Insurance claims in Iowa: what a roofer may and may not say, and the notice your contract needs

Published November 3, 2026 · Iowa Code, Insurance Division guidance and court decisions checked November 3, 2026

• Free. The addendum's download links come by email.
• Deepsel is our product: free estimate, invoice and scheduling software for contractors (scheduling and dispatch, quotes, invoicing, card payments). The section before the FAQ says where it fits and where it doesn't.
• Not legal advice. Have an Iowa attorney read the addendum before you use it.

In Iowa a roofer can't pay, waive or discount a homeowner's insurance deductible, and can't represent or negotiate for the owner with their insurance company, or offer to. On every repair of hail, wind, fire or other storm damage to a home for one to four families, the owner also signs Iowa's "Notice of Contract Obligations and Rights," in 10-point bold, before or when they sign your contract, and keeps a duplicate. Break any of the three rules and the contract is void. The owner owes you nothing under it.¹

Negotiating the claim has a second price. It's public adjusting without a license, which became a class D felony in 2025, and the Insurance Division's fraud bureau has filed felony charges for it at least twice since: against a roofing company's general manager in October 2025, and a construction company employee in March 2026.^4,7 Most of a claim job is still yours to do. You can inspect, photograph, write your estimate, walk the owner through it, be at the adjuster's inspection and answer the adjuster's questions about your numbers.² The line is speaking for the owner.

Every rule below links to the statute, court decision or agency page I read on November 3, 2026. I put the required pieces into a claim addendum that attaches to your main contract: the notice in the statute's words, a deductible line, who does what on the claim, and the cancellation forms. Get it three ways: make your own copy in Google Docs (opens in your Drive), download the Word version (.docx), or download the PDF. Pick a format, enter your email and I'll send the links.

Who Iowa's claim rules cover

Iowa Code 103A.71 makes you a "residential contractor" if you're "in the business of contracting to repair or replace residential roof systems or perform any other exterior repair, exterior replacement, or exterior reconstruction work resulting from a catastrophe on residential real estate."¹ A roof system "includes roof coverings, roof sheathing, roof weatherproofing, and roof insulation," so decking is in. Residential real estate is a building "constructed for habitation by one to four families," detached garage included. And a catastrophe is "a natural occurrence including but not limited to fire, earthquake, tornado, windstorm, flood, or hail storm, which damages or destroys residential real estate." Nobody has to declare a disaster. One hail storm that bruises one roof is enough.

The last row matters. The public adjuster law covers any "first-party claim for loss or damage to real or personal property," so a six-plex or a strip mall roof is still off limits for negotiating.⁴ And the Insurance Division counts anyone doing insurance repairs as a contractor for its guidance: roofing, siding, gutters, restoration and remodeling, even tree care and moving companies.²

Can a roofer pay or waive the deductible in Iowa? No

Here's subsection 2 in full, because every clause of it gets used:¹

"A residential contractor shall not advertise or promise to rebate any insurance deductible or any portion thereof as an inducement to the sale of goods or services. A promise to rebate any insurance deductible includes granting any allowance or offering any discount against the fees to be charged or paying a person directly or indirectly associated with the residential real estate any form of compensation, except for items of nominal value. A residential contractor may display a sign or any other type of advertisement on a person's premises provided the person consents to the display and the person receives no compensation from the residential contractor for the placement of the sign or advertising."

So on an Iowa claim job, neither you nor your salesperson can offer:

• cash back, a check for "the deductible," or "we'll take care of it";
• to waive or absorb it, or a discount that happens to match it ("any discount against the fees");
• a free upgrade to cover it, like better shingles or free gutters (on my reading that's an "allowance"; ask your lawyer);
• a gift card, referral fee or "marketing fee" to the owner or anyone else connected with the house ("any form of compensation");
• a fee or a discount for your yard sign. The sign itself is fine if they agree and get nothing for it.

"Nominal value" isn't defined. Think a cap or a t-shirt, not a gift card.

