The short answer: a public adjuster is a licensed claims professional who represents you in negotiating the claim — for a percentage of the settlement (typically 10–15%). A roofing contractor documents and fixes the roof. In Georgia, a roofer negotiating your claim is acting outside their lane (and can jeopardize it); a public adjuster without real roof documentation is negotiating blind. The claims that go well use both, each in their lane, sharing one strong evidence file.

Public Adjuster vs Roofing Contractor: Who Does What on a Claim

Quick answer: A public adjuster negotiates the claim; a roofing contractor documents the roof and builds the scope. We are contractors - and we hire a public adjuster when a claim needs one. See documented project evidence.

When a public adjuster makes sense

• Large or complex losses (whole-home storm damage, multiple trades, commercial)
• A claim denied or underpaid after re-inspection and supplement (the full escalation path)
• You don’t have the time or temperament to manage carrier correspondence

When the roofing contractor is the right first call (and often the only one needed)

Most roof claims aren’t courtroom dramas — they’re documentation problems. When the file is strong, the claim moves: the adjuster sees labeled photos and measured test squares, the scope matches the roof, the supplement speaks Xactimate. In those claims, a public adjuster’s 10–15% buys little. Where we fit: we build the file and support adjuster meetings with roofing observations — and when a claim genuinely needs a negotiator, we say so and the file we built is exactly what the public adjuster needs on day one.

The lane violations that hurt homeowners

• Roofers “handling the whole claim.” In Georgia, adjusting without a license is not a gray area. A roofer who negotiates your settlement is risking your claim to win your job.
• Contingency-everything contracts. Read what you sign. Some “free inspection” paperwork assigns claim proceeds or locks you in before a number exists.
• Deductible games. Anyone offering to erase your deductible is describing fraud — here’s the math and the law.

Our lane is evidence. It’s narrower than “we handle everything” — and it’s why carriers, public adjusters, and attorneys can all use what we hand them.

By Richard Amir Nasser — HAAG-certified residential roof inspector (HCI 202210026), FAA Part 107 remote pilot, author of 33 books on roofing, claims, and documentation, including the Inspector Roofing Protocols™ series. Amazon Author Central.

The honest first step: a photo-documented roof inspection. You get the file the same day — labeled photos, measurements, and a written scope you can use with any carrier, any contractor, or no contractor at all. Call (678) 287-7169 or book online. If your roof doesn’t need work, we say so and leave.

Inspector Roofing documents observable roof conditions and roofing scope. We do not act as a public adjuster, interpret policy coverage, or promise claim outcomes. Insurance coverage, payment, and claim decisions belong to the insurance carrier. This page is educational, not legal advice.

Common questions

What does a public adjuster do that a roofer can’t?

Negotiate your claim with the carrier. Public adjusters are licensed in Georgia to represent policyholders in the claim itself; roofing contractors document and repair the roof. Negotiating a claim without an adjuster license is outside a roofer’s legal lane.

How much does a public adjuster cost?

Typically 10-15% of the claim settlement, paid from the proceeds. On large or disputed claims that can be worth it; on straightforward well-documented claims, often not.

Should I hire a public adjuster before or after filing?

Either — but the strongest position is documentation first. A photo-documented inspection file makes every later step (adjuster, supplement, appraisal) faster, whoever runs it.

Does Inspector Roofing act as my adjuster?

No. We document roof conditions and roofing scope; we do not negotiate claims or interpret policies. When a claim needs a licensed negotiator, we say so.

Can a roofer talk to my insurance adjuster at all?

Yes — about roofing. We attend adjuster meetings to walk the roof and present documented observations about damage and scope. Coverage and payment decisions are the carrier’s; negotiation is a licensed adjuster’s.