The Adjuster's Roof Inspection: What They Measure and What to Say

Everything before this meeting is preparation and everything after it is argument. The adjuster walks the roof once, writes a scope, and that document becomes the number. Damage they do not record is damage you are paying to fix yourself unless you can reopen it later with evidence.

What the adjuster is measuring

They are answering three questions: is this damage from the peril you reported, is it from the date you reported — which they check against the Environment and Climate Change Canada weather record — and how much surface area does it affect. On a hail claim that usually means:

• Test squares. A marked area, commonly 10 ft × 10 ft, on each slope. They count hail strikes inside it. Many insurers use a threshold — often around eight to ten strikes per test square — to decide whether a slope is replaced or repaired.
• Directionality. Hail comes in on a bearing. Damage concentrated on the north and west slopes with clean south slopes is a credible hail pattern; damage scattered evenly is more likely to be read as age.
• Collateral evidence. Dents in soft metals tell the story: gutters, vents, flashing, garage door, the air conditioner fins, and the top of the fence. Adjusters check these because they cannot be faked and cannot be blamed on age.
• Pre-existing condition. Curling, cupping, exposed nail heads, prior repairs. This is where a claim gets reduced to “wear and tear”.

Why we stand on the roof with them

Not to argue — to make sure the same things get looked at. In practice, the items that get missed when nobody is up there are consistent:

• Back slopes and dormers that are awkward to reach
• Ridge cap and hip shingles, priced separately from field shingles
• Damaged pipe boots, vent hoods and furnace flashing
• Valley metal that has been struck but not perforated
• Soft-metal collateral on the far side of the house
• Steep-pitch and second-storey access, which change the labour rate

When these are recorded in the field notes on the day, they are part of the scope. When they are raised three weeks later they are a supplement, and a supplement needs photographs, a written justification, and patience.

How to prepare for the visit

1. Have your own report in hand. Dated, photo-documented, slope by slope. You are not required to show it, but it means you know what is up there.
2. Clear access. Move vehicles, unlock the gate, secure the dog, and make sure the attic hatch is reachable — interior evidence matters on leak claims.
3. List the interior damage. Ceiling stains, insulation, drywall. Walk them through it before they go up, not after.
4. Take your own photos of their visit. Where they placed test squares, what they photographed.
5. Write down what was said. Names, times, and any verbal commitment about scope. Follow up by email the same day: “confirming what we discussed today”. That email is worth more later than the conversation was.

After the meeting

You should receive the estimate within one to three weeks, longer after a widespread event. Read every line. If your roofer’s scope and the insurer’s scope disagree, the difference is almost always in the items listed above, not in the price per shingle. See how a roof insurance claim works in Alberta and, if it comes back short, what to do about a denied or underpaid claim. Whether the shortfall is depreciation rather than scope is answered by ACV vs RCV, and the claims overview covers the rest of the mechanism.