The other way to cover a deductible is padding the claim, and that's a bigger problem. Iowa's insurance fraud law counts an "invoice" and an "estimate of property damage" as statements, and presenting one with false information to an insurer, with intent to defraud, is a class D felony.¹¹ That's up to five years in prison and a fine of $1,025 to $10,245.¹²

The pressure comes from competitors. An owner on r/Roofing: "I've lost 3 jobs so far from companies that offer to pay the deductible."²⁴ In Iowa, the roofer who makes that offer is holding a void contract.

What to say when the owner asks

Keep it short. Something like this:

"Iowa law doesn't let me pay, waive or discount your deductible. If I did, our contract would be void, and the notice you'll sign says so. Every roofer following the law will tell you the same. What I can give you is a fair price and a clear schedule for when each payment is due."

How to collect it

The deductible is the owner's share of the repair, and the insurer's checks never include it. In the 2020 Iowa Supreme Court case, State Farm's estimate came to $30,607, and "after subtracting depreciation and the Clausens' deductible, State Farm paid the Clausens $22,198."⁵ The depreciation may come later. The deductible never comes from the insurer.

Collect it the way this owner does: "I always collect a separate check for the deductible with deductible written in the memo line."²⁵ Give it its own line in the payment schedule, take it from the owner's own money, and record it as its own payment. Section 2 of the addendum is set up that way.

Iowa public adjuster license: what you may do with the insurer

Subsection 3 of 103A.71 is one sentence: a residential contractor "shall not represent or negotiate on behalf of, or offer or advertise to represent or negotiate on behalf of, an owner or possessor of residential real estate on any insurance claim."¹ The public adjuster law backs it up. A public adjuster is anyone who, for pay, "acts for or aids an insured in negotiating or affecting the settlement of a first-party claim," advertises as a public adjuster, or "directly or indirectly solicits business investigating or adjusting losses, or advising an insured about first-party claims."⁴ All of it needs a license from the Insurance Division. A roofer who gets one still can't be the contractor and the public adjuster on the same job.^2,4

The Division publishes its own list of what's in and out:^2,3

Where the courts draw it tighter

Two items on the "may" list need care. In 33 Carpenters v. State Farm, a storm contractor's rep knocked on a Bettendorf door after a 2016 hail storm and found damage. The owners signed an "Insurance Contingency" that let the company "meet with and discuss hail and wind damage" with State Farm. The rep told them to file that day, then went to the adjuster's inspection "without the Clausens." The company "submitted the first estimate to State Farm," and its website promised to meet the adjuster "as an ADVOCATE on YOUR behalf." The Iowa Supreme Court held that was public adjusting, and that the contract was void under 103A.71.⁵ In August 2026 the federal appeals court for Iowa summed the case up more broadly: a contractor acts for the insured "when it directs the insured to file a claim, attends inspections with the insurer, discusses the work needed to repair an insured's property with the insurer, and submits estimates to an insurer."⁶

So until a court or the Division says otherwise, here's how I'd run a claim job:

• Go to the adjuster meeting with the owner, never in their place. Point out what you photographed, answer questions about your estimate, and stop there.
• Give your estimate, photos and report to the owner. Send them to the insurer only when the insurer asks. The Division's own wording: a contractor "may provide information, such as damage reports and repair estimates, to the homeowner and, if asked, to the insurance company."⁷
• Tell the owner what damage you found, and leave the decision to file with them and their agent.
• Never ask the insurer to change its numbers. A 2024 cease-and-desist order against one roofing company cites its requests that the insurer switch its Xactimate estimate to "a different category code" for metal roofs and "add ten percent overhead and ten percent profit."⁷

Supplements

Rotten decking or a hidden second layer shows up on claim jobs like any other. Write it up as a change to your own estimate, with photos and a price, and give it to the owner. The owner sends it to their insurer. If the adjuster calls you about it, answer questions about your work, and leave coverage alone. Don't hand it to a "supplement company" to push either: the Division's list rules out contracting with third parties on the claim.³ Section 1.2 of the addendum says the owner owes the agreed price for extra work whether or not the insurer pays it.

