No adjuster scope is complete. That is not an accusation — it is just the math of a fast insurance inspection. The adjuster walks the property, writes a standard-template estimate, and moves on. The result is that real-world roofing details get left out, and those details represent real money. Your job as the contractor is to find the gaps you can document and write a supplement for each one.
The line items adjusters miss most often
After reviewing hundreds of carrier scopes, the same omissions show up again and again:
- Drip edge — required by most local codes; frequently missing from the scope entirely
- Ice and water shield — required in cold climates; adjusters often scope only felt
- Starter strip — commonly omitted or lumped in with the shingle quantity
- Ridge cap / hip cap — sometimes scoped at the wrong linear footage
- Step flashing and counter flashing — at walls, chimneys, and skylights
- Pipe boot replacements — scoped as repair when replacement is warranted
- Detach and reset items — satellite dishes, vents, solar conduit
- Code upgrades — permits, inspections, and any triggered code requirements
- Overhead and profit — on multi-trade jobs
- Steep-slope and high-roof labor — labor adders for pitch and height
More on overhead and profit: how to recover O&P on a multi-trade claim
The workflow: compare scope to roof, line by line
The most reliable way to find missing items is a side-by-side comparison of the carrier scope against your own inspection. That sounds simple, but it is painful when the scope is a dense PDF. The workflow is:
- Convert the carrier scope PDF to a spreadsheet so every line is in a sortable table
- Group your inspection notes into the same categories (field, edge, penetrations, code)
- Go through each category on your inspection and look for a matching line in the spreadsheet
- Where a line is missing, note it — that is a supplement item
- Where a line is present but the quantity looks wrong, calculate the right number and note the delta
How a material list speeds things up
Once you have the scope in a spreadsheet, generating a material list from it is the next step. A clean material list shows you every roofing component the carrier scoped — and every component on your own takeoff. Anything on your takeoff that is not in the carrier list is a supplement candidate. Anything that is present but at the wrong quantity is a correction.
Documenting the supplement
For each missing or corrected item, your supplement needs:
- A photo of the condition, component, or code requirement that backs the line
- The Xactimate line item code and current-month unit price
- The correct quantity (measured, not estimated)
- A reference to the local code, manufacturer requirement, or carrier's own price list
- A one-sentence explanation of why the line belongs
A well-organized supplement — one page of line items backed by clearly labeled photos — is easier for a desk adjuster to review than a long letter with the same information buried in paragraphs. Make it easy for the desk adjuster to say yes.
When to submit
You can supplement before installation (once you have inspected), during the job (if you find hidden damage), and after completion (before depreciation is released). Each window is valid. Most contractors pursue the pre-installation supplement first and a post-completion supplement to capture recoverable depreciation.