Should My Contractor Meet the Insurance Adjuster?

Short answer: Yes. An adjuster is assessing a roof they have never seen, in a limited window, and having the contractor present with photographs and a line-item scope means the assessment happens against evidence rather than impressions. What a contractor must not do is negotiate the claim on your behalf — that is a separately licensed activity.

Not legal advice, not a coverage determination. United Developers is a licensed roofing and general contractor. We are not a public adjuster, not an insurance agent, and not a law firm, and adjusting or negotiating a claim on a homeowner's behalf is a separately licensed activity that we do not perform. Nothing on this page decides whether your loss is covered. Coverage depends on your specific policy, its endorsements and exclusions, the cause of loss, and your carrier's own determination. Read your policy, talk to your carrier, and consult a licensed professional about your particular situation. What we do is document the physical condition of your roof accurately and scope the repair honestly.

What actually happens at an adjuster inspection

Almost every dispute that follows comes from one of two things: something on the roof was not seen, or something necessary was not included in the scope. Both are addressable at the inspection and much harder to address afterwards.

What a contractor legitimately does there

Points out physical damage the adjuster might not otherwise get to — a rear slope, a low-slope section behind a parapet, the back of a dormer, the collateral evidence on soft metal and downspouts.
Provides the photographic record taken at the original inspection, dated and addressed, including anything that has since been covered by an emergency tarp.
Provides a written line-item scope so the conversation is about specific items rather than a lump sum.
Raises the necessary items that get missed in a fast estimate: flashing, drip edge, ventilation, ice-and-water coverage, disposal, permit fees, and code-required work.
Answers technical questions about the assembly, the slope, and what the correct system for that slope is.
Confirms access and safety so the adjuster can actually get to the areas in question.

What a contractor must not do

Negotiate your claim. In both Maryland and Virginia, advocating and negotiating on a policyholder's behalf in a claim is a licensed activity, and the licence is a public adjuster's licence, not a contractor's. A contractor who tells you they will "handle the insurance company for you" is either being loose with language or describing something they should not be doing. We document, we scope, we attend, we answer technical questions. Your claim is yours, and if it reaches the point where you need someone to advocate for you, that person is a licensed public adjuster or an attorney, and we will say so.

They also must not create or exaggerate damage, ever, for any reason. That is fraud, the exposure lands on you as the policyholder, and it is entirely unnecessary when the real damage is documented properly in the first place.

How to set the meeting up so it is useful

Ask your carrier for the adjuster's inspection date as soon as it is set, and tell them your contractor will be present. This is completely normal.
Have the photo report ready — dated, addressed, and organised by elevation.
Have a written line-item scope, not a lump sum, so items can be discussed individually.
Be present yourself if you can. It is your property and your claim, and it keeps everyone straightforward.
Ask for a copy of the adjuster's estimate and read it against the scope line by line afterwards.

The honest caveat

An adjuster meeting is not a negotiation you win by turning up with the right person. Most adjusters are doing a reasonable job under time pressure, and most disagreements are about specific items rather than about good faith. The value of having the contractor there is entirely about evidence and completeness. If someone is selling the meeting as a tactic, be sceptical of the rest of what they are telling you.

Should My Contractor Meet the Insurance Adjuster — common questions

Does it cost me anything to have you at the adjuster meeting?

No. It is part of how we handle a documented storm loss, and the inspection and photo report are free regardless of whether you hire us for the work.

What if the adjuster and my contractor disagree?

Then it becomes a factual conversation about specific line items, which is exactly why the scope should be itemised. Disagreements about whether a slope has hail damage are settled with photographs. Disagreements about whether flashing is included are settled by reading both documents.

Can my contractor sign anything on my behalf?

No, and you should not want them to. Be especially careful with any document that assigns claim benefits to a contractor. Read anything you are asked to sign, take it indoors, and do not sign on a doorstep.

The adjuster already came and I was not represented. Is it too late?

No. You can request a re-inspection with your contractor present, and it is a normal request. Better documentation is new information and carriers will generally look at it.

Get the damage documented, free

Whatever you decide to do about a claim, the useful first step is knowing what is physically on your roof. Our inspection and dated photo report are free and the report is yours to keep whether or not you hire us — hand it to your carrier, to another contractor, or to nobody at all. We inspect across Montgomery, Prince George's, Howard, Anne Arundel, Frederick and Baltimore counties and Baltimore City in Maryland.