Assignment of benefits

Iowa does allow a "post-loss assignment" of the owner's insurance benefits to a contractor, under Iowa Code 515.137A, rewritten in 2025. Every piece is regulated: an itemized form, two notices and the 103A.71 notice in capital 14-point type, a five-business-day cancellation (longer if work stalls), you as co-payee only, copies to the insurer and mortgage company, and no assignment for 72 hours after a declared disaster. Acting as an unlicensed public adjuster under one is banned outright.⁸ A slip anywhere voids the assignment and is an unfair insurance practice the Division can fine.^8,9 33 Carpenters lost its case on an assignment. The addendum doesn't assign benefits. If you want to work that way, pay an attorney to write the form.

Roofing contingency agreements, the notice, and cancelling

Contingency agreements

Iowa has no statute on "contingency agreements" by name. Two things decide whether yours holds up. The owner still signs the 103A.71 notice, which says they "may be responsible for payment ... whether or not you receive payment" from insurance.¹ And nothing in it can make you the owner's go-between with the insurer. The 33 Carpenters contingency said the company would "act as their General Contractor to obtain appropriate property damage adjustments," and the court counted it against them.⁵ Some roofers doubt contingencies hold anyway: "the contingency is completely unenforceable and even if it was, the cost to collect would far exceed the gain for them."²⁶

My suggestion is a normal contract with a fixed price, plus the addendum. If you want the owner to have a way out when the insurer says no, the addendum has an optional clause (2.5): they can cancel within five business days of a written denial, and you refund everything except emergency work they approved. Ask your lawyer before you tick it.

The notice your contract needs

On any contract "to repair damage resulting from a catastrophe," you give the owner "a fully completed duplicate notice in at least ten-point bold type," and they sign it "prior to or contemporaneously with entering into the contract."¹ Fully completed means your company name goes everywhere the statute says "(insert name of residential contractor)." Duplicate means two copies: a signed one for your file and one the owner keeps. Here's the text:

NOTICE OF CONTRACT OBLIGATIONS AND RIGHTS

"You may be responsible for payment to (insert name of residential contractor) for the cost of all goods and services provided whether or not you receive payment from any property and casualty insurance policy with respect to the damage. Pursuant to Iowa law your contract with (insert name of residential contractor) to provide goods and services to repair damage resulting from a naturally occurring catastrophe including but not limited to a fire, earthquake, tornado, windstorm, flood, or hail storm is void and you have no responsibility for payment under the contract if (insert name of residential contractor) either advertises or promises to rebate all or any portion of your insurance deductible, or represents or negotiates, or offers to represent or negotiate, on your behalf with your property and casualty insurance company on any insurance claim relating to the damage you have contracted to have repaired. Your signature below acknowledges your understanding of these legal obligations and rights."

A date line and a signature line follow. On a job paid under an assignment of benefits, the same notice goes in capital letters in 14-point type.⁸ Our Iowa contract template carries the notice too. The addendum adds it to whatever contract you already use.

The Division also asks contractors to put this disclaimer on contracts, ads, social media and solicitations. No statute requires it, but it's the regulator's own wording, so the addendum uses it:²

"NOTICE: (Name of Contractor) is not a public adjuster. (Name Contractor) is not responsible for obtaining approval of your homeowner's insurance claim. (Name of Contractor) will not negotiate your policy rights with your insurance company. If a dispute arises with your insurance company over the price and scope of repairs, it is your responsibility as the insured, not (Name Contractor), to negotiate with your insurance company. You are responsible for reviewing your insurance policy."

Cancelling, refunds and taking money

• A contract for $25 or more signed at the owner's home, or anywhere other than your place of business, can be cancelled for three business days. Iowa counts them without Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, and you refund every payment within 10 business days. The contract needs a bold statement by the owner's signature and two Notice of Cancellation forms.¹⁴ The Iowa contract article covers the rule in detail, and Appendix B of the addendum has the forms.
• If the insurer denies the claim, Iowa law gives the owner no right to cancel for that. I looked for one in 103A.71, the assignment law and the door-to-door law, and found none.^1,8,14 The contract stands unless it says otherwise.
• An assignment of benefits can be cancelled within five business days for any reason, or later if work hasn't substantially started 30 days after the scheduled date.⁸
• Iowa caps no deposit and doesn't stop you taking money before the insurer decides (the contract article has the detail). On a job sold at the home, treat any deposit as the owner's until the three days pass.

