An insurance adjuster inspection report is the record of one visit to a damaged property on an open claim: who was there, what the insured said happened, where the damage started and whether what you can see fits that story, what is damaged outside, on the roof and in each room, what has been done to stop it getting worse, and what has to happen before the claim can move. This template follows the visit in the order you walk it, keeps a photo field beside every damaged item, and ends with the questions you are handing to the examiner and the next steps with names and dates. Fill it in here and download a PDF, or speak while you walk, and the document writes itself.
Who this report is for
The first reader is usually the desk examiner or claim manager who has never seen the house. The next may be a reinsurer, an appraiser, an attorney, or the adjuster who picks the file up after you. Each of them needs to understand the loss from your report and your photos alone.
That works for staff adjusters, independent adjusters working a carrier's assignment, and public adjusters representing the policyholder. The facts recorded are the same; only the side you are on changes. The form names your role up front so nobody reading it has to guess.
Cause and origin: write what you saw, both ways
Most disputes on a property claim come down to two questions. Did the reported event cause this damage? And was any of it there before? The form keeps evidence that supports the reported cause and evidence that points elsewhere in two separate boxes, so the report reads as an observation rather than an argument.
Signs of older damage, such as rot, rust, rings of staining or repairs that look older than the loss, are recorded as observations and raised as findings. They are not conclusions. Where the answer needs an engineer, a plumber, or a cause-and-origin investigator, the form asks you to say so and who should be called.
Photos and measurements that hold up later
Each exterior elevation and each room has its own photo field. A good habit is one wide shot that shows where you are, then close-ups of the damage, then anything that tells the age of it. Room length, width and ceiling height are typed in as you go, so the estimate can be written from the report without a second visit.
For the roof, either summarize it here, one row per slope with the hits counted in your test area, or point to a separate roof report if one was written. Collateral damage on soft metals and the AC unit belongs here too, because it helps date a storm.
Coverage questions, not coverage decisions
A field visit often turns up something that may matter under the policy: a long-term leak, a vacancy, a home office, a prior claim on the same ceiling. The form gives you a list of these to tick, plus room to explain, and labels them clearly as questions for the examiner. Writing them as questions keeps the report factual and stops it reading like a decision made on the spot.
Subrogation starts on the first visit
If a failed water heater, a contractor's mistake or a neighbor's tree caused the loss, the carrier may be able to recover what it pays. That depends on evidence that is easy to lose on day one: the failed part thrown in a dumpster, the plumber's name forgotten. The subrogation section asks who might be responsible, whether the failed item has been kept, and where it is now.
Common questions
What should an insurance adjuster inspection report include?
The claim and policy basics, the date of the visit and who was present, the insured's account of the loss, what you saw at the area where it started, damage to each exterior elevation, the roof and each room with photos and dimensions, contents, mitigation done so far, any safety hazards, open coverage questions, any party who may be responsible, and the next steps with owners and dates.
Does the adjuster decide coverage at the inspection?
Usually not. The field adjuster records what was seen and raises questions; the coverage decision is made under the policy by whoever has that authority on the claim. This form keeps coverage items as questions for that reason.
Can a public adjuster or restoration contractor use this template?
Yes. The facts recorded are the same whoever is looking. Choose your role in the first section, and use the coverage and subrogation sections the way your side of the claim needs them.
How many photos should I take on a property claim?
Enough that someone who was not there can follow the damage. A front-of-house photo with the address, every elevation, each damaged room wide and close, the area where the loss started, the roof slopes, and anything that helps date the damage. Each section here has its own photo field so nothing ends up in an unlabeled pile.
What is subrogation potential on a claim?
It is the chance that someone else, such as a manufacturer, contractor or neighbor, caused the loss and can be asked to repay the carrier. The field adjuster's job is to spot it and make sure the evidence is kept, not to pursue it.
Is this an official carrier claim form?
No. It is a working template for recording a field inspection. Many carriers and firms have their own report formats, so check what your assignment asks for and use this as the field notes behind it.