After an 18-Month Fight, This Plano Family Finally Got Their New Roof

Written by Hollis Moore, Marketing and Content | Reviewed by Jordan Jackson | Updated September 24, 2026

A homeowner needed a new roof. The process would eventually last more than a year and a half. And the Wortham Brothers Roofing project manager assigned to the job decided he was not going anywhere.

Soon after Wendy Wade purchased her home at 1429 Ridgecrest Drive, she discovered that the roof needed replacement. According to Wendy’s Google review, the insurance process became difficult almost immediately. Questions about the roof’s age complicated the claim. Months passed, but the physical condition of the roof did not stop progressing while the paperwork was being discussed.

Project Manager Will Drewry had seen that condition himself. He stayed in contact, kept documenting what he observed, helped obtain independent information about the roof’s age, and remained involved until Wortham Brothers Roofing found a way to complete the roof replacement in Plano TX. The roof was the project. The relationship became the story.

Key Takeaways

• ■ Will Drewry said the roof’s condition immediately concerned him, including areas where he felt he could nearly go through the surface.
• ■ Wendy described a process lasting more than 18 months; Will said doing the right thing kept him involved.
• ■ An independent expert helped verify the roof’s age after Will questioned the 14-year age shown in the insurance information.
• ■ WBR ultimately enrolled the family in its No Roof Left Behind program to bridge the remaining financial problem.
• ■ The completed project used TAMKO Heritage architectural asphalt shingles in Weathered Wood on an approximately 21.5-square roof.

Will Knew the Roof Could Not Wait Forever

When Will first climbed onto Wendy’s roof, the insurance questions were not what concerned him most. The physical condition was.

“When I first got on the roof, its condition immediately concerned me. There were areas where I felt like I could nearly go through it.”

Will did not describe a confirmed structural failure, and the available documents do not establish one. His observation was simpler and more immediate: continued deterioration could eventually allow water into the home and lead to additional damage. He believed the family needed a workable path forward before that happened.

“Wendy was incredibly kind throughout the process,” Will recalled. “I genuinely felt like her family had not received what they needed to address the condition of the roof. I wanted to do everything I could, within our role as the roofing contractor, to help them document the situation and get this roof taken care of.”

Then the Roof Replacement Became an Insurance Battle

Wendy’s side of the story began soon after she bought the house. In her review, she said Allstate initially refused to pay for the replacement and maintained that the roof was too old and therefore her responsibility. Those statements describe Wendy’s experience of the disagreement; they are not an independent accusation about the carrier or its handling of the policy.

The project record identifies an April 27, 2026 storm with approximately 1.75-inch hail affecting the property. The National Weather Service Fort Worth/Dallas also documented a broader North Texas severe-weather episode from April 24 through April 29, including numerous large-hail reports on April 27. That regional record provides weather context. The inspection, photographs, age information, insurance documentation, and policy investigation addressed this individual roof.

According to Wendy, the process continued through repeated setbacks for more than 18 months. A roof can have a physical need for replacement while coverage remains a separate question governed by the policy and carrier. Will could not decide coverage. What he could do was keep providing the roofing information available to him.

Why Will Drewry Kept Showing Up

“For me, it really came down to doing the right thing.”

Will said he genuinely enjoys helping people, and walking away simply because the process became difficult did not sit right with him. Continued support meant answering questions, staying in communication, documenting the roof, explaining construction details, and remaining engaged as new information became available. Wendy’s review describes that consistency from the homeowner’s side: she said Will kept fighting for her family and that Wortham Brothers Roofing treated them “like family.”

There is an important professional boundary. The Texas Department of Insurance states that a contractor performing the roofing work may not act as a public insurance adjuster on the same claim.

WBR’s role was to inspect the roof, document its condition, provide measurements and estimates, explain roofing scope items, and complete the approved work. Coverage interpretation and claim negotiation belong to the carrier, homeowner, and appropriately authorized professionals.

One Number Did Not Look Right: The Age of the Roof

One detail became especially important. Will said the insurance information listed the roof as 14 years old, but the shingles he observed did not appear to match that age. Rather than relying on a disagreement between opinions, the team sought an independent expert who could help verify the roof’s actual age.

