The insurance company left items off the estimate

An insurance estimate is a list of line items, and every line that's missing is money you're owed but haven't been paid. Most first estimates are written in a single short visit, so things get missed. Not out of malice, usually. But the burden of finding what's missing falls on you, and the insurance company won't volunteer it.

Why the dispute happens

• Speed. A field adjuster may inspect several properties a day. A fifteen-minute walkthrough will not catch everything a full repair requires.
• The estimate only prices what's entered. The software the insurance company uses is fine. The problem is scope that never got typed in: detach-and-reset items, soft metals, window screens, fencing, interior damage behind walls.
• Code requirements. Building code adds real cost, like decking replacement, updated ventilation, or electrical work exposed during repairs. First estimates often price the repair as if code didn't exist.
• Trades nobody counted. Overhead and profit is owed on most multi-trade jobs, and small line items like debris removal, dumpsters, permits, and protection of surrounding surfaces add up to real money.
• Hidden damage. Some damage only shows up during tear-off or demolition. The first estimate can't include what nobody has seen yet, but the claim can and should be supplemented when it appears.

What to check before doing anything

• Get the full estimate, every page, not just the summary and the check. You're entitled to it.
• Walk the property with the estimate in hand and note everything damaged that doesn't appear on it.
• Have your contractor list what the repair actually requires, then compare it to the estimate line by line.
• Ask your contractor which code items apply to your repair and check whether your policy includes ordinance or law coverage.
• Look for overhead and profit if three or more trades are involved.
• Confirm the deadline for submitting a supplement under your policy.

When a public adjuster may help

If one or two small items were missed, your contractor can usually get them added with a phone call and a photo. A public adjuster makes sense when the missing scope is substantial, spans multiple trades, includes code items the insurance company is resisting, or when supplements keep getting ignored or denied without explanation. Getting scope added is about proving the repair requires it, and that proof has a format the insurance company responds to.

What Frost Property Loss Advisors does about it

• Full property inspection, documented room by room and slope by slope, against the insurance company's estimate.
• A supplement built in the insurance company's own estimating format, so every added line has a photo, a measurement, or a code citation behind it.
• Policy analysis to determine what coverage applies to code upgrades and matching on this loss.
• Management of the re-inspection so added items get seen, not just read about.
• If the insurance company agrees the items are covered but won't pay a fair amount for them, appraisal is available for that piece.

Related questions

The adjuster seemed thorough. How much could really be missing?

On roof and water claims we see regularly, missing scope is worth more than pricing disputes. Detach-and-reset, code items, and overhead and profit alone can change a claim substantially.

Can I submit my contractor's bid as the supplement?

You can send it, but a bid by itself rarely moves the number. The insurance company responds to line items with documentation. A bid says "pay more." A supplement says "here is the specific work, here is why the policy owes it."

The insurance company says those items are "already included" in other lines. Are they?

Sometimes yes, sometimes no. Estimating software defines exactly what each line item includes. That definition can be pulled and checked. It's a factual question with a factual answer.