WRITE SUPPLEMENTS
THAT GET PAID.
Every storm-restoration roofer has the same complaint: the supplement gets denied. Or it gets approved at 60% of what was asked. Or the adjuster ghosts for three weeks. The good news — the difference between a paid supplement and a denied one is not luck. It's process. Here's the playbook.
Why most supplements fail
It is rarely because the work was wrong. It is almost always because the paper trail had a gap.
A line item without a photo is an opinion. A line item with a photo and a code citation is a fact. Adjusters reject opinions and approve facts. That is the whole game.
The other reason supplements fail: they show up too late. By the time you submit the supplement two weeks after the initial scope is paid, the adjuster has moved on to the next claim. You are now competing for their attention against new work, not adding to active work.
Rule 1: every line item gets a photo
Before you write a supplement letter, line every claim line item up against a photograph. If you cannot point to a photo that proves the line item is real, the line item is going to get denied. Cull it before you ask, do not embarrass yourself by including it.
Rule 2: cite the code
For code-driven items (drip edge, ice and water shield, ridge cap upgrade, starter strip), cite the IRC or state code section. "Required by code" without a citation is a request. With a citation, it is a fact.
Adjusters cannot deny a code-required item without exposing the carrier to a bad-faith claim. Code citations move them from "let me check with my supervisor" to "fine, approved."
Rule 3: file the supplement before the deductible
Submit the supplement before you collect the homeowner deductible. The longer the gap between initial scope payment and supplement submission, the harder the supplement gets to land. File within 7 days of the initial scope payment.
Rule 4: track every adjuster reply on the supplement, not in your inbox
Adjuster comm threads sprawl across email, text, voicemail, and the carrier portal. The thread on the actual supplement record is the only place worth looking. Everywhere else is noise. If you do not have a tool that consolidates this, build a folder per supplement and copy everything in.
Rule 5: follow up on a schedule, not when you remember
Day 7 after submission: polite ping. "Following up on the supplement filed for the Davis claim — let me know if you need anything else."
Day 14: include the photo evidence again. Adjusters lose attachments. They will not tell you they lost them.
Day 21: escalate to the adjuster's supervisor. By name if possible. By role if not.
A 21-day silent supplement is a denied supplement waiting to happen.
What changes when this is built into your CRM
A modern roofing CRM (this is what Revolve Core does) automates the boring parts. The photo evidence auto-attaches by date and slope. Code citations are inline in the supplement editor. Adjuster comms thread on the supplement record. Day 7, 14, and 21 follow-ups surface in the dashboard automatically. Rev (the AI) drafts the actual letter from your photos.
The bottom line
Supplements are not a documentation problem. They are a process problem. Build the process — photos per line, code citations, fast filing, threaded comms, scheduled follow-up — and the paid percentage climbs from 60% to 90%+. The math on a normal storm season is significant.
See the supplement workflow in Revolve Core
QUICK
ANSWERS.
As long as it needs to be — and not a word longer. Most paid supplements are 1–3 pages. Each line item gets a sentence of justification, a code citation if applicable, and a photo reference.
READING IS GOOD.
SHIPPING IS BETTER.
Free for the duration of beta. No card required. Real human onboarding.