“Rather than just disagreeing with the number, we wanted something that could independently verify the roof’s true age. We were able to get that information documented, which helped clarify the situation and ultimately helped reduce the cost burden associated with the roof.”

Roof age can affect how depreciation, remaining service life, and other policy provisions are applied, but those effects depend on the individual policy and facts of the loss. The practical lesson is that basic information should be checked when it appears inconsistent. A contractor can identify the concern and help document the physical roof; the contractor does not determine what the policy covers.

What the Insurance Scope Actually Showed

The private financial details are not necessary to understand the construction. The public-safe portion of the documentation provides a clear picture of the roofing work itself:

That list shows why a roof replacement involves more than shingles. Edge metal manages water at the roof perimeter. Ridge and hip caps protect exposed transitions. Vents, exhaust caps, pipe jacks, and valleys require careful detailing because every opening or change in roof direction can become a leak risk when installed incorrectly.

After 18 Months, There Was Still One More Problem

The claim eventually moved forward, but Wendy said the available payment still did not completely solve the cost of replacing the roof. In her review, she understandably described Wortham Brothers Roofing as absorbing what remained. Will’s interview adds the more specific explanation of how the company was able to bridge that problem.

Finally, a New TAMKO Heritage Roof

Once the long pre-construction process ended, the physical work could finally begin. The crew removed the old roofing, reviewed the exposed decking, prepared the roof, and installed approximately 21.5 squares of TAMKO Heritage shingles in Weathered Wood.

TAMKO Heritage is an architectural asphalt shingle line. The manufacturer describes its TriShield technology as supporting durability, granule retention, and long-term weather protection. Weathered Wood combines brown, clay, and soft gray tones that fit naturally with this home’s established brick exterior. Homeowners can review the Ridgecrest Drive Job Pin to see the documented before, during, and after progression rather than relying on stock photography.

That Is Why We Do This

After everything it took to reach installation day, Will said seeing the family taken care of was a great feeling. He had watched the roof’s condition, stayed through the setbacks, and understood how close the family was getting to possible leaks and further damage.

“After everything they had been through, being able to stay with them, fight for the project, and finally see them get taken care of meant the world to me. At the end of the day, that is why we do this.”

Wendy’s review reaches the same ending from the other side of the relationship. She said Wortham Brothers Roofing treated her family “like family,” and she credited Will and the company for their generosity, commitment, determination, communication, and refusal to give up.

The roof replacement was complete. More importantly, the family that had waited more than 18 months was finally protected.

What Plano Homeowners Can Take From This Story

Wendy’s experience is not a template for every claim. Policies, roof conditions, causes of loss, and coverage decisions differ. The story does offer several practical lessons:

• ■ Document roof conditions. Record the storm date, preserve photographs and inspection notes, and keep receipts for temporary measures or repairs.
• ■ Keep every piece of correspondence. Save estimates, scope documents, emails, letters, and notes from important conversations.
• ■ Read the roofing scope. Compare measurements, tear-off quantities, ventilation, flashing, drip edge, valley components, and separate roof areas with what is physically present.
• ■ Question inconsistent information. Ask for clarification when the listed roof age, measurements, materials, or scope items do not match the available records or observed roof.
• ■ Know the contractor’s role. A roofer documents and prices the physical construction. The contractor does not decide insurance coverage or act as the public adjuster on work it will perform.
• ■ Choose a contractor with staying power. Long processes test communication, documentation, manufacturer relationships, and the resources behind the company’s promises.

For a deeper explanation of the process, read WBR’s Plano hail-damage claim guide. Homeowners researching replacement pricing can also review the Plano roof replacement cost guide.

Need Someone to Look at Your Roof?

If your Plano home has been affected by hail, or you are unsure whether the roof needs repair or replacement, Wortham Brothers Roofing can inspect the system, document its physical condition, and explain what the roofing team finds. We will not promise an insurance outcome. We will give you clear roofing information to help you make the next decision.

WBR has served Texas since 1986, installed more than 128,000 roofs, maintained an A+ BBB rating since 1992, and earned credentials from major roofing manufacturers including Owens Corning Platinum Preferred and GAF Certified Contractor status. Completed residential roofs are supported by a written 10-year workmanship warranty.