If you don’t have insurance at all, or if you have an ACV policy that does not cover the cost of repairs, in this scenario you should shop around. You are not subject to House Bill 2102, so if you can find a contractor to do it for less it is to your advantage. In this scenario you may want to keep the insurance’s offer to yourself.

But if you have Replacement Cost in your policy, discounting the roof means discounting your depreciation check at the end. And keeping your estimate a secret will not allow your contractor to see if items are missing. He or she will not be able to supplement your claim. It doesn’t help you at all and it hurts your contractor.