The short answer: your insurance company is a for-profit business, so a few things they suggest are really about lowering their payout. By law you can use any licensed contractor you want, you do not have to use their preferred network, and you do not need three bids. Keep the contractor you trust, and make sure they are present at your adjustment meeting.
Insurance companies are for-profit businesses. Mitigating risk, minimizing payouts, and maximizing shareholder profit is the game. A few things will happen in your claim that sound like they are in your best interest but are really in the carrier's.
You choose your contractor, not the carrier
By law, you can choose any licensed contractor you like to do the work on your home after a storm. Look at your policy documents, every one of them has this language, and the Wisconsin Office of the Commissioner of Insurance is the state authority backing your right to choose your own contractor. You are not required to use a contractor from their "preferred contractor network." They recommend that network because they have pre-negotiated rates with those contractors to keep payouts low, along with agreements on what materials get used and how the work gets done, all designed to hold their costs down, which does not produce the best project for you. Stick with the contractor you feel most comfortable with, and do not let the carrier talk you out of it.
The "get three bids" trap
Carriers have real responsibilities here, but if they can get you to do something that sounds smart and helps them, they will. The big one is telling you to go get three bids. That sounds right, because we have all been taught to shop around. But in this case you are spending the carrier's money, not yours, and getting three or more bids just bids the project down to the lowest cost, which is never the best job. Again: stick with the contractor you trust and let them work with the carrier on your behalf.
The field adjuster and the adjustment meeting
Once your claim is filed, the carrier assigns a field adjuster. Sometimes that is a carrier employee, sometimes they outsource it to a third party, because after a big hail event there are simply more claims than staff adjusters to handle them. You will usually get the adjuster's contact info so you can set a date for your adjustment meeting. Keep your contractor in the loop on every communication, because it is important that your contractor is there at the adjustment.
The adjustment meeting has exactly one goal: to determine whether there is damage to your property and whether it came from the recent storm. That is it. There is no such thing as "damaged enough." Carriers work off a standard called pre-loss condition: did the roof, siding, or windows look like this before the storm or not? If not, it is on your adjuster and your contractor, working together, to assess the damage, agree on the scope of work, and agree on the cost.
Having your contractor on site for that meeting makes sure the adjuster sees all the damage that was found, documents it properly, and gives a timeframe for a decision. You should expect a decision within about two weeks. If it drags past that, your contractor should engage and find out why.
In Part 4, your claim is approved, and we decode the paperwork: ACV, RCV, depreciation, your deductible, and how supplements work.
Straight answers.
Do I have to use my insurance company's preferred contractor?
No. By law you can use any licensed contractor you choose, and your policy documents say so. The carrier pushes its preferred network because it has pre-negotiated lower rates and material agreements with those contractors to hold its payout down, which does not give you the best project.
Do I need to get three bids for an insurance roof claim?
No. That advice makes sense when you are spending your own money, but on a claim you are spending the carrier's money, and three bids just drives the job to the lowest price, which is never the best work. Pick the contractor you trust and let them work with the carrier.
What happens at a roof insurance adjuster meeting?
The adjuster's single job is to determine whether there is damage and whether the storm caused it. Your contractor should be there to make sure all the damage is seen and documented, then the two of them agree on the scope of work and the cost. Expect a decision within about two weeks.
What does pre-loss condition mean on an insurance claim?
Pre-loss condition is the standard carriers use: did your roof, siding, or windows look like this before the storm or not? There is no bar for being 'damaged enough.' If the storm changed the condition, it is on the adjuster and your contractor to agree on the repair.
Think your home took a hit?
We'll come out, walk your whole property, document what we find, and tell you straight whether you have a claim. No pressure, no games.