The Insurance Company Is Sending an Engineer. An Insurance Lawyer and Former Adjuster Explains What to Know.
Your adjuster calls and says the insurance company wants an engineer to inspect your property.
It sounds neutral, even helpful. A licensed professional is coming out to determine what happened.
Today, I am a Texas insurance lawyer representing homeowners and property owners in insurance disputes. Before becoming an attorney, I spent more than a decade handling and managing claims on the insurance side, including as a licensed Executive General Adjuster.
I was the person requesting engineering inspections, reviewing reports, and evaluating what those findings meant for the claim.
I know why engineers get sent, the questions they may be asked to answer, and how their conclusions can affect a coverage decision.
Before you read: The information below is general. Every insurance policy and claim is different. Policies contain different forms, exclusions, limitations, deductibles, and endorsements, and coverage depends on both the policy language and the particular facts of the loss. The only way to determine how coverage applies to a particular claim is to review the actual policy and evidence.
Why Do Insurance Companies Send Engineers?
An engineer may become involved when the cause, extent, or nature of property damage requires technical evaluation.
Common examples include:
- Hail or wind damage to a roof: Did the storm cause functional damage, or are the observed conditions cosmetic, age-related, or attributable to another cause? See denied wind, hail, and roof damage claims.
- Foundation movement: Is the movement related to a plumbing leak, soil conditions, construction, settlement, or another cause?
- Water damage: Did the damage result from a sudden event, a long-term condition, or another source? Learn more about underpaid water damage insurance claims.
- Structural damage: Did a storm, fire, collapse, impact, or other event affect structural components of the property?
The engineer’s conclusions can become extremely important.
In many claims I handled or reviewed, the engineering report became a significant part of the adjuster’s evaluation of the cause of damage and whether the policy provided coverage.
Who Hires the Engineer?
When your insurance company retains the engineer, the engineer or engineering firm is typically hired and paid for as part of the carrier’s investigation of the claim.
Some engineering firms perform substantial amounts of insurance-related work and may receive assignments from the same carriers on a recurring basis.
That does not mean an engineer’s opinion is automatically biased or incorrect.
But it is important to understand the engineer’s role in the claim and who retained the engineer for the inspection.
Their conclusions may ultimately become part of the evidence the carrier relies upon when deciding whether to pay, limit, or deny your claim. If the decision involves a homeowners claim denial, the carrier’s coverage position should be evaluated alongside the supporting evidence.
The Questions an Engineer Is Asked Matter
Here is something many homeowners never see.
When a carrier assigns an engineer, the assignment may include specific questions the carrier wants answered.
For example:
- Is there evidence of functional hail damage?
- Did wind cause the observed roof damage?
- Is foundation movement related to the reported plumbing leak or to soil conditions?
- What is the likely source and duration of the water intrusion?
- Did the reported event cause structural damage?
Those questions matter.
So does the information provided to the engineer before the inspection, including photographs, prior reports, claim history, repair information, or descriptions of the reported loss.
An engineering opinion should ultimately be based on the engineer’s professional evaluation of the evidence.
But understanding the scope of the assignment can be important when later reviewing the report and the conclusions it reaches.
Common Engineering Findings in Property Claims
If you have received an engineering report after a property claim, some of the language may sound familiar.
Depending on the type of loss, an engineer may conclude that observed conditions are consistent with:
- Long-term settlement;
- Soil movement;
- Age-related deterioration;
- Construction deficiencies;
- Thermal movement;
- Maintenance issues;
- Long-term moisture;
- Prior damage;
- Cosmetic rather than functional hail effects; or
- Conditions unrelated to the reported event.
Again, that does not mean those conclusions are necessarily wrong.
The important question is whether the conclusions are adequately supported by the inspection, measurements, testing, photographs, history, and other available evidence.
Read More Than the Conclusion
One of the biggest mistakes a homeowner can make is reading only the final conclusion of an engineering report.
Read the entire report.
What Was the Engineer Asked to Determine?
The scope of the assignment can tell you what issue the carrier was investigating.
What Areas Were Actually Inspected?
- Did the engineer inspect the entire roof?
- The attic?
- The foundation?
- Interior finishes?
- Exterior elevations?
- Drainage?
- Plumbing?
- Relevant structural components?
What Measurements or Testing Were Performed?
Depending on the issue, the report may reference:
- Foundation elevations;
- Moisture readings;
- Roof measurements;
- Material observations;
- Weather data;
- Photographs;
- Laboratory testing; or
- Other technical information.
What Information Was Reviewed?
Did the engineer review:
- Prior inspection reports?
- Previous claims?
- Repair records?
- Photographs?
- Plumbing reports?
- Contractor findings?
- Weather information?
- The homeowner’s description of what occurred?
Were Alternative Causes Considered?
A strong technical analysis should explain why the evidence supports one cause over another.
What Limitations Does the Report Identify?
Engineers may identify areas they could not access, information they were not provided, testing they did not perform, or assumptions used in forming their opinions.
Those limitations can matter.
Technical Causation and Insurance Coverage Are Not the Same Question
This distinction is extremely important.
An engineer may offer a professional opinion regarding what physically caused a condition.
The insurance policy determines whether that cause and resulting damage are covered, excluded, or limited.
Those issues are related, but they are not necessarily identical.
For example, an engineer may conclude that multiple factors contributed to a condition.
The next question becomes how the policy applies to those facts.
