A supplement or contractor supplement is when a contractor asks for additional materials, labor, or trades to be added to the insurance claim. An adjuster may not include enough shingles, ice and water shield, siding, etc. on the scope of loss to get the job done correctly. In some cases, these missing items are required by local building code. When this happens, a contractor writes a new Xactimate or Symbility Estimate to include those missing items and submits it to the insurance company for approval. Contractors must also include supporting documentation such as photos, measurements, local code requirements, and invoices to explain why these funds are needed. 

 The answer is simple: to get paid a fair price on insurance jobs. This means you get paid what it actually costs to do the job correctly: having the correct quantity of materials, following local building codes, using installation best practices to comply with manufacturer warranties, etc.

While we don’t believe the insurance company is the enemy, they sometimes make mistakes. It’s up to the contractor to find and correct those mistakes, not just for their business but also for the homeowner. Homeowners hire roofing contractors to be the expert on filing and managing insurance claims. Supplementing is a great opportunity for Contractors to demonstrate their expertise. When done correctly, it can actually improve customer service and generate more referral leads.

 This largely depends on the type of documentation you provide with your supplements, and how much time you are willing to allow a job to remain in the “settlement” phase of the supplementing process. Contractors that want to make the most money on supplementing train their sales reps to gather all the necessary documentation (inspection checklists, photos, invoices, etc). They prepare each job as though it will require a full supplement and have systems in place to organize their jobs so multiple team members can easily access all the information. Contractors who earn the highest average supplements also create larger scheduling backlogs. This can allow more time to settle more complicated claims, challenge denials & partial trade approvals.