Your claim is filed, and now there’s a date on the calendar: the insurance adjuster is coming to look at your roof. If you’ve never been through it, the visit can feel like a test you didn’t study for.
It doesn’t have to. The adjuster’s visit is a fact-finding trip, and you can help the facts come through clearly. This guide covers who the adjuster is, how to get ready, what they look for, what “scope” and “supplement” mean, and what to do if you disagree with the result.
Who the Adjuster Works For
When you file a claim, your insurance company assigns a claims adjuster to assess the damage. According to the Colorado Division of Insurance, once the adjuster finishes the assessment, they provide documentation of the loss to your insurance company, which uses it to determine your claim settlement.
Three different people can show up in a claim, and it helps to know which is which:
- The insurance company’s adjuster inspects for your insurer. Your insurer determines coverage.
- A public adjuster is licensed by the Colorado Division of Insurance and works for you, usually for a fee that’s often a percentage of the claim. You’re not required to hire one. If you do, the Division suggests checking the license and references and reading the contract carefully.
- Your roofing contractor documents the damage and can be there to point it out. Under Colorado law, a roofer can’t claim to be or act as a public insurance adjuster. A roofer can discuss the scope of repairs with your insurer on your behalf once you have a valid contract with that roofer (C.R.S. 6-22-105).
How to Get Ready for the Visit
- Find your policy. Your deductible and coverage are on the declarations page. If you don’t have a copy, Colorado law requires your homeowner’s insurer to send you one, including the declarations page and endorsements, within three business days of your request (C.R.S. 10-4-110.8, subsection 10).
- Pull together your records. The date of the storm, your photos, and notes on what you noticed and when. If you haven’t taken photos yet, our guide to spotting hail damage from the ground shows you what to shoot.
- Note the inside, too. Ceiling stains, damp spots, and anything water damaged are part of the story. Point them out.
- Protect the roof if it’s open. The Division of Insurance tells homeowners to prevent further damage, for example by putting a tarp on the roof. If water is coming in, call for emergency storm tarping before the adjuster visit, and photograph the damage first if you can do it safely.
- Tell your contractor the time. If you’ve hired a roofer, let them know when the adjuster is coming so they can be there.
What the Adjuster Looks For
The adjuster’s job is to see what the storm did and document it for your insurer. On a hail or wind claim, the visit typically includes:
- The roof itself. Shingles on each slope, looking for hail hits, cracks, missing pieces, and lost granules. Many adjusters walk the roof, measure it, and photograph what they find.
- The metal on and around the roof. Vents, flashing, pipe boots, gutters, and downspouts. Soft metal often shows hail clearly.
- The rest of the exterior. Siding, window screens, trim, and paint, especially on the side of the house that faced the storm.
- Inside the house. Water stains or other damage you’ve reported.
The adjuster is also sorting storm damage from everything else. As the Division of Insurance puts it, repair work for damage that was not part of the storm won’t be covered. Normal wear, age, and an old installation problem are a different question from what a hailstorm did last week. That’s one reason careful documentation matters: photos taken soon after the storm, with dates, help show what’s new.
Why It Helps to Have Your Contractor There
An adjuster may have a long list of houses to see after a big storm. Your contractor has already been over your roof and has the photos. With both on site, the contractor can point out each area of damage they documented, so nothing legitimate gets missed during the visit.
What your contractor can’t do is decide your claim. Your insurer determines coverage, and no roofer can promise you a payout or change what your policy covers. The value of having your roofer there is a complete, accurate record of the damage. That’s all it should be.
What “Scope” Means
After the inspection, your insurer puts together an estimate. The scope is the list of damaged items and the repairs that estimate includes: which roof slopes, how many vents, which sections of gutter or siding, and so on.
When a partial loss is settled on an estimate prepared by or for your insurer, Colorado law requires the insurer to give you a copy of that estimate (C.R.S. 10-4-120). Read it line by line. Compare it with your own photos and your contractor’s assessment. Is every damaged slope there? The vents? The gutters and siding on the storm side? The Division of Insurance also suggests asking the adjuster for an itemized explanation of the settlement offer.
The same law requires your insurer to tell you that you may choose any repair business you want. The choice of roofer is yours.
What a “Supplement” Is
The first estimate isn’t always the final one. Once a roof comes off, a crew can find damage nobody could see during the inspection. The Division of Insurance explains how that’s handled: it’s important to give your insurer information about the additional damage before letting the repair work continue. The insurer reviews it and issues a supplement if approved.
A supplement is for storm damage that turns up during the work. It doesn’t cover upgrades or damage the storm didn’t cause.
The value of having your roofer there is a complete, accurate record of the damage.
What to Do If You Disagree
If the estimate seems to miss damage, or the claim is denied, the Colorado Division of Insurance suggests these steps:
- Ask for an itemized explanation of the settlement offer.
- Ask for the specific policy language behind any part you disagree with.
- Get any denial in writing. The letter should explain the reason and name the policy language the denial is based on.
- Get more quotes. If you have questions about the value of your claim, the Division suggests getting several quotes from contractors.
- Contact the Division if you need to. The Division’s consumer services team answers questions about insurance and the claims process, and you can file a complaint with the Division.
Beyond the Division’s steps, you can also hire a licensed public adjuster, as described above, or talk with an attorney about your situation.
One more right to know about: if you signed a roofing contract and your insurer then denies the claim, in whole or in part, Colorado law lets you cancel that contract within 72 hours after you receive the written denial (C.R.S. 6-22-104). The deadline is short, so read your contract as soon as the letter arrives.
This post is general information, not legal advice. Every policy is different, so ask your insurance company about your own coverage.
How We Work With Your Adjuster
Here’s how the claim process works with us:
- Free inspection. We document your roof and exterior with photos and a detailed damage assessment.
- Claim guidance. We walk you through filing with your insurance company.
- Adjuster visit. We can be there when your adjuster inspects and point out the damage we documented. Once you’ve hired us under a signed contract, we can also discuss the scope of repairs with your insurer on your behalf.
- Quality build. Our crew installs to manufacturer spec, cleans up completely, and stands behind the workmanship.
Note: Ingenubuild documents damage and helps coordinate your claim. We do not waive, rebate, or absorb insurance deductibles, which is prohibited under Colorado law. Your insurer determines coverage.
Have an adjuster visit coming up? Start with a free inspection, so you have photos of the damage and a clear picture of what the storm did. Call (970) 649-6469 or request your free inspection online. We respond within 24 hours. Read more about our storm and insurance restoration work.
