The short answer
An adjuster inspects the damage, applies the policy and produces an estimate for the insurer. Have your documentation, the mitigation invoice and your contractor's scope available at the inspection, walk the damage with them, and raise scope disagreements as written questions about specific line items instead of as general objections.
What the adjuster is actually doing
They inspect the damage, determine what the policy responds to, and produce an estimate the insurer settles from. They are applying terms someone else wrote, which is why arguing about fairness rarely moves anything and arguing about scope frequently does.
They are also working from what is visible on the day. Damage that has already been removed, or that sits inside a closed assembly, has to be evidenced instead of seen.
What to have ready
Photographs from before mitigation, the mitigation invoice and drying records, the plumbing or roofing invoice for the source, and your contractor's written scope if one exists yet.
Having the contractor present for the inspection is often worth arranging. Two people who both write scopes for a living can resolve in ten minutes what takes three emails otherwise.
Start the restoration request
Need restoration service for this property?
Send the address, callback number and a short description of the damage. You do not need to diagnose the problem before requesting help.
Handling disagreement
Scope disputes are resolved item by item. "The estimate is too low" goes nowhere; "the estimate omits the base plate and the adjoining closet, and here are the readings" goes somewhere.
Put each point in writing with the supporting evidence attached, and keep the tone procedural. Supplemental claims for items discovered later are a normal part of the process, not an exception.
A short preparation list
Assembled before the visit, this is usually the difference between one inspection and three.
- Photographs taken before anything was moved
- The repair invoice identifying what failed
- A written list of affected rooms and materials
- Your contractor's scope, if it exists
- A note of anything already removed, with photographs
- Your policy number and the claim reference
Concealed damage discovered later
Opening walls routinely reveals more than the first inspection could see. That is what a supplemental claim is for, and it is expected.
Photograph each discovery as it is made and report it promptly rather than accumulating findings for one large submission at the end.
Keep the project moving
Mitigation should not wait for the adjuster. Policies generally require you to prevent further damage, and drying delayed for a scheduling reason makes the loss worse and harder to argue.
Reconstruction is the phase where waiting for agreement is appropriate. Drying is not.
After a regional event in Vermont
Following a widespread freeze or flood across Chittenden and the surrounding counties, adjusters carry heavy caseloads and inspections can be delayed. That is precisely when mitigation should proceed on your own documentation instead of waiting.
Keep an unusually complete record in those periods: photographs, readings and dated notes. When an adjuster is working through a backlog, the claim with a clear evidence file is the one that moves quickly.
The adjuster visit
The table shows what to bring and what to ask.
| Item | Why | Who provides it |
|---|---|---|
| Photos and timeline | Show the condition and events | Property owner |
| Mitigation invoice | Shows work done | Restoration company |
| Contractor's scope | Shows what is needed to repair | Contractor |
| Line-item questions | Resolve scope disagreements in writing | Property owner |
Clear answers
Common questions
Can my contractor be present for the inspection?
Usually yes, and it often helps. Two people who both write scopes can resolve disagreements far faster in person than by email.
Is the adjuster on my side?
The adjuster applies the policy on behalf of the insurer. That is not adversarial by default, but it is why organised evidence matters more than argument.
Should I be present at the adjuster's inspection?
Yes if you can. It is your opportunity to point out damage that is not obvious, and to hear what is being recorded. Bring your photographs.
What if I disagree with the adjuster's scope?
Put the disagreement in writing with specifics, the areas, the readings, the items, instead of as a general objection. Your restoration company's documented scope and moisture readings are the evidence for that conversation.
Authoritative references