Your claim is filed. Now someone from the insurance company wants to come look at the roof. So what actually happens during a roof insurance adjuster inspection, and what should you have ready? Here’s the plain version for homeowners around Berkeley Lake and the rest of Gwinnett County.
Key takeaways
- The adjuster works for the insurance company and reports to it. Their job is to record what they see and write an estimate.
- Most visits include a walk around the house, a climb onto the roof, and a look at soft metals, gutters and sometimes the attic.
- Georgia rules expect insurers to acknowledge a property claim within 15 days of notice, so the process should start moving fairly soon after you call.
- Photos you take before the visit, plus a list of dates and names, make the conversation easier.
- The adjuster rarely gives a final answer on the spot. The written estimate usually comes later.
- You can ask for an itemized explanation of any settlement offer.
The adjuster’s job is to document, measure and estimate
A roof insurance adjuster is the person your insurance company sends to look at the damage and turn it into an estimate. They might be a staff adjuster or an independent adjuster hired for a storm. Either way, they report to the insurer, not to you.
That’s not a bad thing. It just helps to know who is in charge of what. The adjuster gathers facts: photos, measurements, notes on the type of shingle and how old the roof looks. The insurance company then uses that file to decide what the policy pays for. Your policy is the rulebook, so read the parts on roof coverage, and confirm anything unclear with your insurer or agent.
How soon the visit usually happens in Georgia
The timing depends on your insurer and how busy the season is. Georgia’s rules for first party property damage claims say an insurer should acknowledge a claim within 15 days of being notified, and should start its investigation within 30 days when no proof of loss form is required. Those are the state’s rules for insurers, not a promise about any single claim, and big storms can stretch the calendar.
After a wide hail or wind event across north Gwinnett, adjusters can be busy. Homes from Peachtree Corners up through Duluth and Johns Creek may all be filing in the same week. If you haven’t heard back and the time feels long, call your insurer and ask where your claim sits. Write down who you spoke with.
What happens when the adjuster arrives
The visit usually starts on the ground. The adjuster will introduce themselves, ask a few questions about the storm date and what you noticed, and walk the outside of the house. Expect questions like: When did you first see the damage? Has the roof been repaired before? Any leaks inside?
Then they look up. Many adjusters use a ladder and walk the roof if the pitch is safe. On steep roofs they may use a harness, a drone, or photos from a roof edge. Berkeley Lake has plenty of homes on wooded, sloped lots near the lake, and steep, shaded roofs can take a bit longer to get around safely.
Inside, they may ask to see ceiling stains or go up into the attic. That’s where wet decking, daylight through nail holes or stained trusses show up. Clear a path to the attic hatch before they come.
How long it takes depends on the size and pitch of the roof. A simple ranch goes faster than a tall two-story with several slopes and valleys.
What adjusters look for on the roof
Adjusters check for damage that matches the storm on your claim. For hail, that means random hits on the shingles. For wind, it means lifted, creased or missing tabs.
Here’s a typical checklist:
- Shingle hits. Hail can knock off the granules, dent the shingle or crack the mat. The Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety lists displaced granules, denting and breaching as the ways hail damages asphalt shingles.
- Normal aging. IBHS also notes that shingles shed some extra granules over the years, and rain can loosen them too. So an adjuster will try to tell old wear apart from fresh storm hits. Random, scattered marks point to hail. Even wear along edges points to age.
- Soft metals. Dents on gutters, downspouts, roof vents and drip edge help show hail size and direction.
- Test squares. Many adjusters mark off a section on each slope and count hits inside it. The count is one piece of how the insurer looks at each slope.
- Wind lines. Creased tabs and missing shingles on the side that faced the wind.
- Collateral items. Window screens, siding, fences, a mailbox or the AC unit can all show hail marks too. They help prove the storm hit your property.
How to get ready for adjuster day
Good prep makes the visit smoother and keeps the facts straight. The Georgia Office of the Commissioner of Insurance and Safety Fire suggests photographing damage, keeping copies of every written message, and logging each call with the date and the person’s name. That’s simple advice, and it works.
A short prep list:
- Take your own photos. Shoot from the ground. Get the gutters, downspouts, vents you can see, and any shingles in the yard. Don’t climb the roof yourself.
- Write down the storm date. Note what you saw, like hail on the deck or limbs down on your street.
- Gather paperwork. Your policy, claim number, and any records of past roof work or a recent replacement.
- Keep damaged pieces. Set aside fallen shingles or bent vent caps so the adjuster can see them.
- Hold off on permanent repairs. The state’s tip sheet warns that a claim can be denied if permanent repairs are made before the damage is inspected.
- Clear access. Unlock the gate, move cars from the driveway, and make room at the attic hatch.
Many homeowners also ask their roofer to come out first. A roofer’s own photos and measurements give you something to compare against the adjuster’s notes later on. You can see how that works on our insurance claim assistance page.
Who should be there during the visit
You, if you can. Be friendly, answer questions honestly, and point out what you noticed. You don’t need to argue a point on the roof. Just make sure they see every spot you’re worried about.
Some homeowners have their roofer there too. A roofer can point out damaged areas on the roof that are easy to miss, like the back slope or the flashing around a pipe boot. The adjuster still makes the notes and the insurer still makes the call. The roofer is there to show what’s there, not to haggle.
If you can’t be home, ask the adjuster to call you after the visit and walk you through what they found.
What comes after the inspection
The adjuster sends a report to the insurance company, and you’ll usually get a written estimate later. Don’t expect a yes or no in the driveway. Some adjusters will share their general view on the spot, but the paperwork is what counts.
When the estimate arrives, read it next to your photos. Look for each slope, the number of squares, drip edge, starter strip, ridge cap, vents and flashing. If something you know was damaged isn’t on there, that’s where a supplement can come in. Your roofer can send the insurer added photos and measurements for missed items. The storm damage repair work can then follow whatever the insurer approves.
The state’s tip sheet also says you can ask the adjuster for an itemized explanation of a settlement offer. If a claim is denied, ask for the reason in writing. And if something still feels off, the Georgia insurance office has a Consumer Services Division that takes questions about how a claim is handled.
Getting the most out of a short visit
The visit itself is short, but the file it creates sticks around. So the real goal is simple: make sure the adjuster leaves with a clear picture of every damaged slope and every dented metal part. In Berkeley Lake, where tall trees hide parts of a roof from the street, that often means pointing out the slopes nobody can see from the driveway. Have your photos, your dates and your questions ready, and ask for the estimate in writing.
If you’d like a roofer to photograph the roof before your adjuster comes, or to stand on the roof with them that day, our insurance claim help is built around exactly that. Roofing Pros Berkeley Lake can also walk you through what a storm damage repair looks like once the estimate is in, and you can find more on our homepage.