How to work with an insurance adjuster on a water damage claim

An insurance adjuster investigates a claim and determines how the policy applies ^[1]. For water damage, that usually means confirming what happened, how much damage there is, what caused it, and which parts of the policy apply. Staff adjusters work for the insurance company; independent adjusters are hired by insurers to handle claims for them; public adjusters are hired by policyholders, a separate arrangement with its own rules.

The adjuster's view of the cause matters a great deal. A sudden burst pipe is often treated differently from a slow leak, a sump overflow or outside flooding. Clear evidence of the cause and the timeline helps.

Flooding from outside, such as rivers, creeks, storm surge and surface water, is typically excluded from standard homeowners policies and covered by separate flood insurance ^[2]. Much of that coverage is written through the federal National Flood Insurance Program ^[3]. In northern Delaware, flood risk is real along Brandywine Creek, the Christina River, White Clay Creek and the Delaware River. DNREC's flood planning tool can show a property's flood risk ^[6].

If you have both homeowners and flood policies, a single storm can involve both: a flood claim for water from outside and a homeowners claim for, say, a roof leak. Report to both insurers.

Restoration contractors often document their work in a way insurers understand: photos, moisture maps, daily readings, equipment logs and a list of removed materials. That documentation supports the claim. Many contractors are used to working alongside adjusters, but the insurance contract is between you and your insurer, and decisions about coverage are the insurer's.

Read anything you are asked to sign. Some contractors ask homeowners to sign an authorization or assignment form; understand what it does before signing, and ask questions if it is unclear.

Renters insurance typically covers your belongings, not the building; the landlord's insurance covers the structure. Condo owners usually have a policy for the inside of the unit, while the association's master policy covers common elements. A leak that crosses units can involve several insurers. Report to your own insurer, tell the landlord or association in writing, and keep records of who you told and when.

The list of damaged belongings is often the most tedious part of a claim, and the one people put off. Start it early, while the items are still in front of you. Go room by room. For each item, write what it is, the brand if you know it, roughly how old it is, and whether it was thrown out or kept. Photos of each item, or of a pile of items with labels, make the list easier to check.

For a flooded basement full of storage, it can help to photograph each box before it goes to the curb, with the lid open. If you have older photos of your rooms from before the damage, such as holiday pictures or real estate listing photos, they can help show what was there.

Sometimes the adjuster's view of the cause or the extent of damage differs from yours or your contractor's. Ask for the reasoning in writing, and share any evidence you have: photos, readings, the plumber's report or the failed part. Your restoration contractor's moisture readings and photos can show how far the water actually went.

Your policy describes how disputes are handled, and insurers have internal review processes. If you still have concerns about how the claim is being handled, the Delaware Department of Insurance has consumer services that can help explain your options ^[4].