Declarations and the wind or hail deductible schedule
Ask which wind or hail deductible applies to each building, and whether it is a flat amount or a percentage of the limit of insurance. Ask your agent to explain the schedule in writing.
Ohio commercial property · Public adjusting is Ohio only
Ohio Commercial Property Hail Claims: What Owners and Managers Should Read, Document, and Ask
We help owners of commercial properties across Ohio, including retail and strip centers, offices, warehouses, apartment and multifamily buildings, and churches, with hail damage claims. This page is a plain-English reading of the commercial policy, the documents to keep, and who is allowed to handle the claim.
Keathley Claims Consultants is a licensed Ohio public adjuster. Public adjusting on this page is for Ohio properties only. We are not attorneys, not a law firm, and not a contractor. Your policy controls. Nothing here promises coverage.
Ohio Public Adjuster License #1367111 | Based in Wellington, Ohio | Ohio properties only for public adjusting | (419) 504-1601
Answer in plain English
What should I do after hail damages my commercial building in Ohio? Report the loss promptly. Protect the building and keep receipts. Document every roof section, rooftop unit, and interior leak before repairs, and read the declarations for the wind or hail deductible on each building. Ohio Administrative Code 3901-1-54 requires an insurer to acknowledge a claim within fifteen days of notice. A licensed Ohio public adjuster can help present the claim on an Ohio property. Appraisal is generally for the amount of a covered loss, not for whether the loss is covered.
How does a commercial wind or hail deductible work? Many commercial forms use a separate wind or hail deductible. On ISO BP 03 12, a percentage version is figured from the limit of insurance and applied separately to each damaged building, not from the size of the damage. Your declarations and endorsements control.
Commercial hail claims in Ohio
Commercial hail claims in Ohio, in plain English
A commercial policy is often written building by building, with a wind or hail deductible apart from other causes of loss. The file can include a lender, a property manager, and tenants who carry their own policies. Read the policy you bought. Homeowner guidance from the Ohio Department of Insurance still helps on one point: a percentage wind or hail deductible is based on the amount of insurance, not the size of the damage. Commercial forms often apply that deductible separately to each building. Hail damage claims and wind and hail claims cover the residential pattern. Public adjusting on this page is for Ohio properties only.
Read the policy first
Read these parts of your commercial policy first
Ask for the declarations, the forms list, and every endorsement that mentions wind, hail, roof surfacing, cosmetic damage, or duties after loss. Check whether each one is attached. The policy controls.
Roof-surfacing and cosmetic-damage endorsements
Check for a roof-surfacing form, such as ISO BP 14 04, and for any cosmetic-damage limitation. Do not assume what either form pays. The policy controls.
Duties after loss
Read the duties for notice, protection of the property, proof of loss, and records. If business income coverage is on the policy, tell the carrier you are reporting it. This page does not say whether it applies.
ISO Businessowners endorsement BP 03 12 states that a windstorm or hail percentage deductible “is calculated separately for, and applies separately to,” each building that sustains loss or damage, the personal property at each building, and personal property in the open. It is a percentage of the limit of insurance on the damaged property, not of the repair bill. This page does not repeat the form’s example figures. Some policies use a flat deductible instead. Ask the agent, in writing, which amount applies to which building. The Ohio Department of Insurance makes the same point for homes on its roof insurance page: a percentage deductible is based on the amount the home is insured for, not the amount of damage.
Also check the forms list for ISO BP 14 04, “Windstorm or Hail Losses to Roof Surfacing – Actual Cash Value Loss Settlement,” and for any cosmetic-damage endorsement. This page does not say what those forms pay. The policy controls.
After the storm
What to document on a commercial building after hail
The Ohio Department of Insurance Severe Weather Toolkit says to document losses before removing debris, consider reasonable temporary repairs, and keep copies of correspondence. See the claim evidence checklist and Ohio claim deadlines and proof of loss. Read the policy for any deadline. Do not assume one.
1
Make a roof plan by section
Label slopes, elevations, and roof areas before repairs change them. Note which sections were inspected and which were not.
2
Take wide photos, then close photos
Photograph each roof section from a distance and then up close. Include dents, bruises, and displaced granules with a reference for scale.
3
Document rooftop units and metal
Include rooftop HVAC units, vents, flashing, gutters, downspouts, and other metal. Hail can show on soft metal even when a roof membrane is harder to read.
4
Keep an interior leak log
Record the room, the date the leak was seen, and photos of ceilings, walls, and contents. Tie the note to the storm date if you can.
5
Save pre-storm maintenance records
Keep roof warranties, repair invoices, and inspection notes from before the storm. They answer “was this already damaged?” without guessing.
6
Pull a storm report for the date of loss
Use the NOAA Storm Events Database, or a local National Weather Service report, for the date and place of the hail. Save the page or the printout with the file.
