Guide · Updated October 13, 2026

What to expect at the insurance adjuster’s roof inspection

Short answer: The adjuster photographs and measures the roof, checks gutters, vents and other surfaces for storm marks, and examines test areas on each side of the roof for hail or wind damage. Be there, bring your photos and the date of the storm, and answer honestly. Your roofer can attend and point out damage, but only your insurer decides what is covered. In Utah the insurer must acknowledge a claim within 15 days and accept or deny it within 30 days of a complete proof of loss. Helping homeowners through this is what we specialize in: we have been through more than 500 storm damage claims, and we are on the roof with the adjuster at every one.

We go through it with you

Helping homeowners through a storm damage claim is what 360 Roofing specializes in. We have helped homeowners through more than 500 storm damage claims. Our job is to make sure you are treated fairly: that every bit of storm damage is found, documented and shown to the adjuster. We also make sure you understand each step before you sign anything.

Before the adjuster comes. We inspect the roof, photograph every slope, and tell you plainly what we found.
At the inspection. We are always available to meet the adjuster, and we go up on the roof with them. We show them what we documented.
After the inspection. We go through the adjuster’s estimate with you. If it leaves out work the roof needs, we write the supplement.
To the end. We stay with you through the claim and the build, until the roof is finished.

We meet adjusters from most of the insurance carriers in northern Utah on roofs every storm season, so we know how they work and what they need to see. The claim stays yours, and your insurer decides what is covered.

Before the adjuster comes

The Utah Insurance Department’s advice for a home claim is short:

Take photos and video of the damage, inside and out.
Stop it getting worse. Make the temporary repairs needed to prevent more damage, such as a tarp over a leak, and keep every receipt.
Hold off on permanent repairs until your insurer has inspected.
Write down the date of the storm and anything you noticed afterwards: shingles in the yard, dents in gutters, a new ceiling stain.

Have your policy number and your photos ready, and clear the way to the attic hatch if there is a leak inside.

What the adjuster looks at

Everything around the roof first. Gutters, downspouts, vents, fences, decks and the fins on the air conditioner. Hail leaves marks there that show its size and direction.
Test areas on the roof. For hail, adjusters commonly mark a 10-foot by 10-foot square on each side of the roof and examine it up close, by eye and by hand.
The whole roof, for wind. Wind damage shows as creased, torn or missing shingles, so the full surface is checked.
Inside, if there is water damage. Ceilings, walls and sometimes the attic.
Measurements and photos for the written estimate.

Not every mark counts. In the hail assessment method published by Haag Engineering, hail damage means the shingle is punctured, torn or fractured. Blisters, scuffs from foot traffic and ordinary wear are not hail damage, and some loss of granules alone usually isn’t treated as damage either.

What to say, and what not to

Say what you know. The date of the storm, what you saw, where it leaks.
Don’t guess. “I don’t know how old that damage is” is a fine answer.
Don’t exaggerate. The Utah Insurance Department’s advice is blunt: never falsify or inflate your actual damage. Under Utah Code 31A-31-103, giving false, incomplete or misleading information that is material to a claim is a fraudulent insurance act.
Ask questions. What happens next? When will I hear back? Is my policy replacement cost or actual cash value?
Take notes, including the adjuster’s name and phone number.

What a roofer can and can’t do in Utah

A roofer can inspect the roof, document the damage, write an estimate, be present at the adjuster’s inspection and answer questions about the work. That is everything we do for you, on every claim.

A roofer cannot negotiate or settle your claim. In Utah, investigating, negotiating or settling a claim on a policyholder’s behalf is “insurance adjusting,” and it takes a license (Utah Code 31A-26-102 and 31A-26-201). The licensed professional who represents a homeowner is a public adjuster, and Utah caps a public adjuster’s fee at 10% of a catastrophic claim and 20% of any other.

Two more Utah rules protect you on an insurance-paid roof:

No deductible deals. A contractor may not rebate or offer to rebate any part of your deductible (Utah Code 13-50-302).
You can cancel if the claim is denied. If your insurer denies any part of the claim, you may cancel the roofing contract within five business days of receiving the written denial (Utah Code 13-50-202).

After the inspection: the estimate

The adjuster’s estimate uses a few terms worth knowing.