Iowa storm chaser rules: door-to-door, ads and after a disaster

Knocking doors

I found no state solicitor license for contractors in Iowa. Cities do the licensing, and their hours differ:

Anywhere else, call the city clerk before the crew hits the street.

Three state rules follow a storm, too. A contractor based outside Iowa needs a $25,000 surety bond to register (the Iowa registration guide has the rest).¹⁵ After a governor's disaster proclamation, the Attorney General treats "an excessive price" for "materials, goods, or services for cleanup or repair" in the disaster area as consumer fraud, during the emergency and for up to six months after. A big jump over your pre-storm price is presumed excessive.¹⁶ And for 72 hours after a declared disaster, you can't sign a contract that includes an assignment of benefits.⁸

Ads, trucks, reviews and your website

Subsection 3 bans offering or advertising to negotiate, and the Division reads advertising wide: websites, social media, flyers, postcards, handouts and vehicles.² These are among the phrases it lists as violations when an unlicensed contractor uses them:

• "We are insurance claim experts."
• "We are an advocate for you against your insurance company."
• "At (Company name) we'll assist you with the claims process to ensure you get your full payment."
• "Our Claim Specialists are here to take care of your insurance claim."

Customer reviews count too. One cease-and-desist order quotes a testimonial on a roofer's website: "Thank you for all the legwork you did with the claims and the insurance."⁷ Wording I'd use instead says what a roofer does: "Free storm damage inspections. A written estimate and photos you can give your insurance company."

One court case could move this line. In Shamrock Hills v. State of Iowa, a roofing company challenged the Division's warning notices. In August 2026 the Eighth Circuit upheld both laws on their face, but said that using them to stop a roofer telling owners it will "assist with insurance claims" regulates "speech as speech" and must pass strict scrutiny, and sent that part back to the district court.⁶ Nothing has been decided on it yet. Until something is, the Division's list is what it enforces.

What happens if you get it wrong

• The contract is void. A deductible rebate, negotiating, or a missing notice leaves the owner with "no responsibility for payment under the contract."¹ 33 Carpenters lost its suit against the insurer for that reason.⁵
• Consumer fraud. Rebates and negotiating are unlawful practices under Iowa's consumer fraud act, where the Attorney General can ask a court for a civil penalty of up to $40,000 per violation.^1,10
• Insurance Division action. Cease-and-desist orders, four of them against roofing and exterior contractors in June 2024.⁷ Breaking the assignment rules is an unfair practice the Division can fine up to $1,000 a violation, or $5,000 when you knew or should have known, up to $50,000 in six months.⁹
• A felony. Acting as a public adjuster without a license is class D, or class C when the loss tops $10,000. Before 2025 it was a serious misdemeanor.⁴ Class D carries up to five years and a $1,025 to $10,245 fine; class C up to ten years and $1,370 to $13,660.¹²
• Insurance fraud. A padded estimate or invoice sent to an insurer is a separate class D felony.¹¹ The March 2026 charge paired both.⁷

On the next claim job: a checklist

1. Before you knock, check the city's license and hours. If the sale happens at the house, the three-day cancellation statement and forms come with it.
2. On the roof, photograph every slope, the damage up close with something for scale, and the gutters, vents and siding. Date it all, note the storm date the owner gives you, and keep it in the job file. Give the owner a copy with your report.
3. When they ask about the deductible, use the script above. Don't let a salesperson improvise it.
4. At signing: your contract, the addendum, the 103A.71 notice signed with the duplicate handed over, and the cancellation forms if it's signed at the home. Have the owner initial the line that says they got them.
5. At the adjuster's inspection, be there with the owner. Show the damage you documented, answer questions about your estimate, and leave the policy and the insurer's numbers alone.
6. Supplements go to the owner as a written change with photos and a price. The insurer gets them from the owner, or from you when the insurer asks.
7. Collect the deductible from the owner's own money, on its own invoice line, and record it as its own payment.
8. If the claim is denied after signing, the contract stands unless you offered the optional clause. Talk to the owner: hold them to it, re-scope it as a repair at your retail price, or let them go. They can fight the denial themselves, or hire an attorney or a licensed public adjuster. The Division lists licensed adjusters on its site; don't pick one for them.² If they demand appraisal under their policy, appraisers need an Iowa license since 2025, and one with "a personal financial interest in the outcome" has a conflict, which rules out the roofer on the job.¹³

Retail or claim work?

