The Roof Data Problem: Decisions Without Truth—and What Comes Next

• By: Amanda McComas
• On: 08/05/2026 12:48:44
• In: Member Perspectives
• Comments: 0

For most of my career, I sat on the carrier side of the table. I spent more than 25 years working with high-net-worth clients, helping them understand how to protect their homes and advising on proactive risk mitigation. I got to see firsthand how the industry shifted from making sure risks were priced appropriately so carriers were able to pay claims accurately, to helping prevent those claims from happening in the first place.

Over those years, I became convinced of one thing: loss prevention is one of the most important opportunities in the insurance industry. Those that can better understand risk, help prevent avoidable losses, and make more informed decisions will ultimately be the most successful. And one of the biggest and most expensive assets for a client, and oftentimes the most misunderstood, is their roof.
 

The Cost of Being Reactive

For decades, the insurance industry has largely operated in a reactive environment. Problems are identified after losses occur, after claims are filed, and after damage has already happened. Some roofers have seen opportunities to tell homeowners that their roof needs repairs after a storm, which then forces insurance carriers to raise rates to keep up with higher claims costs, and add additional policy deductibles which push much of the replacement burden back on the homeowners. In some cases, homeowners are told they can no longer receive coverage or cannot obtain coverage, based on the age of their roof. Despite representing one of the largest sources of property insurance loss, most roofs remain largely unmanaged assets.

When a homeowner receives notice from their insurance company that their roof is a problem, but they disagree, trust begins to erode. Homeowners feel confused and frustrated. Agents are caught in the middle trying to advocate for their clients. Carriers appear inconsistent. Everyone is operating from a different version of the truth. What starts as a roof condition question quickly becomes a trust issue; and trust is one of the most valuable assets our industry has.

Loss prevention is not simply a carrier initiative. It's an ecosystem opportunity. When carriers, agents, homeowners, contractors, and risk professionals are all working from the same verified data set, decisions become more accurate, disputes decrease, and preventable losses can be reduced.
 

From Assumptions to Verified Truth

Although the industry is identifying opportunities to proactively mitigate risk, when it comes to roofing the insurance industry has been forced to make high-stakes decisions using incomplete or indirect information. Roofs are one of the most significant drivers of property risk. They influence underwriting decisions, loss ratios, renewals, claims outcomes, and long-term portfolio performance. Naturally, carriers have looked for ways to scale their understanding of roof condition, primarily through aerial imagery and AI-driven models.

Too often, the reliance on aerial imagery and predictive modeling lacks supporting documentation, contextual information, or field validation. AI-generated outputs can be valuable tools, but when they lack proper annotation, verification, or expert interpretation, they can lead to conclusions that are incomplete—or simply wrong.  This results in a system that relies on assumptions rather than verified truth.

In a recent conversation with a respected technology expert in the insurance and restoration space, she shared that even under ideal circumstances, AI's accuracy in evaluating roof condition may only reach approximately 70 percent. While that level of performance can be useful for identifying trends and prioritizing risk, it also means that as much as 30 percent of the decision-making process may still be based on uncertainty. When those decisions affect underwriting, renewals, premiums, and property protection, it raises an important question: Shouldn't we be doing more to validate the condition of one of the most critical components protecting a home?
 
As an insurance professional without direct roof expertise, I was often uncomfortable with how much interpretation was required when reviewing these images. While these tools made decision-making faster, there was not always an easy way to validate the findings, understand the full context or determine what should happen next. This created frustration not only for carriers, but also for agents, brokers and homeowners navigating conflicting information.
 
What was missing was a more complete approach: one that combined technology with physical inspection, expert analysis, clear documentation and actionable recommendations. Rather than simply identifying a potential concern, the process needed to help all parties understand the actual condition of the roof and establish a credible path forward.
 

From Unknown Risk to Managed Asset

The broader opportunity is to stop treating the roof as an unknown that only receives attention when a problem arises. Independent inspections, documented conditions, expert interpretation and ongoing maintenance can help transform the roof from an unmanaged exposure into a managed asset.

This approach gives homeowners greater clarity about the condition of their property, equips agents with stronger information to advocate for their clients and provides carriers with more reliable insight when making underwriting and renewal decisions. It also creates a shared record that contractors and other risk professionals can use when determining what action, if any, should come next.

No single technology or data source will provide every answer. Aerial imagery, predictive models and artificial intelligence can all play valuable roles, but their findings are strongest when paired with field validation, professional judgment and clear documentation. 

When homeowners, agents, carriers and contractors are working from the same verified information, decisions become more informed, disputes become less common and loss prevention becomes achievable at scale.

The future of property insurance will not be built solely on better claims handling. It will also depend on identifying vulnerabilities earlier, addressing preventable issues and helping clients protect their homes before a loss occurs.

For the roof, that starts with replacing assumptions with verified information and using that information to create a clear path forward.

Sources
Boggs Law Group —  Florida's New Insurance Laws for 2026 Explained

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About the Author

Amanda McComas is Vice President of National Accounts at Roof RX, where she works with insurance carriers, brokers, and strategic partners to promote a more proactive approach to managing roof risk. She brings more than 25 years of experience in personal insurance risk management, loss prevention, and residential property appraisal, with a particular focus on high- and ultra-high-net-worth clients.

Before joining Roof RX, Amanda held leadership and risk-management roles with Berkley One, PURE Insurance, Fireman's Fund, ACE Private Risk Services, and Chubb, where she led teams, developed inspection programs, and advised clients on construction, replacement costs, catastrophe mitigation, and proactive loss prevention. Her experience on both the carrier and service-provider sides of the industry gives her a unique perspective on property resilience and the importance of verified roof-condition data.

Amanda is passionate about helping the private risk management community move beyond reactive roof replacement toward informed maintenance, stronger building practices, and more resilient outcomes.
 

About Roof RX

Roof RX was created to provide homeowners, agents and carriers with a shared, verified understanding of roof condition. The company provides independent inspections, annotated imagery, expert analysis and a clear roof prescription outlining what action, if any, should be taken.

Roof RX can also help validate completed work and move the roof into its Continuum program, which includes ongoing inspections, proactive maintenance, monitoring and documentation. This creates a living historical record designed to help transform the roof from an unknown risk into a managed asset.

For more information on our offerings, please visit our website. If you'd like to get in touch, please contact:

Amanda McComas
amanda.mccomas@roof-rx.com
908-581-7103

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