Replacement cost value (RCV): what it costs to repair or replace, with nothing taken off for age.
Actual cash value (ACV): replacement cost minus depreciation. A replacement-cost policy often pays this first.
Recoverable depreciation: the difference between the two, paid on a replacement-cost policy once the work is done and you send proof. Policies set a time limit, often six months to a year.
Deductible: the part of the claim you pay.

On request, your insurer must document each deduction it took for depreciation, and any payment must come with an explanation of how the amount was calculated (Utah Administrative Code R590-190).

How fast your insurer must act in Utah

Step	Deadline
Acknowledge your claim	Within 15 days
Answer a question or request from you	Within 15 days
Accept or deny, or explain why more time is needed	Within 30 days of a complete proof of loss
Send a status update if the claim is still open	Every 45 days after that
Pay a covered loss	Within 30 days of written proof of the loss and its amount

These are calendar days, from Utah Administrative Code R590-190. If an insurer misses them or won’t explain a denial, you can file a complaint with the Utah Insurance Department online. The Department can’t force a claim to be paid, but it takes the complaint up with the company.

If you disagree with the result

Ask for the reason in writing, with the policy provision.
Send what was missed. Photos, measurements and your roofer’s written estimate. Ask for a re-inspection.
Check the matching rule. On a replacement-cost policy, Utah requires repairs to give a reasonably uniform appearance. See the 25% rule and Utah’s matching rule.
Consider a public adjuster or an attorney for a large or disputed claim. Those are the people licensed to argue it for you.

How we help with storm damage

Sources

Utah Code 31A-26-102, 31A-26-201 and 31A-26-402 (insurance adjusters); Utah Code 31A-31-103 (fraudulent insurance acts).
Utah Code 13-50-202, 13-50-302 and 13-50-303 (Residential Construction Contracts Act).
Utah Administrative Code R590-190, Unfair Property, Casualty, and Title Claims Settlement Practices Rule.
Utah Insurance Department: Home Claims Information; Complaints; Protecting Yourself from Fraud.
National Association of Insurance Commissioners: Post-Disaster Claims Guide; A Consumer’s Guide to Home Insurance.
Haag Engineering: Assessing Hail Damage (2019); wind damage assessment (2021); Hail Damage to Asphalt Roof Shingles.

Questions

Does 360 Roofing help with the insurance claim?: Yes. It is what we specialize in. We have helped homeowners through more than 500 storm damage claims. We document the damage, meet the adjuster on the roof, go through the estimate with you, and write the supplement if it misses work the roof needs. We don’t negotiate or settle the claim; in Utah that takes an adjuster’s license.
Do I need to be home for the adjuster’s inspection?: You should be. The National Association of Insurance Commissioners advises being there, taking notes, and asking what happens next and when you will hear back. If there is damage inside, the adjuster will need to come in.
Can my roofer be there when the adjuster inspects?: Yes. The NAIC’s home insurance guide says it might help to have your contractor meet with you and the adjuster. A roofer can show the damage and answer questions about the estimate. We always attend, and we go up on the roof with the adjuster. A roofer can’t negotiate or settle the claim for you.
What should I not say to the adjuster?: Don’t guess and don’t exaggerate. If you don’t know when the damage happened or what caused it, say so. Under Utah law, giving false or misleading information that matters to a claim is insurance fraud.
How long does the insurance company have to decide?: Under Utah’s claim rules, an insurer has 15 days to acknowledge your claim, and 30 days after it receives a complete proof of loss to accept or deny it or explain why it needs more time.
What if the adjuster missed damage?: Tell your insurer. The NAIC’s advice is to contact your insurance company and adjuster any time you find damage that hasn’t been reported or inspected. Send photos, and ask for a re-inspection if needed.
What if my claim is denied?: Ask for the denial in writing; Utah’s rules require the insurer to cite the policy provision it relied on. If you signed a roofing contract that depended on the claim, Utah law lets you cancel it within five business days of receiving the written denial.
Can the roofer cover my deductible?: No. Utah law prohibits it. See can a roofer pay my deductible in Utah?

Storm damage? We inspect the roof, meet your adjuster on it, and stay with you through the claim. Free inspection.

Logan (435) 750-9400 · Ogden area (801) 285-9400 · Salt Lake Valley (801) 807-9400

This guide is general information, not legal or insurance advice. Your policy and your insurer decide what is covered. Laws and rules cited were read in October 2026. Last updated October 13, 2026.