7
Keep a communication log
The Ohio Department of Insurance says to keep copies of correspondence and notes of calls, including the date, the person’s name and title, and what was said.
Ohio claim handling
What Ohio’s claim rule says about timing and denials
Ohio Administrative Code 3901-1-54 sets minimum standards for investigating and disposing of property and casualty claims arising under insurance contracts issued to residents of Ohio. It is effective February 14, 2022. The rule says it is not intended to create or imply a private cause of action. This is general information, not legal advice. Read the rule: OAC 3901-1-54.
“An insurer shall acknowledge the receipt of a claim within fifteen days of receiving such notification.” (F)(2)
“An insurer shall within twenty-one days of the receipt of properly executed proof(s) of loss decide whether to accept or deny such claim(s). If more time is needed to investigate the claim than the twenty-one days allow, the insurer shall notify the claimant within the twenty-one day period, and provide an explanation of the need for more time. If an extension of time is needed, the insurer has a continuing obligation to notify the claimant in writing, at least every forty-five days, of the status of the investigation and the continued time for the investigation.” (G)(1)
“No insurer shall deny a claim on the grounds of a specific policy provision, condition or exclusion unless reference to such provision, condition, or exclusion is included in the denial.” (G)(2)
“Days” means calendar days. If the last day is a Saturday, Sunday, or holiday, it moves to the next day that is not. The fifteen days are for acknowledging the claim. The twenty-one days run from a properly executed proof of loss, not from the storm. Quoting the rule is not a prediction of payment.
Roles
Contractor, public adjuster, appraiser: who does what
Ohio Revised Code 3951.02 requires a certificate of authority before a person acts as a public insurance adjuster in this state or is paid to adjust a property claim covered by section 3951.01. Section 3951.01 lists exceptions, including certain attorneys and people adjusting for an insurer. The department’s roof page says: “Do not give a contractor Power of Attorney over your affairs, or permit them to negotiate or settle your insurance claim.”
Contractor
Scope and repair. A roofer can inspect, photograph, and price the work. That is different from negotiating the insurance claim.
Licensed Ohio public adjuster
Claim documentation, presentation, and negotiation for an Ohio property. Ohio Revised Code Chapter 3951 requires a certificate before someone is paid to adjust a property claim in this state, subject to the exceptions in Chapter 3951. Keathley Claims Consultants offers public adjusting for Ohio properties only.
Appraiser and umpire
When the appraisal clause applies, each side names a competent, unbiased appraiser to value the amount of loss. If they cannot agree, an umpire may resolve the difference. Appraisal is not advocacy for either side.
Read Ohio Revised Code Chapter 3951, then public adjuster vs contractor and public adjuster vs appraisal. A statewide overview is on Ohio public adjuster.
Amount of loss
When appraisal may fit a commercial hail dispute
Appraisal may fit when coverage for the hail loss is accepted and the dispute is the amount: roof sections, rooftop units, scope, and price. It generally does not decide whether the policy covers the loss. The appraisal clause controls. Appraisers are expected to be competent and unbiased, and an umpire may resolve their differences. Before any demand, read insurance appraisal clause review and appraisal services.
If the hail claim is denied
Get the denial in writing and read the policy provision it cites. The hail-roof sequence is on the hail roof claim denied page. Denial patterns across fire, wind, and hail are on denied claim help.
Questions
Commercial hail claim FAQ
How is a commercial hail claim different from a homeowner hail claim? +
A commercial file can include more than one building, a separate wind or hail deductible, a lender, a property manager, and tenants with their own policies. The declarations and endorsements control. Public adjusting on this page is for Ohio properties only.
How does a commercial wind or hail deductible work? +
Many commercial forms use a separate wind or hail deductible. On ISO BP 03 12, a percentage version is figured from the limit of insurance and calculated separately for each building and for personal property, not from the size of the repair. Your declarations control.
Can my roofer negotiate a commercial hail claim in Ohio? +
Ohio Revised Code 3951.02 requires a certificate before a person is paid to adjust a property claim in this state, subject to the exceptions in Chapter 3951. The Ohio Department of Insurance says not to permit a contractor to negotiate or settle the claim. Compare public adjuster vs contractor.
When does appraisal fit a commercial hail claim? +
Appraisal is for the amount of loss after coverage is accepted. A full coverage denial is generally a different problem. The appraisal clause controls, and appraisers are expected to be competent and unbiased. See clause review and appraisal services.
Free claim review for an Ohio commercial hail loss
Public adjusting is for Ohio properties only. Bring the declarations, the deductible schedule, the carrier estimate, and photos.
We’re licensed Ohio public adjusters (License #1367111). We’re not attorneys or a law firm.