The short version: quick hail settlements typically pay for shingles at depreciated value and omit the things that actually drive cost: code-required upgrades, steep-slope charges, deck repairs discovered under the old roof, and matching issues on discontinued shingles. Get the roof inspected by someone working for you before accepting a number based on a drive-by.
The depreciation game
Many policies pay actual cash value first and hold back recoverable depreciation until work is completed. Carriers are slow to release the holdback; thousands per claim sits unclaimed because homeowners never send the completion paperwork.
Code upgrades are owed when the policy says so
Building codes change. If your ordinance or law coverage applies, the carrier owes the cost of bringing the new roof to current code, ice barriers, underlayment standards, decking requirements. Drive-by estimates never include them.
Matching matters more than carriers admit
Discontinued shingle colors can force re-roofing of entire elevations for a match. Carriers prefer to pay for the damaged slope only. State matching rules vary, and this is one of the most contested roof-claim issues in hail country.