New roofing owners mostly sell retail reroofs and repairs. When I went through the past year's Reddit threads where small or new roofing owners said what work they do, retail beat storm 16 to 5. In hail states they advertise claims anyway: 8 of the 18 roofing company sites on our list that I could read advertise insurance or storm work, one of them in Iowa.

Claims eat time. One owner: "Some of these claims can end up being upwards of 10 or 20 hours of time spent getting it approved."²¹ Another prices the difference in: "If it's insurance work in OH we are getting 500-550 per sq but on residential I only charge about 400 per sq because it's less work I have to do and less time it takes me to get paid when I dont have to wait on insurance."²³ And a third: "Honestly I do about half retail and half insurance. In my opinion retail is the way to go as much as you can."²²

In Iowa, the hours spent "getting it approved" aren't the roofer's to spend. That's the owner's job, or a licensed adjuster's. If you take storm work here, take it as a roofer: inspect, estimate, build, collect.

The Iowa insurance claim addendum

It attaches to your main contract (if you need one, use the Iowa contract template). Inside:

• Page 1: the claim details. Insurer, policy and claim numbers, the adjuster, the date and cause of the damage, the deductible amount, and the building type.
• Section 1: the scope, with lines for decking per sheet, gutters and siding, damage found during the work, and emergency work.
• Section 2: the deductible line, a payment schedule built around the insurance checks, the yard-sign box, and the optional insurance decision clause.
• Section 3: what you will and won't do on the claim, no assignment of benefits, and the Division's disclaimer in a box.
• Section 4 and signatures: cancellation, with the bold three-day statement in the owner's box.
• Appendix A: the Notice of Contract Obligations and Rights in bold, twice. Appendix B: two Notices of Cancellation. Appendix C: notes for you, to remove before the owner gets it.

Download it: copy it into Google Docs, get the Word file, or the PDF.

More for new roofing companies

• Roofing price per square: what to charge, crew pay and your real margin, with a free rate sheet.
• Roofing estimate template and checklist: every line from tear-off to dump fee, with a free spreadsheet and roof sheet.
• Roofing contract template: the decking and extra-layer clauses that stop you eating the cost.
• Roofing insurance and workers comp: what it costs in your state, the official comp rates and what can sink you, with a free checklist.
• Your roofing license, whether gutters and siding are included, and your first 30 days: Louisiana, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Utah, Virginia.

Where Deepsel fits

Deepsel is free estimate, invoice and scheduling software for contractors, and it has no insurance claim tools: no fields for the insurer, claim number or adjuster, no supplement tracking, nothing that connects to Xactimate. Here's what it does on a claim job. Every quote carries a terms text copied from your shop's default, and you can edit it on a single quote until the customer approves, so a claim quote can carry the addendum's claim terms. The customer approves and signs on screen. It won't set the 103A.71 notice in bold or produce the signed duplicate, so print Appendix A. Files you attach to a quote or job, and photos from a visit, stay internal: the customer doesn't see them on the quote or invoice page, which suits roof photos and a scan of the signed notice. When the owner's deductible check comes in, record it as its own payment on the invoice with the check number and an internal note, and record each insurance check the same way. The Free plan covers 30 estimates and 30 invoices a month for your whole team, with scheduling and dispatch, quotes, invoicing, card payments, and customer records; Pro is $29 a month with unlimited estimates and invoices. Details are on the pricing page.

Frequently asked questions

Is it illegal for a roofer to pay your deductible in Iowa?

