Whats the best way to handle Home Insurance Claim Adjusters during damage estimate of my house?

Having once worked as an adjuster specializing in large construction property losses, (while also handling some homeowners claims) I would humbly suggest all may not be as it seems.

Certainly, the large insurance company vs the individual homeowner does not seem like a fair match but the individual that comes to your home and makes recommendations is not the sum total of that large company’s experience. He may have seen a lot of damage before or he may be just out of property damage estimating school.

Primarily, he is the eyes and ears of the company. If he is a little better he will be a capable manager that can handle the claim. (Gathering evidence and opinions to support recommendations, I frequently hired or consulted a large group of experts including photographers, contractors, engineers, lawyers, and other investigators.) A step above that is someone who may be particularly perceptive at sorting out misrepresentation and understanding policies and legal requirements. His ultimate quality is the ability to marshal all of the above in particularly difficult settlement negotiations. Property adjusters are sometimes more trained and therefore stay as adjusters longer than associates handling workman’s compensation or auto claims.

The adjuster makes recommendations and has limited settlement authorization. If the claim is above the smallest of losses he will have to be making a report and his recommendations will have to be approved. He does not usually get points for the number of minimum settlements. (Those bean counters are further up the ladder.) He will “get points” for the number of settlements based upon sound recommendations. Settling claims at a minimal but satisfactory amount is a factor that is balanced by needing to process and dispose of the number of claims outstanding. More recently, I have had occasion to be on the other side of a claims issue, one of my first questions to the adjuster was how many claims is he currently handling. And so my negotiations began along with the discussion of the scope of the damage.

You make his job easier by presenting the claim in a way that is easy to understand without a lot of heartache. He cannot compensate you for the trouble the damage has caused you only the damage itself. His job is not even to repair the damage. He is only there to compensate for the damage and not personally take responsibility for doing any repair. (Although repairs not done can incur future penalties and most policies will require you to mitigate damages (make initial repairs to prevent further damage.) After initial visits, reminding him of the claim without being annoying will help to move the claim toward settlement.

You want to avoid disputes. I usually feel that it is better to state your position clearly instead of hoping the adjuster will not take a position against you and then you have to try and change his mind. If you hold something back and then have to bring it up later it will just look suspicious. Avoid it. To that end, I would suggest you get the necessary estimates. More than one. If asked, present them. If not, at least, make sure all the elements of the damage are viewed by the adjuster and you are only awaiting a price tag on each. If you have a claim that includes peripheral damage (foundations, underlying structure…) or unusual damage (historical landmark) you may need an expert’s report (contractor’s or engineer’s ect…) to support the claim. If you have a contractor and the adjuster will negotiate with him about the damage let the experts haggle.

The company does have one thing on its side. Misrepresentation of a claim is a crime. The companies can sometimes be a little slow, but they are not entirely stupid and not particularly forgiving. Present your claim. Don’t go overboard in your demands and if you make out well take your money and very quietly walk away.