Working in roofing, one thing I see all the time is how confusing the insurance claim process feels for homeowners. After a storm, the roofer says one thing, the adjuster says another, and the neighbor down the street has their own story too. The problem is, none of those voices are truly neutral.
Roofing companies have their perspective. Some are straightforward, but others encourage homeowners to file no matter what. Insurance companies have theirs too. They care about customers, but they also need to control expenses to keep their combined ratios down. Adjusters do their best, but since they’re hired and paid by insurance companies, it’s natural for homeowners to wonder how objective those decisions really are.
I’ve had homeowners tell me things like, “I don’t want to take advantage of my insurance company,” or, “I really like my agent.” And I understand that. Nobody wants to feel like they’re causing issues. But what often gets overlooked is that the reason people pay premiums every month is to protect their home and assets when a storm hits.
To make things even harder, most people only file a claim maybe once every 10 to 15 years. And even then, it might not be with the same insurance company. Different rules and systems can make the experience feel completely new each time. That lack of familiarity leaves homeowners unsure of who to turn to for answers, which only adds to the uncertainty.
With so few claims in their lifetime, most homeowners don’t know what’s normal. They rely on the people they trust most, whether that’s an agent, a roofer, or a neighbor. But with so many different perspectives, it’s easy to feel caught in the middle and second-guess every decision.
That’s what led me to start working on the idea that became HomeHudl. Later, I teamed up with my co-founder, Aricin, to bring it to life.
Our goal with HomeHudl is to give homeowners clarity. A platform where they don’t feel like they’re being pulled to one side or the other, but instead can see the process, the data, and what’s happening in their neighborhood. That way, they can make decisions with confidence.
Storms will always come. Claims will always involve some back-and-forth. But if the process were transparent and neutral, homeowners wouldn’t have to carry all that doubt. They could just focus on what matters most: getting their home back to normal.