A public adjuster is a licensed professional you hire to negotiate your insurance claim with your insurer, usually for a percentage of the payment. A roofer documents the damage, writes a repair scope and fixes the roof. In Colorado those roles are kept apart by law. C.R.S. 6-22-105(3) bars a roofing contractor from claiming to be or acting as a public adjuster, and C.R.S. 10-2-417 bars a public adjuster from taking part in the repair of a property whose claim they adjust. Most Colorado Springs hail claims need neither a lawyer nor a public adjuster, but some do. This page explains how to tell the difference. It is general information, not legal advice.
On this page: Side by side · Colorado’s public adjuster rules · When one helps · When one may not · Vetting
Public adjuster vs roofer, side by side
| Licensed public adjuster | Roofing contractor | |
|---|---|---|
| Who they work for | You, under a written contract | You, under a roofing contract |
| Licensed by | Colorado Division of Insurance, C.R.S. 10-2-417 | Local building department (in Colorado Springs, PPRBD) |
| Can negotiate your claim | Yes | No. May discuss the scope of repairs with your insurer when it has a valid contract (6-22-105(3)) |
| Can do the repairs | No, not on a claim it adjusts (10-2-417) | Yes |
| How they are paid | Percentage of the claim, after settlement | Contract price for the work |
| Cancellation right | 72 hours after signing | 72 hours after signing, and 72 hours after a written claim denial (C.R.S. 6-22-103 and 104) |
A roofer who says “we’ll handle your claim,” “we negotiate with your insurance,” or “we’re your adjuster” is describing something Colorado does not let a roofer do.
What Colorado requires of a public adjuster
C.R.S. 10-2-417 sets the ground rules:
- License. No one may act or advertise as a public adjuster in Colorado without a license from the Division of Insurance. Business entities need their own license and a designated licensed adjuster.
- Bond. At least $20,000, kept in force for the life of the license.
- No money up front. No fee, retainer or deposit may be required or accepted before the claim is settled.
- Fee cap after a catastrophe. For claims from a catastrophic disaster, the fee cannot exceed 10 percent of the settlement or proceeds.
- Written contract, 72-hour cancel. The contract must be in writing with all terms, and you can rescind it by written notice mailed within 72 hours of signing.
- No soliciting during the storm. A public adjuster may not solicit you while the loss-producing event is still happening.
- No conflicts. No financial interest in the claim beyond the fee, no referrals to repair firms that pay the adjuster or that it owns a stake in, no part in the repair, and no power of attorney to choose your contractor.
- Your money in trust. Claim funds held for you go in a non-interest-bearing escrow or trust account.
- No settling without you. A public adjuster cannot settle your loss without your knowledge and consent.
When a public adjuster is worth the fee
- Large or complex losses: fire, a total loss, or damage across the roof, siding, interior and contents at once.
- Contents inventories with hundreds of items.
- Coverage disputes that turn on policy wording, such as ordinance or law coverage or how depreciation is held back. Our article on recovering depreciation and the repair deadline shows why the timeline matters.
- You do not have the time to manage months of back and forth.
When you may not need one
- The insurer accepts the roof loss and the scope already matches the damage. A percentage fee then comes out of money you would have received anyway. Ask any adjuster whether their fee applies to amounts the insurer offered before you hired them.
- The dispute is only about price. Most policies include an appraisal clause; see how the insurance appraisal process works.
- The adjuster missed items. A careful inspection, dated photos and a line-by-line scope often fix that on a re-inspection. If the claim was denied outright, start with your options if an adjuster denies your roof claim.
- The damage is cosmetic under your policy. A public adjuster cannot change policy wording. Read the cosmetic damage exclusion explainer first.
How to vet a public adjuster
- Ask for the Colorado license number and look it up with the Division of Insurance.
- Ask for proof of the bond.
- Get the fee in writing, and ask exactly what it applies to.
- Ask whether they have any relationship with a contractor they plan to suggest.
- Read the full contract and note the 72-hour cancel deadline.
- Prefer a Colorado-based adjuster, as the Division of Insurance suggests, and check references.
If something feels wrong, the Division’s Consumer Services Team is at 303-894-7490.
What we do on your claim
We do not file, handle or negotiate claims. We inspect, photograph every hit, write a scope, meet your adjuster or public adjuster on the roof if you want us there, and make sure nothing gets missed in the scope. The full statute on contracts is in our guide to Colorado roofing contract law, and our Colorado Springs storm damage repair page shows how a storm job runs.
Integrity Roofing and Painting is veteran-owned and family-run since 1990, an Owens Corning Platinum Preferred contractor, with 650+ Google reviews. Call (719) 488-2800 or book a free Colorado Springs inspection; Denver-area homeowners can call (303) 209-0152 or book a free Denver inspection. We respond the same business day.
Sources: C.R.S. 10-2-417 and C.R.S. 6-22-105 (unofficial reproductions); Colorado Division of Insurance, consumer advisory (May 22, 2024).
