Stars and Bars RestorationIf a hailstorm tore through your roof this summer and your insurance company is now dragging its feet — or flat-out denied the claim — you are not alone. Colorado has seen a wave of hail damage lawsuits in 2026, with homeowners across the state accusing major carriers of lowballing or denying legitimate claims even after the insurer's own inspector confirmed storm damage. We've watched this play out with our own customers here in Southern Colorado, and it's frustrating on both ends: the damage is real, the roof is leaking, and the check isn't coming.
We're Stars and Bars Restoration, a veteran-owned, IICRC-certified restoration company based in Colorado City. We don't handle insurance law — that's not our lane — but we handle a lot of storm damage restoration across Pueblo, Colorado Springs, Trinidad, and the rest of Southern Colorado, and we've learned exactly what separates a claim that gets paid from one that gets denied. Here's what we've seen work.
Why Colorado Insurers Are Denying More Hail Claims
Colorado's Division of Insurance and several law firms have documented a pattern this year: insurers ordering their own field inspections, finding storm-consistent damage, and then denying the claim anyway or classifying it as "wear and tear" instead of storm damage. A few Colorado homeowners have already filed suit over exactly this — claims that were called "storm-consistent" internally and denied on paper.
That doesn't mean every denial is bad faith. Sometimes damage really is old, or a roof really is past its useful life. But it does mean you can't assume the first answer from your insurer is the final one. Under Colorado law (C.R.S. § 10-3-1115 and § 10-3-1116), insurers have to conduct a reasonable investigation and can't unreasonably delay or deny a valid claim — and if they do, you may have recourse beyond just accepting "no."
What to Do the Moment You Suspect Hail or Storm Damage
1. Document everything before you touch anything. Photograph dents on siding, gutters, and AC units, cracked shingles, granule loss in the gutters, and any interior leaks or ceiling stains. Timestamp your photos and keep a written log of every phone call, email, and adjuster visit — names, dates, and what was said.
2. Get an independent assessment. Don't rely solely on the insurance adjuster's report. A licensed contractor or restoration company can document damage the insurer's inspector may have missed or downplayed. We do exactly this for customers across Pueblo and the I-25 corridor — a written, dated damage assessment that stands on its own if you need to push back on a denial.
3. Request the adjuster's full report in writing. You're entitled to know the specific reasons for a denial or reduced payout. If the letter is vague ("damage does not meet policy threshold"), ask for the itemized breakdown.
4. Watch your notice deadlines, but don't panic if you're a little late. Colorado courts have made clear that late notice alone doesn't automatically void a claim — insurers still have to show they were genuinely harmed by the delay. Still, report damage as soon as you reasonably can.
5. Know when to call a public adjuster or attorney. If your claim is denied outright, or the payout doesn't come close to covering real repair costs, a public adjuster (who works for you, not the insurer, typically for 10-15% of the claim) or a property insurance attorney can often get a second look that changes the outcome.
Where We Fit In
We're not lawyers and we don't want to pretend we are. What we do is the ground-level work that makes any insurance claim stronger: fast, documented water and storm damage mitigation the moment damage happens, before secondary damage (mold, rot, warped flooring) gives an insurer another reason to argue about scope. Our reports are detailed, dated, and written the way adjusters expect to see them — because we've been doing this across Southern Colorado long enough to know what holds up.
If a hailstorm has left you with roof leaks, water intrusion, or interior damage anywhere from Pueblo to Colorado Springs to Trinidad, call us at (719) 676-2456 and we'll get eyes on it fast. The sooner mitigation starts, the less an insurer has to argue about later — and the stronger your claim looks on paper.
Storm Damage Doesn't Wait for a Claim Decision
One of the biggest mistakes we see: homeowners waiting on a claim decision before doing anything about active water intrusion. Every day water sits in your attic or walls after a hailstorm compromises your roof, mold risk climbs and your out-of-pocket exposure grows — regardless of what your insurer eventually decides. Most policies actually require you to take "reasonable steps" to prevent further damage, so delaying mitigation can itself become a reason for a reduced payout.
That's why we tell every customer the same thing: call us first, call your insurer, and let the two processes run in parallel. We tarp active leaks, extract standing water, and start structural drying immediately — then hand you (and your adjuster) a clear, photographed record of exactly what was done and when.
If you're dealing with roof leaks and hail damage anywhere in Southern Colorado, our hail damage roof leaks guide covers what to check on your own roof, and our water damage insurance claims guide walks through the broader claims process in more detail.
We're Veterans, We're Local, and We Know This Fight
Robert Hewett, our founder, is a retired Marine who built this company to treat neighbors the way he'd want to be treated — which means straight answers, not a runaround. We're IICRC certified, based in Colorado City, and we serve all of Southern Colorado: Pueblo, Colorado Springs, Trinidad, Cañon City, Walsenburg, Alamosa, and everywhere in between.
If your hail claim got denied, or you're just not sure where to start, give us a call at (719) 676-2456. We'll walk your property, document what's really there, and give you a straight assessment — no pressure, no upsell, just the facts you need whether you fight the claim or not.