Every signature on an insurance roof, from the inspection to the final walk
An insurance roof produces more paper than a cash job, and each document has its moment: at the door, after the adjuster's visit, when a supplement is approved, at the final walk-through. Here's how to get each one signed in SignMaster, and where state law decides what they may say.
Updated November 9, 2026 · 3 min read
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The documents and when they're signed
| Document | When | Who signs |
|---|---|---|
| Inspection authorization | Before anyone climbs the roof | The homeowner |
| Contingency agreement | After the inspection, before the carrier decides | The homeowners, then your company |
| Roofing contract or scope acceptance | Once the carrier's scope is in hand | The homeowners, then your company |
| Direction to pay | With the contract, where the carrier will pay you or name you on the check | The policyholder |
| Change orders and supplements | Whenever the scope or price moves, before the extra work | The homeowner |
| Completion sign-off | At the final walk-through | The homeowner |
A contingency agreement usually says the homeowner will hire you for the work if the claim is approved, at the price the carrier approves. A direction to pay asks the carrier to pay you or include you on the check, while the claim itself stays with the homeowner. An assignment of benefits goes further and hands the claim rights to you. Each is treated differently from state to state.
Rules that vary by state
Three examples show the range; they aren't a checklist for your state:
- Florida makes an assignment of post-loss benefits void under residential and commercial property policies issued on or after January 1, 2023 (Fla. Stat. § 627.7152(13)).
- Texas says a contractor may not act as a public adjuster or advertise to adjust claims for a property it is or may be working on, even with a power of attorney from the insured (Tex. Ins. Code § 4102.163).
- Minnesota bars a residential contractor on an insurance-paid job from promising to pay the deductible, or handing over a repair authorization without a good faith, itemized estimate, and requires written notice of these rules with the first estimate (Minn. Stat. § 325E.66).
General information, not legal advice
Other states add cancellation rights, required notices or licensing rules for these documents, and they change. Ask a lawyer in each state you work in what your contingency agreement and direction to pay must say, then lock that wording into a template so every rep sends the approved version.
At the door and at the table
- 1
Authorization before the ladder
Send the inspection authorization from your phone: in the iPhone app, Send for signature, then Use a template. Choose Sign in person and hand the phone over. Signing mode can't be swiped away, and only your Face ID or passcode ends it.
- 2
Bring the paper they hand you into the job
The declarations page, the carrier's letter, the adjuster's scope. In the app, scan it with the document camera; the text inside becomes searchable, so you can find the claim later by its number.
- 3
Both owners, wherever they are
One owner signs on your iPad at the kitchen table, the other from a link at work. Set the signing order so your company signs last, after both homeowners.
- 4
Keep your rep's role clean
Your documents describe your work, your price and who gets paid. Coverage questions go to the carrier or a licensed public adjuster, never into a field your rep fills in.
Supplements, photos and the final walk
Rotten decking at tear-off, a second layer nobody saw: when the carrier approves a supplement, send a change order from your change order template with the new line and amount, and get it signed before the crew installs it. Add your inspection photo report to the same envelope as a PDF, or drop photo files straight in; each JPEG or PNG becomes its own page in the signed copy.
At the end, the job completion sign-off records that the homeowner walked the job and accepted it, with any punch items in their own words. If the homeowner wants their adjuster or mortgage company to have it, add them as Receives a copy and they get the sealed PDF when it's signed.
What SignMaster doesn't do
- It doesn't file claims, read policies or talk to carriers.
- It doesn't collect deductibles, deposits or payments.
- It doesn't decide whether your contingency agreement, direction to pay or assignment holds up in your state.
- It emails signing links rather than texting them. You can copy a homeowner's link and text it yourself.
Questions? Answers.
Is a contingency agreement the same as an assignment of benefits?
No. A contingency agreement is usually your contract to do the work if the claim is approved; an assignment transfers the homeowner's claim rights to you. State law decides what each may say and whether an assignment is allowed at all.
Can the homeowner sign on my phone during the inspection?
Yes. Start the envelope, choose Sign in person and hand them the phone or iPad. They don't need an account or an app, though the phone needs a connection while they sign.
Is an e-signed contingency agreement valid?
Under the ESIGN Act and state e-signature laws, a signature generally can't be denied effect just because it's electronic. Whether the agreement's terms are allowed is a separate question of your state's law. See are electronic signatures legal.
Sources
- Florida Statutes § 627.7152 (assignment agreements) · flsenate.gov
- Texas Insurance Code § 4102.163 (certain contractor business prohibited) · statutes.capitol.texas.gov
- Texas H.B. 2103 (2019), enrolled text amending § 4102.163 · capitol.texas.gov
- Minnesota Statutes § 325E.66 (insurance claims for residential contracting goods and services) · revisor.mn.gov