What actually happens after you file, and where a contractor legitimately fits.

The process has a shape, and knowing the shape removes most of the anxiety in it. You report, a claim is opened, an adjuster inspects, a scope is written, and a decision follows. A contractor appears at exactly two points in that sequence and has no standing at the others. Here is the sequence, and here is where we are and are not involved.

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A roof valley between two shingle planes, fine granule sediment collected along one side.

In short

You contact your carrier or agent and open the claim. You will be given a claim number and, in most cases, an adjuster assignment. This step is yours. A contractor should not be opening a claim on your behalf and we will not offer to.

An adjuster inspectsThe carrier sends an adjuster, staff or independent, to examine the property. They are working for the insurer. You are entitled to be present, and to have your contractor present to describe the construction condition and the scope of work we would perform.
A scope and estimate are issuedThe carrier produces its own itemised scope of repair and a settlement position. It arrives as a document, often long, and it is worth reading line by line against what the roof actually requires — which is a construction question, and the one part of this we can help with.

Where a contractor legitimately fits

Two places. On the roof, describing observed condition, and on paper, itemising the construction work. If a carrier's scope omits a component the installation genuinely requires, we can document that component and provide our own itemisation. We are describing construction, not disputing coverage, and whether anything is revised is the carrier's call.

If you disagree with the outcome

This is where a contractor stops being the right person entirely. Many policies contain an appraisal provision for disputes over amount. A licensed public adjuster can represent you in the claim. An attorney handles a legal dispute. The Texas Department of Insurance takes consumer complaints. None of those roles is ours.

Timing is not something we control

Adjuster availability, carrier workload, weather events across the region, and re-inspections all move the schedule, and after a large storm they move it considerably. We schedule our work against decisions that have actually been made, not against ones we expect.

Questions

Useful answers, without overpromising.

Should I get a contractor before or after the adjuster visit?

Either works. Having a documented condition record before the visit means the conversation starts from evidence rather than memory. Having a contractor present during the inspection means construction questions get answered on the roof instead of in a follow-up.

Can you tell me what my adjuster will decide?

No, and be wary of anyone who will. The carrier decides. What we can do is make sure that whatever they decide, it is decided against a complete record of the property rather than a partial one.

What if the carrier's scope misses something the roof needs?

We document the component, explain why the installation requires it, and provide our itemisation in writing. That is construction documentation. Whether the carrier revises its position is entirely theirs to determine.

Can work start before the adjuster has been out?

Emergency protection can, and where water is coming in it should — stopping further damage is expected of a property owner. Full repairs are a different matter, because the condition someone was coming to examine no longer exists once it has been rebuilt. Where work has to happen first for safety, photograph everything thoroughly beforehand and keep the invoices. What a carrier makes of any of it is their determination and not ours.

Will filing a claim affect my premium or my policy at renewal?

We do not know and we will not speculate. That is an underwriting question, and the only people who can answer it about your policy are your agent and your carrier. It is worth asking them before you file rather than after, because it is one of the few parts of this you can find out in advance. Anyone in this trade who tells you confidently what your carrier will do afterwards is guessing at your expense.

Assessment request

Tell us what is happening at the property.

Short, routing-only questions. Nothing here asks you to diagnose the roof yourself.