You can respect an adjuster and still think the estimate is wrong. Those two facts live together after every Houston flood. The first number is a starting file, not a moral judgment of your house.
Disagreement is normal on how far to open walls, whether cabinets are a clean or a replace, and whether the flooring is a pad-and-pray or a tear-out. What isn’t normal is a shrug and a dumpster.
Get the estimate in writing. Get another qualified person to write a scope in the same language. Then argue with paper, not with a late-night voicemail.
Do this now
- Ask the carrier for the written estimate and the line-item scope, not a verbal “we are covering it.”
- Walk the house against that scope with a pen. Star rooms and assemblies they skipped.
- Get a written moisture-based scope from a restoration contractor you chose, not from the porch.
- Send both documents to the claim with a short cover note. Keep copies.
- Do not cash a check you think is final if you still have hidden wet walls and no supplement plan.
What “scope” actually means
Scope is the list of work: which rooms, how high the drywall comes off, whether insulation comes out, what happens to the cabinets, the flooring, the electrical, the HVAC. Price follows scope. If they only priced a clean and you have black water to the outlets, you do not have a price problem yet. You have a scope problem.
Houston slab homes hide water under toe-kicks and behind brick ledge. A scope that never mentions moisture readings is a guess with a logo.
Second opinions that count
A licensed contractor estimate, an IICRC-aware restoration scope, or a qualified public adjuster you hired in writing can all be second opinions. A neighbor who “did Harvey” and waves at the wall is love, not a file.
If you hire a public adjuster, read the contract. Texas regulates that work. Percentage fees come out of your recovery. Do not sign on the hood of a truck the night the water drops.
How to disagree without torching the claim
Be specific. “Line 14 misses the hall bath vanity that wicked water” is useful. “Y’all are crooks” is not. Attach photos with the line number in the filename. Ask for a reinspection.
You can escalate inside the company: examiner, supervisor, then a formal complaint path if you need it. The Texas Department of Insurance exists for carrier disputes. Use it when the file is stuck, not as your first email.
When two causes are the real fight
Sometimes the “low scope” is actually a wind-versus-flood dump. The flood file prices a little. The homeowners file prices a little. The kitchen is still a shell. Force both carriers to say, in writing, which rooms they are refusing and why.
Do not rebuild out of pocket in a blur and hope someone catches up. Photograph open walls. Date the photos. A supplement is easier when the cavity still exists in a picture.
Verify live. Status changes hourly. Get the carrier estimate in the claim portal or by email. For NFIP process questions use FloodSmart.gov. For carrier-conduct complaints, use the Texas Department of Insurance, not a random “we fight insurance” ad.
Do this next
- Call, claim number, and photos before you forget
- Flood policy vs homeowners: what usually covers what
- Commercial providers hub
More in Start your insurance claim today.