What Does an Insurance Adjuster Look For on a Roof?
If hail or wind damaged your roof and you file a claim, your insurance company will send an adjuster to look at it. For most homeowners, this is the first time they have been through the process. Knowing what happens during the visit, and how to prepare, makes it much less stressful.
Before the Adjuster Arrives
- Get your roof inspected first. A roofer can tell you whether there is damage worth reporting and photograph it before the adjuster comes.
- Write down the storm date. Note when the storm hit and anything you noticed, such as hail size, leaks, or shingles in the yard.
- Take your own photos. Pictures of dented gutters, vents, cars, fences, and any interior water stains are useful.
- Protect the house. If the roof is leaking, get it tarped and keep the receipt. We provide emergency tarping 24 hours a day.
- Read your policy. Check your coverage and the time limit for reporting damage.
During the Inspection
The adjuster usually starts on the ground, looking at gutters, downspouts, siding, windows, and other items around the house. Then they get on the roof, or use a drone or ladder-mounted camera, to look at the shingles. Many adjusters mark a test square on each slope and count the hail hits inside it. They also check the soft metal, the ridge caps, and any areas you or your roofer pointed out. The visit usually takes under an hour.
It helps to have your roofer there. When you ask us to, we meet the adjuster on site, walk the roof together, and point out the damage we documented. Two people looking at the same roof at the same time leads to fewer missed spots.
After the Inspection
The adjuster writes up an estimate based on what they found and sends it to you. The insurance company decides what the policy covers, and their decision comes in writing. Read the estimate closely and compare it with what your roofer documented. If something was missed, such as a slope, the gutters, or the vents, ask your insurance company how to have it reviewed.
What a Roofer Does and Does Not Do
A roofer's role is to inspect and document the damage and show it to the adjuster. Coverage decisions belong to your insurance company, and no contractor can promise how a claim will turn out. Be cautious with anyone who knocks on your door right after a storm with big promises about your claim.
At Different Roofing, we keep it simple. We give you a free inspection with photos, explain what we found, document the damage, and meet your adjuster on site if you file a claim. If the roof needs work, we do the repair or replacement and back every roof we install with a lifetime workmanship warranty. Se habla español.
Call (682) 400-6163 to schedule a free roof inspection anywhere in Dallas–Fort Worth.