Your insurance adjuster just emailed you a 14-page PDF full of line items, depreciation calculations, and acronyms you've never seen before. You're supposed to decide whether to accept this number — often within days. We've helped hundreds of Austin homeowners decode these reports, and we're going to walk you through exactly what you're looking at.
An adjuster report is the insurance company's official damage assessment after a storm event — hail, wind, a fallen oak limb, whatever hit your roof. In Central Texas, we see the bulk of these reports roll in after spring hail seasons. The Marble Falls to Pflugerville corridor gets hammered almost every April and May, and our phones don't stop ringing.
The report documents what the adjuster found during their inspection, assigns a dollar value to each repair item, and ultimately produces your claim payout number. The problem is that adjusters aren't roofers. They spend 20 minutes on your roof with a clipboard. We spend 2-3 hours. The difference in what gets documented can be thousands of dollars.
Most adjuster reports are generated using software called Xactimate — it's the industry standard. Understanding how Xactimate works gives you real leverage in the claims process.
Xactimate breaks your roof into individual components and prices each one using regional labor and material rates. Here's what you'll actually see on a typical report and what it means in plain language.
'RFG' stands for roofing. Every line item starting with RFG is a roofing cost. You might see 'RFG 240 — Remove and replace 3-tab shingles' followed by a square footage number. One roofing square equals 100 square feet. If your roof is 28 squares and the report only shows 24, someone missed an entire section — that happens more than you'd think on complex roofs like you find in older Travis County neighborhoods with multiple gables and dormers.
Look for the column labeled 'O&P' — that stands for Overhead and Profit. Contractors are entitled to this. It's typically 10% overhead and 10% profit on top of the line item costs. Some adjusters leave it out hoping nobody notices. If O&P isn't on your estimate, you or your contractor can and should request it. It's not negotiable — it's standard.
'ACV' means Actual Cash Value. 'RCV' means Replacement Cost Value. Your initial check is almost always ACV, which is the replacement cost minus depreciation. If your shingles are 12 years old, they've lost value in the insurance company's math. Once you complete the repairs, you submit documentation and receive the depreciation amount — called the 'recoverable depreciation.' Never cash the first check and walk away without understanding whether you have an RCV policy.
Depreciation is where homeowners lose money without realizing it. The report will show a gross replacement cost, then subtract a depreciation amount, leaving you with the ACV check. That depreciation is held back until the work is done.
Here's a real example we see constantly. Say your roof replacement comes out to $14,800 on the Xactimate estimate. The adjuster applies $4,200 in depreciation because your roof is 10 years old. Your first check is $10,600 minus your deductible. If your deductible is $2,500, you're getting $8,100. That feels low because it is — but $4,200 is still coming to you after repairs are complete. Don't panic and don't settle for the ACV number as final.
Here's the catch: some policies have what's called 'non-recoverable depreciation.' That means the held-back amount never comes to you regardless of repairs. Check your policy declarations page. If you see 'ACV only' or 'non-recoverable depreciation,' call your agent and get clarity before you sign anything.
After reviewing hundreds of adjuster reports across Buda, Cedar Park, Round Rock, and every neighborhood in Austin proper, we see the same omissions over and over. Adjusters miss these because they're working fast or they genuinely didn't look closely enough.
Drip edge is almost always missing. It's a metal strip that runs along the eaves and rakes of your roof. Building code in Texas now requires it to be replaced when you do a full reroof, but adjusters forget to include it constantly. It's not expensive — maybe $300-500 depending on your roof size — but it's real money you're entitled to.
Pipe boot flashings. Every plumbing vent stack that sticks up through your roof has a rubber boot around it. Those boots crack and fail, especially after hail impacts. We routinely find 4-6 of them needing replacement on a single house. Adjusters often miss every single one.
Interior damage related to the storm. If you've had active leaking, there may be drywall, insulation, or decking damage that belongs on this claim. Point out every water stain inside your house. Photograph everything before the adjuster arrives.
Ice and water shield. In our climate, this doesn't apply often — but if you're in the Hill Country at elevation or the adjuster is applying IRC code requirements, make sure the materials listed match what your home actually needs and what code requires in your municipality.
You have the right to dispute an adjuster's estimate. This is called a 'supplement.' Your contractor submits documentation — photos, measurements, missed line items — and requests a revised payment. This is completely normal. We supplement claims regularly and the vast majority result in additional payment to the homeowner.
If the dispute is significant and the insurance company won't budge, you can invoke the appraisal clause in your policy. This brings in a neutral third-party appraiser to settle the disagreement. It takes longer but it's a legitimate path.
Do not sign a final release or 'proof of loss' document until you and your contractor have both reviewed the estimate and agreed it covers the actual scope of work. Once you sign a final release, you've typically waived your right to reopen the claim.
One thing we tell every Austin homeowner: get a roofer on your roof before you accept the adjuster's number as final. Not to inflate the claim — to make sure everything that's damaged is actually documented. We find legitimate missed damage on roughly 60% of the adjuster reports we review.
If an adjuster was on your roof for less than 30 minutes, be skeptical of their findings. A thorough inspection of an average Austin home takes at least an hour when done right.
If the estimate only covers partial replacement — say, just the back slope — but the whole roof is the same age with the same shingles, push back. Matching is a real issue. If you have a discontinued shingle color and only one slope gets replaced, your roof looks wrong and your home value takes a hit. Many policies have matching provisions. Know yours.
And if a contractor is offering to waive your deductible in exchange for the job — walk away. That's insurance fraud in Texas, full stop. It's not a gray area. A legitimate contractor will work with your actual claim number and be transparent about what it covers.
If you've got an adjuster report sitting on your kitchen table and you're not sure what you're looking at, call us — we offer free roof inspections and we'll walk through the estimate with you line by line.
Schedule Free Inspection (512) 948-8343