins, and slower approvals can impact cash flow. Over time, contractors realize they’ve lost sight of their own numbers, which has a knock-on effect on the overall financial health of their business.
As margins get squeezed and competition increases, more roofing contractors are taking a closer look at where they can tighten processes — including taking greater control of supplementing.
Bringing supplementing in-house doesn’t necessarily mean adding to the workload of internal teams. When it’s done well, it creates clarity and consistency: more control over timelines, clearer communication with adjusters, and better insight into job profitability. At its core, it’s about ownership.
The most effective in-house supplementing setups tend to share a few common elements:
Instead of relying on guesswork, teams use checklists, systems, and defined processes that remove ambiguity. Supplementing becomes part of the normal workflow, not something tagged on at the end of a job.
That consistency is what keeps claims moving.
One of the most overlooked parts of supplementing is follow-up.
Claims don’t usually stall because adjusters are unwilling to pay. More often, they stall because files are incomplete, unclear, or simply sitting untouched. Timely, professional follow-up keeps claims moving and prevents small issues from turning into long delays.
In many cases, improving follow-up alone can significantly shorten the time between estimate submission and payment.
When supplementing is handled well, the benefits extend far beyond individual claims. Contractors often see:
Instead of viewing insurance jobs as a necessary headache, they become a more reliable and scalable part of the business.
The trend is becoming clear: roofing contractors want more control over the parts of their business that directly affect cash flow, margins, and timelines.
Bringing supplementing in-house gives teams greater visibility into their claims, clearer ownership of the process, and more opportunity to improve outcomes over time.
Instead of relying on external providers or chasing updates after the fact, contractors can build systems that keep claims moving and help ensure the work they complete is fully and accurately paid.
If you’re exploring whether in-house supplementing could be the right fit for your business, our Roofing team is always happy to talk through what that might look like in practice - and help you understand the options available based on your team, work volume, and goals.