When hail hits Oklahoma, Jonathan Spyres knows what comes next. The owner of IT RoofTech in Tulsa says his crews can spot storm damage easily with high-tech equipment — but lately, getting insurers to pay for repairs has become the real battle.
And one company, he says, stands out for the wrong reasons: State Farm, the country’s largest homeowners’ insurer.
The case that pushed him over the edge was a 90-year-old State Farm customer who had been with the insurer for more than 60 years. When a storm ripped half the man’s roof off, Spyres documented the damage and the homeowner filed a claim.
State Farm denied it.
“It really irks me,” Spyres told FOX23. “He’s been with you since 1958, and this is a slam dunk” (1).
For Spyres, that denial marked the moment he realized something bigger was going on — and national data shows he may be right.
The frustrations Spyres describes are not limited to Oklahoma.
Across the U.S., insurers are increasingly closing homeowners’ claims with no payment at all. A 2024 review of 14 major insurers found nearly 48% of claims were closed unpaid (2).
Consumer Reports researchers say they’ve tracked mounting complaints that insurers are delaying, minimizing or refusing legitimate claims as premiums continue rising to record highs (3).
Those trends match what Spyres says he’s experiencing on the ground — including his “slam dunk” case that got rejected.
Tulsa attorney Christopher Camp told FOX23 he’s also noticed an unusually high number of denials linked to State Farm in recent years. He characterizes many as bad-faith denials.
“An insurance company has an obligation to fully, fairly and promptly investigate all claims,” Camp said. “They can’t unreasonably delay or deny claims they know are valid.”
Spyres says several homeowners he’s worked with ended up suing State Farm — and they won.
But in 2024, State Farm shifted tactics.
“They’ve rewritten the script,” he said. “They’ll approve it — but not really put any funds to it.”
In one example he shared with FOX23, materials for a roof replacement cost $16,000, yet State Farm paid just $11,000.
He says the biggest sticking point is code-required upgrades, which are legally required to bring a roof up to Oklahoma’s building standards.
A June 26, 2025 special notice from the Oklahoma Insurance Department reminds insurers that if a policy includes ordinance or law coverage, code-related costs must be covered, whether or not a local authority actively enforces the code (4) .
Spyres says he sends this notice to adjusters repeatedly — but often gets no response.
Even on his own home, he says State Farm denied some required code costs.
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Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond told FOX23 his office has opened an investigation into insurers’ handling of claims.
“I find the insurance coverage for Oklahoma homeowners to be out of balance,” Drummond said. “Roofing companies that do good work are not being fully remunerated. That’s simply wrong.”
The state’s Insurance Commissioner said he issued the bulletin about code coverage after receiving multiple complaints from roofers about claim underpayments — though he declined to name specific companies.
State Farm told FOX23 it is “committed to paying what we owe promptly, courteously and efficiently,” and urged customers to contact their agent or claim handler if they have concerns.
The company also pointed to the Insurance Information Institute — a nonprofit funded by insurers — which has warned that some roofing companies overcharge for materials or unnecessary add-ons.
Consumer attorneys say rising denial and underpayment rates make it especially important for homeowners to watch out for two red flags:
1. A denial that comes fast — even when the damage seems obvious
Experts say quick denials without thorough inspection are becoming more common as insurers look to reduce payouts. 2. An approved claim that doesn’t cover code items or full material costs
If your policy includes ordinance and law coverage, the Oklahoma Insurance Department says code-related items “should be applied.”
Homeowners should also be aware: if a contractor isn’t fully paid, they can place a lien on your home — even if the insurer is the one shorting the bill.
Most homeowners don’t think about their insurer until a storm tears through their roof. By then, switching companies won’t fix the immediate problem.
Consumer experts say this is the moment to review:
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Whether your policy is replacement cost or actual cash value
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Whether it includes ordinance and law coverage
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Your insurer’s complaint history in your state
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What happens if you dispute a claim estimate
In a year when nearly half of claims nationwide ended with no payment, it’s worth knowing exactly who’s on your side.
We rely only on vetted sources and credible third-party reporting. For details, see our editorial ethics and guidelines.
FOX23 (1), Weiss Ratings (2), Consumer Reports Advocacy (3), (4) Oklahoma Insurance Department
This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
