Desk vs Field Adjuster
A desk adjuster works from photos and documents. A field adjuster inspects the damage at your house in person.
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Which one handles your claim usually depends on the size of the damage. A small roof leak or a cracked window often gets settled by a desk adjuster working from photos and a contractor estimate. A house fire or major storm damage usually brings someone out to walk the property. Some claims start at a desk and move to a field visit if the paperwork doesn't add up. If your offer seems low, ask whether anyone actually inspected the house.
If the adjuster handling your claim never set foot in your house, the estimate reflects what showed up in photos, not what a contractor would find pulling back drywall or walking the roof. That gap is where claims get underpaid. Checking what another policy would pay for the same damage, or how it handles the next renewal, costs nothing and takes a few minutes.
What happens if you disagree with the adjuster's number
Start by asking the adjuster to walk you through how the number was reached. A written estimate should break out labor, materials, and any deductions for depreciation. If a category seems thin, like a roof section that was measured from a satellite photo instead of a ladder, say so and ask for a reinspection. This is a normal request, not a confrontation, and most insurers have a process for it.
If you have a contractor's estimate that is higher, send it over with specifics. Cover the same damage, the same areas, the same scope of work as the adjuster's estimate. A general statement that the offer feels low won't move anything, but a line-by-line comparison might. Photos help too, especially ones showing damage that might not be visible in whatever the adjuster worked from, like water staining inside a wall cavity or cracked flashing under shingles.
Every insurer has an internal appeal process, and your policy or your state's department of insurance can tell you how to use it. This usually means asking for a supervisor review or a second inspection, and it costs you nothing to request. Some policies also include an appraisal clause, where each side hires an independent appraiser and a third umpire settles any difference between them. That clause is in your policy if it's there, and it's worth reading before you assume your only options are accepting the offer or suing.
If the claim was denied outright rather than underpaid, ask for the denial in writing with the specific policy language cited. Denials based on a misread exclusion or an incomplete inspection get reversed more often than people expect, but only when someone pushes back with documentation. A public adjuster, hired directly by you rather than the insurer, can also handle this for a percentage of the payout, which makes more sense on a large claim than a small one. Keep every estimate, photo, and piece of correspondence along the way. A claim that goes to appraisal or a second review moves faster when the paper trail is already organized.
How long does the claims process usually take
A small claim handled entirely at a desk can close in a week or two once the adjuster has photos, a contractor estimate, and proof of ownership. Field inspections add time because someone has to schedule a visit, walk the property, and write up findings afterward, so expect something closer to two to four weeks before you see a number. Larger claims, especially ones involving structural damage or a fire, often take longer because the scope of repair has to be confirmed before anyone can price it.
Weather events complicate the timeline in a way that has nothing to do with your specific claim. After a hurricane or a widespread hailstorm, insurers are often working through thousands of claims in the same region at once, and field adjusters get booked out. If your area was hit by a large event, ask early whether your inspection date is firm or tentative, and whether a desk adjuster could move things along faster by working from photos in the meantime.
Your state sets rules for how long an insurer can take to acknowledge a claim, make a decision, and issue payment once a decision is made. These deadlines are usually measured in business days from when you filed, not from when the adjuster visited, so filing promptly matters even if you know an inspection will take a while to schedule. Your insurer can tell you the specific deadlines that apply, and missing one on their end is something worth raising if a claim seems stalled.
Supplemental damage, the kind found once repairs start and a wall gets opened up or a roof deck gets exposed, usually restarts part of the clock. The contractor documents the new damage, sends it to the adjuster, and the insurer has to evaluate it separately from the original estimate. This is routine on larger repairs and not a sign that something has gone wrong, but it does mean the first check you get is often not the last one if the damage turns out to be more extensive than the initial inspection showed.
Before you sign off on anything
Check your declarations page for an appraisal clause, and ask the adjuster whether your estimate came from a site visit or from photos alone. Both take a few minutes and could change what you do next.
