What should I not say to a roof insurance adjuster?
Start here: an adjuster is not your enemy, and you should never lie to one. But they are writing down what you say, and a few casual phrases genuinely cost people money.
Most of what gets written online about this is aimed at helping you outsmart the adjuster. That is bad advice. Adjusters talk to homeowners all day, they can tell when they are being handled, and misrepresenting a loss is a fast way to get a claim denied outright.
The real problem is different. Homeowners volunteer guesses, and a guess gets recorded as a fact.
1. Guessing when the damage happened
"I think it has been like that a while." That sentence can turn a covered storm loss into a wear and tear denial. If you do not know, say I do not know. That is a complete and honest answer.
2. Guessing at the cause
"Probably just old." "Maybe the wind from a few years ago." Cause of loss is what the adjuster is there to determine. You are not required to have a theory, and offering one that undercuts your own claim helps nobody.
3. Downplaying it to be polite
Nebraskans do this constantly. "Oh it is not that bad." You are being decent, and it goes in the file. Describe what you observed without grading it.
4. Accepting a number on the spot
You do not have to agree to anything at the inspection. An estimate is a starting point, and if items get missed there is a supplement process. Saying "that sounds fine" before you have seen the written scope closes a door you may want open.
5. Saying yes to a recorded statement without knowing why
Sometimes these are routine. Sometimes they are not. It is reasonable to ask what it is for and to have it scheduled rather than done on the spot.
What to say instead
- Stick to what you observed. The date of the storm, what you found afterward, photographs you took.
- Use "I do not know" freely. It is not a weak answer. It is an accurate one.
- Ask for the test square locations and hit counts for each slope in writing.
- Ask whether soft metals were inspected, meaning gutters, vents and flashings.
- Ask what the re-inspection process is if you disagree with the estimate.
Have your contractor on the roof at the same time. One person walking one slope for twenty minutes does not see a whole roof. Damage on the back of the house, the dormers and the garage counts the same as damage facing the street, and somebody has to point at it.
You are allowed to use any contractor you want for this. Your insurer may have a preferred program, and a recommendation is not a requirement. Who works on your house is your call.
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