The short answer: your policy pays one of two ways. ACV (Actual Cash Value) pays what your old roof was worth the day it was damaged — replacement cost minus depreciation. RCV (Replacement Cost Value) pays what a new roof actually costs today, minus your deductible — but the money arrives in two checks, and the second one only comes after the work is done and documented. The difference on a typical North Atlanta roof is thousands of dollars, and most homeowners don’t know which policy they have until the first check arrives.

ACV vs RCV Roof Claims in Georgia, Explained Plainly

Quick answer: ACV pays the depreciated roof value; RCV pays full replacement cost after the work is done. See how each settles a Georgia roof claim, with real numbers. See documented project evidence.

The math on a real Georgia roof

Say a full replacement in Alpharetta prices at $20,000, your roof is 14 years old, and the carrier depreciates it $8,000. Your deductible is $1,000.

• RCV policy: first check = $20,000 − $8,000 − $1,000 = $11,000. Work gets completed, final invoice and completion documentation go in, second check = $8,000 recoverable depreciation. Your total cost: the $1,000 deductible.
• ACV policy: one check = $11,000. The $8,000 of depreciation is never recoverable. Your total cost: $9,000 out of pocket for the same roof.

Same storm. Same roof. Same carrier, sometimes. The only difference is three letters in the policy.

The part that costs Georgia homeowners real money

Recoverable depreciation expires. Most RCV policies give you a window — often 180 days to two years from the date of loss — to complete the work and claim the held-back depreciation. Miss the window and your RCV policy effectively paid like an ACV policy. Carriers know this. The calendar is part of the claim whether anyone tells you or not.

The first check is not the settlement. Homeowners regularly cash the ACV check and assume that’s all there is. On an RCV policy it is a down payment. On either policy, if the scope of work in the estimate doesn’t match the roof that actually exists — missing line items, wrong measurements — the check is built on the wrong number. That is a documentation problem, and it is fixable before you sign anything. See how the supplement process works in Georgia and how recoverable depreciation actually gets collected.

How to find out which one you have — before the storm

Pull your declarations page and look for the roof settlement provision: “Replacement Cost” or “Actual Cash Value” (some Georgia policies now carry a roof payment schedule that depreciates by age — read it). If you can’t tell, call your agent and ask one question: “If my roof is destroyed tomorrow, do you pay depreciated value or full replacement?” Get the answer in writing. That five-minute call is worth more than any argument after the loss.

Where we fit — and where we don’t

We document what is actually on the roof: measurements, photos, condition, scope. That file is what the ACV/RCV math gets applied to — a wrong scope makes every downstream number wrong. We don’t interpret your policy and we don’t decide coverage. The carrier decides. Our job is making sure the roof they’re deciding about is the roof that actually exists.

By Richard Amir Nasser — HAAG-certified residential roof inspector (HCI 202210026), FAA Part 107 remote pilot, author of 33 books on roofing, claims, and documentation, including the Inspector Roofing Protocols™ series. Amazon Author Central.

The honest first step: a photo-documented roof inspection. You get the file the same day — labeled photos, measurements, and a written scope you can use with any carrier, any contractor, or no contractor at all. Call (678) 287-7169 or book online. If your roof doesn’t need work, we say so and leave.

Inspector Roofing documents observable roof conditions and roofing scope. We do not act as a public adjuster, interpret policy coverage, or promise claim outcomes. Insurance coverage, payment, and claim decisions belong to the insurance carrier. This page is educational, not legal advice.

Common questions

Is ACV or RCV better for a roof claim?

RCV, almost always. RCV pays replacement cost minus your deductible; ACV subtracts depreciation, which on a roof 10+ years old can be 30-50% of the settlement. ACV policies cost less in premium and pay out less at claim time.

What is recoverable depreciation on a roof claim?

On an RCV policy, the carrier holds back depreciation and releases it after the work is completed and documented. It is real money — often thousands of dollars — but it usually has a deadline, and it is lost if the work is never done or never proven.

Can I switch from ACV to RCV coverage in Georgia?

Usually yes at renewal, if the roof qualifies — carriers often require the roof to be under a certain age or pass an inspection. Ask your agent before storm season, not after a loss.

Why was my first insurance check so small?

Because on an RCV policy the first check is the ACV amount — replacement cost minus depreciation minus deductible. The recoverable depreciation comes later, after completion. On an ACV policy, the first check is the entire settlement.

Does Inspector Roofing decide what my policy pays?

No. We document the roof — measurements, photos, scope — so the numbers carriers apply your policy to are accurate. Coverage and payment decisions belong to your insurance carrier.