Yes. Iowa Code 103A.71 says a residential contractor 'shall not advertise or promise to rebate any insurance deductible or any portion thereof,' and that includes any allowance or discount against the price and paying anyone connected with the property anything beyond items of nominal value. It covers roofers on homes for one to four families, and other exterior contractors after storm or fire damage. A roofer who breaks it has a void contract, so the owner owes nothing under it, and the Attorney General can ask a court for up to $40,000 per violation under the consumer fraud act.

Does the homeowner pay the deductible to the roofer?

Yes. The deductible is the owner's share of the repair. The insurer pays the loss minus the deductible, so the contract price is covered by the insurer's checks plus the owner's own money. Collect it like any other payment, by the owner's own check, card or transfer, and mark it as the deductible on your invoice. In Iowa you can't waive it, absorb it or cover it with a discount.

Can a roofer talk to the insurance adjuster in Iowa?

Yes, within limits. The Iowa Insurance Division says a contractor may attend the adjuster's inspection and answer the adjuster's questions about the contractor's estimate. A roofer may not represent or negotiate for the owner, ask the insurer to change its estimate, or advise the owner on what the policy covers. Only the owner, an attorney or a licensed public adjuster negotiates. Go to the inspection with the owner there, never in their place: the Iowa Supreme Court counted attending without the owners against a storm contractor in 2020.

Do roofers need a public adjuster license in Iowa?

Not to roof. The license is for acting as a public adjuster, which Iowa Code 522C defines as anyone who, for pay, acts for or aids an insured in negotiating or settling a property claim, advertises as a public adjuster, or solicits business advising insureds about claims. Since 2025, doing that without a license is a class D felony, or class C when the loss is over $10,000. A roofer who gets the license still can't be the public adjuster on a job they're repairing.

Can a homeowner cancel a roofing contract in Iowa if insurance denies the claim?

Not under Iowa law. Iowa gives no right to cancel because of the insurer's decision. The owner can cancel within three business days if they signed at home or anywhere other than your place of business, and an assignment of insurance benefits can be cancelled within five business days. After that the contract stands unless it says otherwise. The addendum on this page has an optional clause that lets the owner cancel after a written denial, if you choose to offer it.

Is a roofing contingency agreement legal in Iowa?

Iowa has no statute on contingency agreements by name, so the general rules decide. The owner must still sign the 103A.71 notice, which says they may owe you whether or not insurance pays. And nothing in the agreement can make you the owner's go-between with the insurer. In 2020 the Iowa Supreme Court relied on a storm contractor's 'Insurance Contingency,' which let it 'meet with and discuss hail and wind damage' with the insurer, when it held the contractor had acted as an unlicensed public adjuster.

Is there a Google Docs, Word or PDF version of the addendum?

All three, and all of them free. The Google Docs link makes a copy in your own Drive, the .docx opens in Word, and the PDF prints as is. The bold notice and its duplicate, the boxed disclaimer and the two cancellation forms carry over in every format.

