answer:If you’ve received the money, then it’s yours to do with as you wish. (If you don’t repair or replace the roof, then the rest of your homeowner’s policy will probably be invalidated, though. Without a proper roof, there’s no way to protect the rest of the structure… or contents.) Make a firm price contract with the roofer for less than you’ve received in cash, if possible. If you have a “time and material” contract, then he can blow through the estimate in all kinds of ways. The contract will be between you and the contractor. He won’t “send in an invoice” to the insurer if you’ve already received a settlement check. You pay from what you’ve received.