That is a coverage question.
As an insurance lawyer and former insurance adjuster, this is where my two backgrounds intersect.
I understand why the technical question matters to the claim investigation, but I also understand that the engineering conclusion must ultimately be evaluated alongside the actual insurance policy.
Should You Be Present for the Engineering Inspection?
If possible, it can be helpful for you or someone knowledgeable about the property to be available.
That person may be able to explain:
- When the damage was first noticed;
- What happened during the reported event;
- Whether leaks or other symptoms developed afterward;
- Prior repairs;
- Prior conditions;
- Areas of concern; and
- Other relevant history.
Do not attempt to coach the engineer or interfere with the inspection.
But make sure the engineer has access to the relevant areas and accurate factual information.
Can Your Contractor Be Present?
Depending on the circumstances, having your contractor, roofer, plumber, or another knowledgeable professional present may be useful.
That can be particularly helpful when the dispute involves a technical condition that your contractor has already inspected.
The goal should not be to create a confrontation.
It should be to make sure relevant conditions and information are not overlooked.
Take Your Own Photographs
Do not rely solely on the carrier’s photographs.
Before the inspection, document the property yourself.
Photograph:
- Damaged areas;
- Undamaged comparison areas where useful;
- Interior staining;
- Exterior conditions;
- Roofing components;
- Cracks;
- Water damage;
- Foundation conditions;
- Drainage;
- Plumbing components; and
- Other relevant evidence.
If conditions later change because of repairs, weather, demolition, or additional damage, those photographs may become important.
What If You Disagree With the Engineer?
An engineering report is evidence.
It is not necessarily the final word on every disputed issue.
If there is a legitimate technical disagreement, another qualified engineer or appropriate expert may be able to independently evaluate the condition.
Whether obtaining another expert makes sense depends on:
- The amount in dispute;
- The nature of the damage;
- The strength of the carrier’s report;
- Whether there is a genuine technical disagreement;
- The cost of the additional evaluation; and
- The applicable policy issues.
Not every denied claim needs another engineer.
But when a denial depends heavily on an engineering conclusion and there is a legitimate basis to question that conclusion, independent technical review may be appropriate. For disputes involving the amount of covered roof damage, review of underpaid wind, hail, and roof claims may also be relevant.
What Should You Do After Receiving the Engineering Report?
If the carrier relied on an engineer to deny or limit your claim:
- Ask for the report.
- Read the entire report, not just the conclusion.
- Identify the questions the engineer was asked to answer.
- Review what the engineer actually inspected.
- Look at the photographs, measurements, testing, and other supporting information.
- Compare the report with other available evidence.
- Review the actual policy language.
- Determine whether the carrier’s coverage decision accurately follows from the technical findings.
- Consider independent technical or legal review if the amount in dispute justifies it.
The Texas Department of Insurance’s claim guidance also provides information about documenting damage, keeping records, and communicating with an insurer.
Talk to an Insurance Lawyer and Former Insurance Adjuster About the Engineering Report
Before becoming an insurance lawyer, I spent more than a decade handling and managing insurance claims, including as a licensed Executive General Adjuster.
I requested engineering inspections.
I reviewed engineering reports.
I evaluated those reports alongside other claim evidence and applicable policy provisions.
I understand why engineers are brought into certain claims, what questions carriers want answered, and how an engineering conclusion can affect a coverage decision.
Today, I use that experience to represent Texas homeowners and property owners in insurance disputes.
If an engineering report contributed to the denial or limitation of your claim, let’s review the report, the policy, and the evidence before you simply accept the carrier’s conclusion.
Herrera PLLC represents homeowners and property owners in Houston and throughout Texas, in English and Spanish.
Call (832) 891-3210 for a free consultation with an insurance lawyer and former insurance adjuster.
Hablamos español.
Herrera PLLC
2339 Commerce Street, #172
Houston, Texas 77002
Phone: 832-891-3210
Email: jherrera@jh-lawpllc.com
Related Reading
- Hail Claim Denied as “Cosmetic Damage”?
- Roof Claim Denied for Wear and Tear or Old Damage?
- I Filed a Homeowners Insurance Claim. What Happens Next?
Frequently Asked Questions
Many insurance policies require an insured to cooperate with the carrier’s investigation and permit reasonable inspection of damaged property. The specific obligations depend on your policy. You can generally document the inspection and may be able to have your own representative present.
An engineer has professional obligations independent of the insurance company. However, when the carrier retains the engineer, the engineer is performing an assignment as part of the carrier’s claim investigation. If there is a legitimate technical disagreement with the engineer’s conclusions, those conclusions can be evaluated and, when appropriate, addressed through other evidence or an independent expert.
Ask for it. If the insurance company relied upon an engineering report in making its claim decision, the report can be an important document for understanding the factual and technical basis for the carrier’s position.
Do not focus only on the word “settlement.” Review what the engineer inspected, the measurements and information considered, the reported history, and the basis for the causation opinion. Depending on the circumstances, an independent engineer may be able to evaluate whether another cause contributed to the observed movement.
An engineering report may provide important evidence regarding the cause or extent of damage, but coverage ultimately depends on the facts and the language of the insurance policy. A technical causation opinion and a legal coverage determination are related, but they are not necessarily the same question.
Yes. Jonathan Herrera personally handles each matter and communicates directly with clients throughout the claim review and legal process.
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