Sources

1. Iowa Code 103A.71, Residential contractors: definitions of "catastrophe", "residential contractor", "residential real estate" (one to four families, detached garage included) and "roof system" (subsection 1); no deductible rebates, allowances, discounts or compensation beyond "items of nominal value," signs only with consent and no compensation (2); no representing or negotiating on any insurance claim (3); the Notice of Contract Obligations and Rights, "a fully completed duplicate notice in at least ten-point bold type," executed "prior to or contemporaneously with entering into the contract" (4); contract void (5); unlawful practice under 714.16 (6). Unamended since 2012 Acts chapter 1116. legis.iowa.gov (Iowa Code 2026) and section PDF, read November 3, 2026.
2. Iowa Insurance Division, "Guidance for Contractors and Public Adjusters" (updated July 10, 2025): "may be subject to both administrative action and criminal sanctions"; the lists of what contractors can and cannot do; the flagged advertising phrases; "they cannot be the contractor and Public Adjuster on the same project"; the recommended disclaimer; contractors include "roofing, siding, gutter, general construction or restoration and remodeling ... moving companies, tree care." iid.iowa.gov, read November 3, 2026.
3. Iowa Insurance Division, "Iowa Requires Licensure of Public Adjusters" (contractor do's and don'ts, publication dated May 23, 2025): contractors cannot "'Partner' with a Public Adjuster or enter into a contract with a Public Adjuster or other third parties," advertise as "claim specialists or analysts," or claim they can "deal with insurance companies." iid.iowa.gov, read November 3, 2026.
4. Iowa Code chapter 522C, Licensing of Adjusters, as rewritten by Senate File 619 (2025 Iowa Acts chapter 28, signed April 22, 2025): 522C.2(18) (definition of public adjuster), 522C.4 (license required), 522C.11(19) (conflicts of interest with the business doing the repairs), 522C.14(2)(a) ("A person acting as an adjuster without proper licensure ... is guilty of a class 'D' felony," class C above $10,000), 522C.14(3) (contracts with unlicensed public adjusters void). legis.iowa.gov. Earlier penalty, a "serious misdemeanor": Iowa Code 2025, 522C.6(2), legis.iowa.gov. Signing date: Insurance Division Bulletin 25-08, iid.iowa.gov. All read November 3, 2026.
5. 33 Carpenters Construction, Inc. v. State Farm Life and Casualty Co., No. 18-1354, 939 N.W.2d 69 (Iowa Supreme Court, filed February 14, 2020, amended April 17, 2020): the "Insurance Contingency"; "Shepherd attended the inspection without the Clausens"; replacement cost of $30,607, "after subtracting depreciation and the Clausens' deductible, State Farm paid the Clausens $22,198"; "ADVOCATE on YOUR behalf"; "33 Carpenters submitted the first estimate to State Farm"; "We hold the assignment contract is void under Iowa Code section 103A.71(5)." iowacourts.gov, read November 3, 2026.
6. Shamrock Hills, LLC v. State of Iowa, No. 25-2991 (8th Circuit, filed August 12, 2026): 522C.2(18) and 103A.71(3) facially valid and not vague; 33 Carpenters read as covering a contractor that "directs the insured to file a claim, attends inspections with the insurer, discusses the work needed to repair an insured's property with the insurer, and submits estimates to an insurer"; applying the laws to stop a contractor saying it will "assist with insurance claims" "regulated speech as speech" and triggers strict scrutiny; as-applied claim remanded. ca8.uscourts.gov, read November 3, 2026.
7. Iowa Insurance Division press releases: four cease-and-desist orders against contractors acting as unlicensed public adjusters (June 21, 2024); consent order with a roofing company, "A contractor may provide information, such as damage reports and repair estimates, to the homeowner and, if asked, to the insurance company" (December 12, 2024); a roofing company general manager charged with "Acting as an Adjuster without a License, a Class D Felony" (October 22, 2025); a construction company employee charged with acting as a public adjuster without a license and insurance fraud (April 3, 2026). The June 2024 cease-and-desist order, findings 18 and 22 (Xactimate "category code," "ten percent overhead and ten percent profit," the website testimonial): iid.iowa.gov. A charge is an accusation, not a conviction. All read November 3, 2026.
8. Iowa Code 515.137A, Insured Homeowner's Protection Act (post-loss assignment of rights or benefits to a residential contractor), as amended by 2025 Iowa Acts chapters 28 and 159: prohibited acts including "Acting as a public adjuster without being licensed under chapter 522C" (3); contents and the two capitalized 14-point notices (4); cancellation within five business days or after 30 days without substantial work, refund within ten business days (5); the 103A.71 notice in capitalized 14-point type, signed and sent to the insurer before payment (6); no assignment for 72 hours after a catastrophic disaster (7); void (8); unfair practice under chapter 507B (9). legis.iowa.gov, read November 3, 2026.
