The inspection
What not to say to an insurance adjuster
Do not guess at dates, do not guess at causes, and do not minimise the damage out of politeness. The field adjuster's notes become the claim file, and offhand remarks are recorded as statements. "It might have been leaking a while" becomes long-term wear and tear, which is excluded from essentially every homeowners policy. The safe and entirely honest answer to anything you do not know is that you do not know.
The five that cost money
| What people say | How it lands | Instead |
|---|---|---|
| "It might have been leaking a while." | Long-term wear and tear, which is excluded. | "I first noticed it on [date]." |
| "The roof was getting old anyway." | Deferred maintenance, and heavier depreciation. | "It was in good condition before the storm." Only if true. |
| "It's probably not that bad." | A quote in the file that reduces scope. | "Here is everything I have documented." |
| "I think the wind did it, or maybe the tree." | Causation, offered by you, used against you. | "I have documented the damage. Causation is your assessment." |
| "So we're looking at about twelve thousand?" | An anchor, verbally, that you set low. | "I'd like the complete line-item estimate in writing." |
What to do instead
Be present, be straightforward, and be organised. Bring your printed photograph index. Walk every elevation and every slope with them rather than letting the inspection become one slope and a handshake. Point out interior and collateral damage explicitly, and note in your log that you did. Photograph what they photograph, including any test squares they mark on the roof.
None of this is adversarial. Most field adjusters are working a heavy caseload and will record what they are shown. The failure mode is usually omission rather than malice, and the fix for omission is a homeowner who is present with a list.
Ask these, and write down the answers
- Full name, employer, licence number, and whether they are staff or independent.
- Which estimating platform the estimate will be produced in.
- Whether you will receive the complete line-item estimate, all pages, rather than a summary.
- Whether depreciation will be applied, and whether it is recoverable.
- Whether they expect any part of what they are seeing not to be covered.
Immediately after the visit, write your log entry while it is accurate, then send a short, polite email confirming your understanding of what was inspected and what was said. A contemporaneous written record that went unchallenged carries real weight later, and it takes five minutes.
One thing you should absolutely say
If a contractor has offered to cover or waive your deductible, do not mention it to the adjuster, mention it to nobody, and simply do not do it. It is insurance fraud and in most states accepting makes you a party to it. Why that offer appears when it does.
Questions
What should you not say to an insurance adjuster?
Avoid guessing at how long a problem has existed, speculating about what caused the damage, minimising the damage out of politeness, accepting a verbal figure as final, or admitting fault or deferred maintenance you are not certain about. None of this means being evasive. It means not converting uncertainty into a recorded statement, because casual speculation is written down and repeated back later.
Should I be present when the adjuster inspects?
Yes. Homeowners who attend, point out specific damage and take their own photographs end up with materially better documented claims than those who leave the adjuster to it and receive a summary afterwards. Reschedule if you need to. Whatever is not recorded during that visit effectively did not happen as far as the file is concerned.
Can I record the adjuster's inspection?
Recording laws vary by state, and some require the consent of all parties, so ask first. Taking photographs of what the adjuster photographs is uncontroversial and nearly as useful. Writing a dated summary the same day, and emailing a short confirmation of what was discussed, achieves most of the same result without any legal question.
What should I ask the adjuster?
Their full name, employer and licence number. Whether they are staff or an independent contracted to the carrier. What estimating platform they use. Whether they will provide the complete line-item estimate rather than a summary. And directly: is there anything you are seeing that you expect will not be covered. Write the answers down with the date.