How to Deal with the Insurance Company's Adjuster

When you file an insurance claim, the insurance company sends their adjuster to evaluate your loss. This person works for the insurer, not for you. They may be a staff adjuster — a full-time employee of the company — or an independent adjuster hired as a contractor. Either way, their job is to assess your claim on behalf of the company that is paying them.

This does not automatically make them your adversary. Many adjusters are fair, professional, and competent. But you need to understand the dynamic. They are not your advocate. Their employer has a financial interest in the outcome of your claim. Knowing this, and knowing your rights, will put you in a much stronger position from day one.

Types of Adjusters You May Encounter

Not all adjusters are the same. Understanding who you are dealing with helps you calibrate your expectations and your approach.

• Staff adjustersare full-time employees of the insurance company. They are salaried, handle claims as their daily job, and typically have access to the company’s internal systems and authority structures. They know the company’s playbook because they work inside it every day.
• Independent adjusters (IAs)are contractors hired by the insurer, especially after catastrophes and disasters when claim volume overwhelms the company’s staff. IAs are often paid per file or by the hour. They may be less familiar with your specific type of loss, and their sheer workload after a disaster can result in rushed inspections.
• Desk adjustershandle claims remotely and never visit the property. They review photos, documents, and estimates from behind a screen. This is increasingly common in the industry, and it is a major red flag for complex claims. In 2025 U.S. Senate testimony, a veteran adjuster described how one major insurer has turned field adjusters into “picture takers and estimate writers” who submit their work to desk reviewers who approve or deny claims and dictate revisions — without ever visiting the property. Internal data showed this insurer reduced 27% of field estimates through desk review while increasing only 9%. A desk adjuster cannot see what they do not look for, and they cannot look for what they are not physically present to find.
• Public adjusters work for you, the policyholder. They are licensed separately from company adjusters and are retained by the homeowner, not the insurer. A public adjuster advocates for your interests, prepares your claim, and negotiates directly with the insurance company on your behalf. This is what I do. Learn more about working with a Public Adjuster.

Your Rights When Dealing with the Adjuster

You have more rights than most policyholders realize. Know them before the adjuster arrives.

• You have the right to be present during inspections. Do not let anyone tell you otherwise. It is your property and your claim.
• You have the right to have your own representative present — a public adjuster, an attorney, or a contractor of your choosing. The insurer cannot exclude them.
• You have the right to record conversations. California is a two-party consent state, which means you must inform the adjuster that you are recording. Once you do, they cannot refuse to speak with you solely because you are recording. And the recording protects you both.
• You have the right to request the adjuster’s name, license number, and the entity they work for. Get this information at the start of every interaction. Write it down.
• You have the right to a copy of the adjuster’s estimate and all claim-related documents. Under 10 CCR 2695.7(d), the insurer must provide a written explanation for any denial or partial payment. The California Department of Insurance (CDI) notice of rights also requires that you be told what additional documentation, if any, is needed and what your rights are under the policy.
• You do NOT have to accept their first offer. The initial estimate is a starting point, not a final answer. You have every right to dispute it.
• You do NOT have to sign anything on the spot. Any document the adjuster asks you to sign can be taken home, reviewed, and discussed with your own representative before you commit.

What to Do Before the Adjuster Arrives

The work you do before the inspection is just as important as what happens during it. Preparation is the difference between a policyholder who gets pushed around and one who drives the process.

• Document everything yourself first. Walk every room, every exterior wall, every attic space, every crawlspace. Take photos and videos with timestamps. Measure affected areas. Create your own written record of every area of damage you can identify.
• Make a written list of all damage you have identified. This is your roadmap for the inspection. You will use it to make sure the adjuster sees everything.
• Have your policy available. Know your coverages, your limits, and your deductible. If you do not understand something in your policy, that is fine — but know what is in there so you can ask informed questions.
• Secure the property but do NOT begin permanent repairs. You have a duty to mitigate further damage (board up broken windows, tarp the roof, stop the water), but you should not start permanent reconstruction until the insurer has had an opportunity to inspect. Keep all receipts for any emergency repairs.
• Keep all damaged items if possible. The insurer has the right to inspect damaged personal property. Do not throw anything away until the adjuster has had a chance to see it and you have documented it thoroughly.

During the Inspection

The inspection is the single most important event in the early life of your claim. What the adjuster documents (and what they miss) will shape the entire trajectory of your settlement.

• Walk the property WITH the adjuster. Do not let them inspect alone. You need to be there to point out damage, answer questions, and see what they are (and are not) looking at.
• Point out ALL damage, including areas that are not immediately obvious — behind walls, in attics, under flooring, inside cabinets, on the backside of the house. If you do not point it out, there is a good chance they will not find it.
• Take notes on what they examine and what they skip. If the adjuster never goes in the attic, never looks behind the drywall, or never opens certain rooms, document that. It matters later.
• Ask questions. What are they including in their scope? What are they excluding? Why? You do not need to argue on the spot, but you need to understand what they are documenting and what they are leaving out.
• Be honest but do not volunteer information that was not asked. Answer questions truthfully and completely. But you are not required to narrate your life story or speculate about causes. Stick to what you know and what you observed.
• Do not sign a release or accept a check on the spot. If the adjuster offers you a check or asks you to sign something during the inspection, decline politely. Tell them you need to review it first. This is standard — do not let anyone pressure you into making immediate decisions about your claim.

