Insights
Claims, explained in plain English.
Volodymyr writes the State Restoration Knowledge Centre — practical roofing, storm and insurance guides for Chicago-area homeowners. Start with these.
A house left empty in an Illinois winter: vacancy, heat and a burst pipe
An empty house, a frozen pipe and an Illinois claim: what vacant and unoccupied mean, how the 60 days are counted, estates in probate and the log to keep.
October 29, 2026 · 8 min read Condo board decisions on a master policy claim in IllinoisA condo board after a building loss in Illinois: meetings, votes and minutes
How an Illinois condo board runs a master policy claim: emergency spending, closed and open sessions, sample motions for the minutes and the adjuster fee rule.
October 28, 2026 · 8 min read Roof damage claim in Illinois: public adjuster or lawyerA roof claim in Illinois: when it needs a public adjuster and when a lawyer
Roof claim stuck in Illinois? Which roof disputes are about scope and price, which are legal, what the law lets a public adjuster do, and when to call a lawyer.
October 27, 2026 · 8 min read Delayed property insurance claim in IllinoisWhen an Illinois insurer sits on your property claim
Illinois claim stuck for weeks? The Part 919 clocks your insurer is on, one real 2018 court file date by date, and what to put in writing before you complain.
October 26, 2026 · 9 min read Condo special assessments after a covered loss and HO-6 loss assessment coverageA condo special assessment after storm or fire damage: who pays in Illinois
Your condo board billed owners after a storm or fire. What Illinois law lets the board do, whether your HO-6 loss assessment coverage pays, and what to check.
October 25, 2026 · 9 min read Fire claimsSmoke damage in rooms the fire never touched: what an Illinois claim pays
How a homeowner policy treats smoke and soot in rooms the fire never reached, where residue hides, when cleaning stops and replacement starts, and what to keep.
October 24, 2026 · 9 min read Roof claimsHail on a TPO, PVC or EPDM roof: proving damage you cannot see from the top
Why hail damage on a TPO, PVC or EPDM roof hides under the sheet, what a test cut and a moisture survey prove, and how to read a no functional damage report.
October 23, 2026 · 9 min read Water claimsThe drying bill after a water leak: what your insurer pays for
Why an insurer pays only part of a water mitigation bill, what a drying log has to show, which invoice lines get cut, and what to keep before the crew leaves.
October 22, 2026 · 8 min read Roof claimsSigning a roofer's contract after an Illinois hailstorm: what the law puts in it
What an Illinois roofing contract must carry after a hailstorm: the licence number, two rights to cancel, the deductible rule and who may talk to your insurer.
October 18, 2026 · 8 min read Commercial claimsBusiness income after a fire or leak: how long a Chicago claim pays
How business income cover pays a Chicago business shut by a fire or leak: the restoration clock, a worked month of lost income and the 2011 CIMCO ruling.
October 17, 2026 · 8 min read RentersAfter a fire or water leak in a Chicago rental: whose insurance pays
A fire or burst pipe in a Chicago rental touches three policies. What the landlord's, yours and a neighbour's insurance pay, line by line, and the lease rules.
October 16, 2026 · 8 min read Claim paperworkSigning a sworn proof of loss in Illinois: line by line
What each line of a sworn proof of loss asks, why Illinois reads sworn as notarized, and how to file a partial or revised proof without breaking the oath.
October 15, 2026 · 9 min read Water claimsWater from the condo above: whose insurance pays in Illinois
Water came through the ceiling from the condo above? How Illinois law splits the repair between the master policy and your HO-6, and who pays the deductible.
October 14, 2026 · 9 min read Fire claimsThe insurer is sending a fire investigator: what it means for your claim
Your insurer sent its own fire investigator after a house fire in Illinois? Who investigates what, what to leave untouched, and how long the claim can wait.
October 13, 2026 · 8 min read Roof claimsA few broken slates or tiles after a storm: repair, one slope or a new roof?
Storm broke slates or roof tiles on an Illinois home? How repair or replacement is decided: the 20% slate guideline, discontinued tile, wear and matching.
October 12, 2026 · 8 min read Hiring helpPublic adjuster vs company adjuster vs independent adjuster: who works for whom
Company, independent and public adjusters in Illinois: who hires each one, whose side they're on, what a public adjuster contract must say, and the 10% fee cap.
October 1, 2026 · 8 min read Fire claimsDocumenting contents after a fire when you kept no receipts
Nobody keeps receipts for a whole house. How to build a contents inventory after a fire in Illinois, what proof carriers accept instead, and how it is priced.
