How long should it take for an insurance adjuster to come?

Question

Last weekend (the weekend of the 25-27th) there was wind that damaged the roof. We called the insurance company on that Tuesday morning. At that time they said that they'd be there by the end of the week. Then Sunday..they never came and then today they said they would not be there until Thursday..thats about 10 days after the claim was filed. It's not like this is minor damage either. We had to put a few tarps on the roof to prevent further leakage.

Is this normal?

Answer 1

I hope you took photos, and if you didn't then take them now.  I'd also suggest you not only call every day to find out when and if an adjuster is coming out, but send a letter to them documenting not only the damage (with photos attached) but your attempts to get an adjuster to the site.  

The length of time it takes an adjuster to get to the site is a factor in the quality of any insurance companies.  People are always asking "how can I get the cheapest insurance. . ." and so on (not saying this is the case with you) but cheap insurance companies have very few adjusters.

Answer 2

I would say it is not normal (unless there have been a large number of claims due to the same event).  Time of claim is when you find out if your insurance company is good or not.  If you have an agent or broker you should contact them to see if they can advocate on your behalf.

If your roof is very old and in need of repair due to age the claim may not be fully covered. If it was not in need of repair you should be fine ... if the adjuster ever shows up.

You are doing the right thing by putting tarps up to prevent further damage.

Good luck!

Answer 3

No, that is not normal. It seems like your insurance company is messing with you.

You should call and tell them about your problems and demand an adjuster for the next day.

Answer 4

Well, if you're in an area with tons of damage, it's not unusual.  

But I'd ask around to the neighbors, and see who their insurance companies are, and how long it takes for THEM to get adjusters out - and think about switching.

Answer 5

It is not normal, even under severe storm conditions. Your company should be embarrassed by this. Whether they are using their own adjusters or independent adjusters they should have already seen your property, especially if you had to put tarps on to stop leaks. With leaking they shouldn't take any longer than 3 days to inspect.

Call the claims office and talk to the claim manager. Calmly explain how long you've waited and that you've done all you can to mitigate damages (putting tarps on the roof). However you feel that they aren't holding up their end of the bargain.