Common Adjuster Tactics to Watch For

Most adjusters are not bad people. But many of them use approaches — whether by habit, training, or corporate pressure — that work against policyholders. Here are the most common ones I see after 20 years in this business:

• Rushing the inspection. Spending 15 to 20 minutes on a claim that should take half a day. This almost always results in missed damage and an artificially low estimate.
• Only examining easily visible damage. If it is not obvious from the middle of the room, they may skip it. Hidden damage — behind walls, under flooring, in attic framing — is where the real money often is, and it is exactly what gets left out.
• Labeling damage as “pre-existing” without real evidence. This is one of the most common tactics. The adjuster sees wear and writes it off as unrelated to the loss. Unless they have documentation from before the loss proving the condition pre-existed, this is speculation — and you should push back.
• Recommending repairs when replacement is warranted. Patching drywall instead of replacing it. Cleaning carpet that needs to be pulled. Repainting one wall instead of the whole room for matching purposes. Repairs are cheaper than replacement, and that is exactly why they push for them.
• Discouraging you from hiring a public adjuster or attorney.“That will just slow things down” or “You do not need that, we will take care of you.” The reason they say this is because professional representation consistently results in higher settlements. They know this.
• Lowballing the initial estimate. The first number is almost never the right number. Many insurers start low hoping the policyholder will accept it out of frustration, financial pressure, or simply not knowing better.
• Being overly friendly to build trust before delivering a low number. There is nothing wrong with a pleasant adjuster. But if the charm offensive is followed by an insultingly low estimate, the friendliness was a negotiation strategy, not genuine concern.

After the Inspection

The inspection is not the end of the process. It is the beginning. What you do next determines whether the adjuster’s estimate becomes your settlement or just the opening number in a negotiation.

• Request a copy of their estimate. You are entitled to the full, line-by-line estimate. Do not settle for a summary or a lump-sum number. You need to see every line item so you can compare it to reality.
• Compare it to your own documentation. Go through the estimate item by item. What did they include? What did they leave out? Does the scope match the damage you documented? Are the quantities accurate?
• Get independent estimates from licensed contractors.Have at least one (preferably two) licensed contractors walk the property and provide written estimates for the repair or replacement work. These are your evidence that the insurer’s number is low.
• If the estimate is low, dispute it.You have every right to challenge the insurer’s estimate. Respond in writing, identify each discrepancy, and attach your contractor estimates and supporting documentation.
• Consider hiring a public adjuster if the gap is significant.If the difference between the insurer’s number and the actual cost of repairs is substantial, professional representation can make a significant difference. A public adjuster will prepare a proper scope, document all damage, and negotiate on your behalf.

The Adjuster Carousel

One of the most frustrating tactics some insurers use is reassigning your claim to a new adjuster multiple times — three, four, sometimes five different adjusters on a single claim. Each new adjuster has to “get up to speed,” which means your claim stalls while they review the file. And many of them start the process over from scratch as if nothing before them happened.

This is not always intentional — adjusters leave, get promoted, or are reassigned. But when it happens repeatedly on a contested claim, the pattern speaks for itself. The delay wears the policyholder down and increases the pressure to accept a lower settlement just to be done with it.

When to Get Professional Help

You do not need professional help on every claim. A straightforward, small claim with a reasonable adjuster can often be resolved directly. But there are situations where trying to handle the claim yourself puts you at a serious disadvantage:

• The claim is large — generally over $50,000 in damages. The larger the claim, the more the insurer has at stake, and the more sophisticated their approach will be. You need equally sophisticated representation.
• The adjuster’s estimate seems significantly low.If licensed contractors are telling you the repairs will cost two or three times what the insurer is offering, something is wrong with the insurer’s scope.
• The insurer is delaying or not responding. Missing regulatory deadlines, failing to return calls, repeatedly requesting documents you have already provided — these are signs that the insurer is not handling your claim in good faith.
• You are being asked to submit to an Examination Under Oath (EUO).An EUO is a formal, recorded examination conducted by the insurer’s attorney. If the insurer is requesting one, the claim has escalated and you should not attend without your own professional representation.
• The claim is denied and you believe it should be covered. A denial is not the final word. But fighting a denial requires a detailed understanding of policy language, California insurance law, and the specific facts of your loss.

If any of these apply to your situation, consider reaching out for a consultation. A public adjuster can evaluate your claim and tell you whether professional representation is likely to make a meaningful difference. If your situation involves potential bad faith or a coverage dispute that may lead to litigation, an insurance attorney may also be appropriate.