September 12, 2026 · 9 min read Policy coverageAdditional living expenses: what you can claim while you are out
When a covered loss makes your Illinois home unlivable, additional living expenses pay the extra cost of living elsewhere. What counts and how to prove it.
September 11, 2026 · 9 min read Policy coverageWater damage vs flood: the line that decides coverage
A burst pipe, a sewer backup and a flood are three different claims in Illinois. Which policy pays for each, what is excluded, and what to document.
September 10, 2026 · 8 min read Policy coverageMatching: when undamaged siding and shingles get replaced too
Matching decides whether your insurer pays to replace undamaged siding or shingles next to the damaged area. What drives the answer on an Illinois claim.
September 9, 2026 · 8 min read Policy coverageCode upgrade coverage: when the city makes the repair cost more
Code upgrade coverage, or ordinance or law, pays the extra cost of repairing to today's code. What triggers it on an Illinois roof and how it gets paid.
September 8, 2026 · 8 min read Denied claimsDenied in week one: what to do before you appeal
Your insurance claim was denied in the first week. How to read the denial letter, what to request before you appeal, and when a denial is actually right.
September 7, 2026 · 8 min read Winter damageIce dams in a Chicago winter: what your policy covers
Ice dam damage in a Chicago winter: what a homeowners policy usually pays for inside, what it excludes, and how to document the loss before the ice melts.
September 6, 2026 · 8 min read Roof damageWind or hail: why the cause of loss changes what you get paid
Wind vs hail damage on a Chicago roof: how the cause of loss changes the scope, the deductible and the date of loss, and how to tell the two apart.
September 5, 2026 · 8 min read EstimatesWhat O&P is, and why it goes missing from a roof estimate
Overhead and profit is a real line on a roof insurance estimate, and often it is not there. What O&P covers, when it applies and how to ask for it.
September 4, 2026 · 8 min read EstimatesReading an Xactimate estimate line by line
Your insurer's estimate is an Xactimate report. What each column, code and summary line means, and the roof items most often missing from the scope.
September 3, 2026 · 8 min read DeadlinesThe four clocks running on your Illinois claim
Four clocks run on an Illinois insurance claim at once: notice, proof of loss, the depreciation window and the deadline to sue. Where to read each one.
September 2, 2026 · 8 min read Storm damageWhat I look for on a hail-damaged asphalt roof
Hail damage on an asphalt roof is judged by a fractured mat, not by looks. What a HAAG certified inspector checks on an Illinois roof, and what gets missed.
September 1, 2026 · 8 min read Policy and paymentYour first check is smaller than the repair — that is ACV
Your first insurance check is the actual cash value: replacement cost minus depreciation, minus your deductible. Here is how ACV works on an Illinois claim.
August 31, 2026 · 8 min read Claim processA Chicago claim, step by step: what I actually do, and when
What a public adjuster actually does on a Chicago property claim — the first call, the inspection, the estimate, the negotiation and the final check.
August 30, 2026 · 8 min readFrom the State Restoration Knowledge Centre
How to File a Storm-Damage Roof Claim in Illinois
The full sequence — deadlines, documentation, and the mistakes that quietly shrink settlements.
Read in the Knowledge Centre MoneyWhat Is Recoverable Depreciation on a Roof Claim?
The second check most homeowners never collect — and how to make sure you do.
Read in the Knowledge Centre DamageHail Damage on an Asphalt Roof: What to Look For
Bruises, mat fractures and granule loss — reading hail damage the way a HAAG inspector does.
Read in the Knowledge Centre ChecklistStorm Damage Checklist for Chicago Homeowners
What to photograph, what to save, and who to call in the first 48 hours after a storm.
Read in the Knowledge Centre EstimatesWhat Is O&P on an Insurance Estimate?
Overhead & profit explained — when the 20% applies and why adjusters leave it off.
Read in the Knowledge Centre EstimatesWhat Is RCE in Insurance?
Replacement-cost estimates decoded, line by line, so the numbers stop being a mystery.
Read in the Knowledge Centre MoneyHow to Recover Depreciation on an Insurance Claim
The paperwork and proof insurers require before they release the held-back amount.
Read in the Knowledge Centre CoverageCode Upgrade Coverage on a Roof Claim, Explained
Ordinance & law coverage can pay for required upgrades — if you know to invoke it.
Read in the Knowledge Centre AdviceStorm Chasers vs. Local Roofer: How to Choose
Red flags that follow every big storm through Illinois — and how not to get burned.
Read in the Knowledge CentreBefore you accept the insurer's number, get a second opinion.
The consultation and the property inspection are free. If I can't add value to your claim, I'll tell you straight: no pressure, no obligation.