9. Iowa Code 507B.4(3)(v) ("Any violation of section 515.137A by a residential contractor") and 507B.7(1)(a) (civil penalty up to $1,000 per violation, $10,000 aggregate, or $5,000 per violation and $50,000 in six months when the person "knew or reasonably should have known"). legis.iowa.gov, read November 3, 2026.
10. Iowa Code 714.16(7): "the attorney general may request and the court may impose a civil penalty not to exceed forty thousand dollars per violation." legis.iowa.gov, read November 3, 2026.
11. Iowa Code 507E.3, Fraudulent submissions: "statement" includes an "invoice" and an "estimate of property damage"; presenting a statement to an insurer "knowing that such document or statement contains any false information concerning a material fact," with intent to defraud, is a class D felony. legis.iowa.gov, read November 3, 2026.
12. Iowa Code 902.9: class C felony, up to ten years and a fine of $1,370 to $13,660; class D felony, up to five years and a fine of $1,025 to $10,245. legis.iowa.gov, read November 3, 2026.
13. Iowa Code chapter 522F, Licensing and Regulation of Appraisers and Umpires (new in 2025 Iowa Acts chapter 28): 522F.3 (license required), conflicts of interest including "a personal financial interest in the outcome of the appraisal," 522F.21 (unlicensed appraiser, class D felony). legis.iowa.gov, read November 3, 2026.
14. Iowa Code chapter 555A, Door-to-Door Sales: $25 or more, "including those in response to or following an invitation by the buyer"; business days exclude Saturdays; the 10-point bold statement and the Notice of Cancellation in duplicate (555A.2, 555A.3); refund "within ten business days" (555A.4). legis.iowa.gov, read November 3, 2026.
15. Iowa Code 91C.2(3): an out-of-state contractor files "a surety bond ... in the amount of twenty-five thousand dollars" or a Department of Transportation statement. legis.iowa.gov, read November 3, 2026.
16. Iowa Administrative Code 61-31.1, Price gouging: excessive prices for "building materials, and materials, goods, or services for cleanup or repair" in a declared disaster area during the emergency and a recovery period that "shall not exceed six months"; excessive price presumed from "a substantial increase in the price." legis.iowa.gov, read November 3, 2026.
17. Des Moines Municipal Code chapter 78, article II, Peddlers: 78-26 (includes anyone offering services house to house or taking orders for later delivery), 78-27 (cash bond $200 per license, $1,000 for five or more), 78-29 (application, criminal history), 78-30 (three business days), 78-31 (leave a copy of the license with each prospective customer), 78-32 (license in the name of the person peddling), 78-35 (no peddling from 9 p.m. to 9 a.m.; posted notices). library.municode.com; City Clerk, "Peddler Permit: Needed for selling or marketing door-to-door in Des Moines," dsm.city. Read November 3, 2026.
18. City of Cedar Rapids, City Clerk, "Vendor Licenses": solicitors need a license, background check, "$1,000 surety bond, a Certificate of Liability Insurance" and photo ID; "Solicitors may operate between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m., excluding holidays"; "$170 for an annual license, plus $15." cedar-rapids.org, read November 3, 2026.
19. Davenport Municipal Code chapter 5.17, Retail Sales and Transient Merchants: 5.17.020 (transient merchant, no permanent business address in the city for a year), 5.17.030(D) (no door-to-door in residential areas before 9 a.m. or after 6:30 p.m. on weekdays and Saturdays, none on Sundays or national holidays), and 5.17.010 (exempt sellers going door to door still follow those hours). ecode360.com, read November 3, 2026.
20. City of West Des Moines, "Solicitors Permit" (permit worn "in a conspicuous place," valid "between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and sunset"), wdm.iowa.gov; City of Ankeny, "Solicitor's License" ("9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday," not on Sundays or national holidays, "$20 application fee"), ankenyiowa.gov. Read November 3, 2026.
21. r/Roofing comment: "Some of these claims can end up being upwards of 10 or 20 hours of time spent getting it approved" (February 11, 2026). reddit.com.
22. Reddit comment: "Honestly I do about half retail and half insurance. In my opinion retail is the way to go as much as you can." (June 5, 2025). reddit.com.
23. Reddit comment on insurance and retail prices per square in Ohio (February 6, 2025). reddit.com.
24. Reddit post: "I've lost 3 jobs so far from companies that offer to pay the deductible." (August 4, 2025; read in the archive, since removed). reddit.com.
25. Reddit comment: "I always collect a separate check for the deductible with deductible written in the memo line." (August 6, 2024). reddit.com.
26. Reddit comment on roofing contingency agreements (July 10, 2025). reddit.com.