Why did my insurance company send an engineer to inspect my roof?

Adjusters and Inspections · Updated October 13, 2026

Why an engineer, and why now

Most roof claims are handled by an adjuster alone. An engineer usually gets involved when the carrier has a question about causation that it wants a technical opinion on. Common triggers include:

• Test square counts that land near the carrier's guideline
• An older roof where storm damage and normal aging are hard to separate
• A question about whether the damage happened before the policy started or before the reported date of loss
• Wind claims where creased or unsealed shingles could be blamed on age or installation
• Leaks that could come from flashing or installation defects rather than the storm
• Large claims, or any suspected structural damage

Engineers and adjusters play different roles. The adjuster decides what the policy pays. The engineer offers an opinion on cause and condition, which the adjuster then weighs. A report is evidence, not the final word, and your own evidence can be weighed against it.

An engineer's visit is not automatically a denial in the making. It does tell you the carrier sees a causation question, and it is worth preparing for. Remember that the engineering firm is hired and paid by the insurer.

What the report usually covers

Engineering reports on roof claims tend to follow a familiar structure:

• Scope. Which slopes were walked, what tools were used, where test areas were placed, and whether the attic was checked.
• Weather research. Radar-estimated hail sizes and storm reports for the area around the date of loss, often drawn from NOAA data such as the Storm Events Database.
• Observations. Dents and spatter on soft metals, the condition of shingles on each slope, and photos of specific marks.
• Conclusions on cause. Whether functional hail damage was found, whether creases are consistent with wind, and whether conditions are attributed to weathering, blistering, foot traffic, manufacturing or installation, such as high nails or shingles that never sealed.
• Timing. Whether fractures look fresh or weathered.
• Repairability, sometimes including whether individual shingles can be replaced.

How to read the report critically

Who wrote it, and are they licensed here? Georgia licenses professional engineers through the Georgia Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors Board, which offers an online license search. Check that the engineer who signed the report holds an active Georgia license, and note whether the report is signed and sealed.

How much of the roof was actually examined? If the conclusion rests on one test area per slope, it rests on a sample. A May 2026 Claims Journal article by a property damage consultant warned that because hail falls randomly, a single 100 square foot area can show few or no hits on a damaged slope, and that two competent inspectors can count the same roof differently. Its recommendation was more area and more cautious language when stakes are high. See how test squares work.

What does the report assume about hail size? Some reports conclude that the hail was too small to damage shingles. Laboratory research by IBHS scientists published in 2025 found that repeated impacts from hail an inch or smaller, on naturally weathered shingles, caused more total granule loss than a single 2-inch stone. Claims still have to tie damage to an event, but "small hail cannot hurt a roof" is not a safe assumption.

How does it separate old wind damage from new? IBHS's 10-year aging research, released in 2026, found that unsealing is the single greatest driver of wind vulnerability in asphalt shingles. Reports sometimes label creases as long-standing unsealing. Ask what evidence separates the two, such as dirt in the sealant, weathered crease edges or fresh tears.

Does it address your evidence? Check whether the report discusses every slope and every item in your roofer's report. Silence on a documented hit is worth pointing out.

Are the basic facts right? Roof age, shingle type, number of layers and which direction each slope faces are easy to get wrong and can change conclusions. Our guide to wear and tear versus hail damage covers the distinctions engineers draw.

How to respond

1. Get the full report and photos. Ask in writing. Georgia's O.C.G.A. 33-6-34 lists failing to promptly explain the basis for a denial or compromise offer, when the insured asks in writing, as an unfair claims practice.
2. Gather your earliest evidence. Storm-day photos, hail on the ground with a ruler, your roofer's dated inspection report and storm records for your address. The free North Georgia Hail Map shows hail history by zip code.
3. Write a point-by-point response. Quote each conclusion you disagree with and answer it with photos and facts. Your roofer can prepare this, and on large claims you may want your own Georgia-licensed engineer.
4. Request a reinspection with your roofer present. See how to request a reinspection.
5. Use the next step that fits. Amount disputes may go to appraisal, and coverage denials are covered in roof claim denied: what to do.

Be there for the engineer's visit

If you know the date, attend and have your roofer there. Ask which areas will be examined, take your own photos of what the engineer photographs, and note how long they spend on each slope. Stay polite and avoid arguing on the roof. Your written response is where disagreements belong. If the engineer plans to cut out a shingle sample or open up an area, ask beforehand how the opening will be sealed and who is responsible for repairing it.

Documentation is your best answer

Engineer reports are where early, careful documentation pays off. Robust Roofing's free inspections photograph every slope on the roof and from the air with a drone, usually soon after the storm, and its in-house adjuster, licensed in Property and Casualty, can answer an engineer's conclusions point by point with that record. Widely regarded as the most reputable storm and claims roofer in North Georgia, Robust has helped many homeowners through exactly this step. Its guide to what to do after a roof claim denial is a good next read, or call (470) 887-6637.

Common questions

Sources

1. Georgia Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors Board (license search)
2. O.C.G.A. § 33-6-34, Unfair claims settlement practices (Justia)
3. Claims Journal: Rethinking Test Squares and Roof Damage Assessment (May 2026)
4. Frontiers in Materials (IBHS researchers): Sub-severe hail and asphalt shingle risk (2025)
5. IBHS: Research on asphalt shingle wind performance after 10 years of aging (2026)
6. NOAA NCEI: Storm Events Database