Public Adjuster FAQ | Scope & Price

The basics

What is a public adjuster?

A public adjuster is a state-licensed insurance professional who represents the policyholder — never the insurance company — in preparing, documenting, negotiating, and settling a property damage claim. When you sign with us, we take on a fiduciary duty to you.

Isn’t the insurance company’s adjuster already handling my claim?

There are three kinds of adjusters, and two of them work for the carrier. Company adjusters are insurer employees. Independent adjusters are contractors hired by the insurer. Public adjusters are the only type hired by and answerable to you.

Should I hire a public adjuster or an attorney?

For most property claims, a public adjuster is the right first move: we handle the documentation, estimating, and negotiation that decide claims, typically at a lower percentage than attorneys charge. Attorneys become the right tool when a claim turns into a legal dispute.

Are you licensed?

Yes. Public adjusters are licensed and regulated by each state’s insurance regulator. Scope & Price is licensed in Maryland and Virginia — our individual license numbers are listed at the bottom of every page.

Fees and money

How much does it cost to hire Scope & Price?

Nothing upfront, ever. We work on contingency: a percentage of the recovery, agreed in writing before we start, compliant with state regulations. We only get paid when you do.

What if there’s no recovery?

Then you owe us no fee. That’s the whole point of contingency — the risk sits with us, and we only take claims we believe in.

Is a public adjuster worth the fee?

On underpaid and complex claims, the difference between the carrier’s first number and a fully documented claim routinely exceeds the fee many times over. During your free review we’ll tell you honestly whether we can add value.

Will the insurance company be upset that I hired you?

Hiring a public adjuster is your legal right as a policyholder, and carriers deal with us every day. Carriers cannot legally retaliate against you for exercising your rights under the policy.

Timing — when to bring us in

When is the best time to hire a public adjuster?

Before the claim is filed, ideally. A claim set up correctly on day one settles faster and fights less. That said, we step in at any stage: mid-claim, after a partial payment, or after a denial.

My claim was denied or underpaid. Is it too late?

Usually not. We re-open files by re-documenting the loss — often finding damage the original inspection missed — and re-negotiating from evidence the carrier hasn’t seen. Policy deadlines do apply, so the sooner you call, the more options you have.

I already accepted a payment. Can I still recover more?

Often, yes. Accepting a payment usually doesn’t waive your right to supplemental amounts for damage that was missed or undervalued — unless you signed a release saying otherwise.

How long will my claim take?

It depends on the size of the loss, the carrier, and how hard they fight. Straightforward claims can resolve in weeks; large or disputed losses can run months. What we control is momentum.

The process — working with us

What does the process look like?

Four steps. Review: a free read of your policy and loss. Scope: we document everything with 3D modeling, drone orthomosaics, thermal imaging, and moisture readings. Price: we build a line-item estimate in the carrier’s own software. Recover: we negotiate until the settlement matches the damage.

What do I need to get started?

Your insurance policy — that’s it. If you have photos, prior estimates, or carrier correspondence, bring those too, but don’t wait on paperwork to make the first call.

Do you do the repairs too?

No — and you should be wary of anyone who offers to both adjust your claim and profit from the construction. Your contractor rebuilds; we scope the loss, price the claim, and fight for the funding.

What’s Xactimate, and why does line-item estimating matter?

Xactimate is the industry-standard estimating software most carriers use. We build our estimates in the same line-item format so the negotiation happens inside the carrier’s own framework — with the measurements and scans to prove every number.

Why all the technology — 3D scans, drones, thermal cameras?

Because a claim is only as strong as its documentation. The damage that drive-by inspections miss is exactly the damage that goes unpaid. We turn “it looks dry” into data.

How will I know what’s happening with my claim?

You’ll have a direct line to your adjuster — not a call center — with regular updates. Our online claims portal is coming soon: live status, documents, milestones, and messaging.

Common fights we win

The carrier says it doesn’t owe for “matching.” Half my siding will be a different color. Is that right?

Push back. Your policy promises to restore the property to pre-loss condition, and a two-tone wall isn’t it. Carriers routinely refuse matching claims they would lose if pressed — this is one of the most common underpayments we correct.

The carrier won’t pay my contractor’s overhead and profit. What should I do?

Overhead and profit — typically 10% and 10% — is a real cost of any job complex enough to need a general contractor. We document why the job warrants a GC and fight for O&P as a line item, not a favor.

The carrier’s pricing is way below what contractors actually charge. Can they do that?

The policy owes the real-world cost to repair or replace, up to policy limits — not the number in a pricing database that lags the market. We document actual market costs and file supplements for the difference.

The carrier says my roof can be repaired. My contractor says replace. Who’s right?

Repair-versus-replace turns on evidence: substrate and deck condition, the roof system’s age, whether matching shingles exist. This is exactly where our moisture readings, deck testing, and orthomosaic mapping decide arguments.

What is “bad faith”?

Bad faith is when a carrier fails its contractual and legal obligations — unreasonable delays, misrepresenting policy provisions, denying without a reasonable investigation. A clean, complete claim file is both the best prevention and the best proof.

Should I even file a claim? The damage looks minor.

Have it validated before you notify the carrier. Some damage that looks minor is a full claim hiding in plain sight, and some visible damage genuinely isn’t worth filing. A free inspection tells you which one you have.

Public adjusting, answered straight

The basics

Fees and money

Timing — when to bring us in

The process — working with us

Common fights we win

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