Roof Claim Answers

What techniques do insurance adjusters use to inspect a roof?

Short answer. Adjusters rely on test squares on each directional slope, chalk marking and photographing of hail hits, a touch test for soft bruises, checks of soft metals for dents, and close looks at shingle edges for wind creasing. On older roofs they may also test how brittle the shingles are, and many now add drone photos and aerial measurements.

Test squares

The adjuster outlines a 10 by 10 foot area on each slope that faced the storm, counts qualifying hits inside it, and photographs the square with the count. Sampling every directional slope matters because hail usually falls at an angle and damages some slopes more than others.

Touch and look

Hail bruises often feel soft, like a bruised apple, because the mat underneath is fractured, even when granule loss looks minor. Adjusters run a hand over suspicious spots and look for exposed asphalt, cracks and punctures in a random pattern.

Wind checks

For wind, they look for creases across tabs where shingles folded back, broken seal strips, and missing shingles, usually starting at edges, corners and ridges where uplift is strongest. See wind damage roof claims.

Soft metal analysis

Dents in vents, gutters and downspouts show the size and direction of hail. Some inspectors rub chalk sideways across metal so shallow dents show up in photos.

Brittleness and repairability

On older roofs, an adjuster or roofer may gently lift a tab to see whether it cracks. Shingles that break when lifted cannot be repaired cleanly, which supports replacement over spot repairs; see partial replacement and matching.

Ruling out look-alikes

Blisters, foot traffic scuffs, nail pops and age-related granule loss get excluded, which is where many disputes start. Wear and tear vs hail damage explains how to tell them apart.

Technology

Drones photograph steep slopes safely, and aerial measurement reports supply roof size and pitch. Close-ups still matter: a drone image from high above can miss bruising that a hand finds immediately.

In depth

How should you prepare for the insurance adjuster's roof inspection?What to gather before the roof adjuster arrives, who should be there, what to say and not say, and what not toWhat is a hail test square, and how many hits does a roof need?How adjusters use 10 by 10 test squares to count hail hits per slope, why 8 to 10 hits is a carrier guideline,How do you ask your insurance company to reinspect your roof?When a second roof inspection makes sense, how to request it in writing, what evidence to send, who should att

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