An adjuster's job is to write down what happened and put a number on it. That number depends heavily on what they can see when they walk the property. If damage has already been cleaned up, covered, or rained on again, you are asking them to take your word for something they never saw. Do the documenting first.
Start outside, before you touch anything you do not have to touch. Photograph the roof from the ground at each side of the house, then get closer shots of anything obviously wrong: missing shingles, lifted flashing, dented vents or gutters, granules piled up in the downspouts or on the ground below them. Hail damage often looks like small dark bruises on the shingle rather than a hole, so look for that pattern instead of expecting something dramatic. Get pictures of any tree limbs, fence sections, or siding that came down, and leave them where they landed until the adjuster has seen them if it is safe to do so.
Inside, look for water stains on ceilings, especially in upper rooms and closets near exterior walls. Check attics if you can get up there safely, since a slow roof leak often shows in the attic decking before it ever reaches a ceiling below. Photograph any warped flooring, bubbled paint, or soft drywall. Write the date on a piece of paper and put it in the frame of each photo, or at least keep a written log of when each picture was taken, because insurance photos with no timestamp are easy to argue with later.
Do not throw anything away. Adjusters and contractors both need to see the actual damaged material, not just your description of it. If a tree limb came through a window, keep the glass and the limb in a pile nearby rather than hauling it to the curb. The only exception is anything creating an active safety hazard or letting more water into the house. In that case, take extra photos first, then do the minimum needed to stop further damage, tarping a hole or shutting off water to a broken line. Most policies expect you to prevent additional loss, and most adjusters understand the difference between reasonable protective measures and full repair.
Keep receipts for anything you buy to protect the property in the meantime, tarps, plywood, a pump rental. Those are usually reimbursable and adjusters expect to see them.
When the adjuster does arrive, walk the property with them if they allow it, and point out what you found rather than waiting to see what they notice on their own. Ask them directly what they are including in their estimate and what they are not. If they say a roof only needs a partial repair, ask them to explain in writing why they believe the rest of the roof was unaffected. That is a fair question, not a confrontational one, and a good adjuster will have an answer.
If the estimate that comes back does not match what you documented, you do not have to accept it as final. You can get an independent estimate from a contractor and use it to push back, especially if your photos show damage the adjuster's report leaves out. This is also where a written, itemized contractor estimate matters. It gives the insurance company something specific to respond to instead of a disagreement about a lump sum.
If you have storm damage and want a second set of eyes on what the adjuster found, or you want an estimate in hand before that conversation happens, give us a call.