Glossary

Scope of loss

The written list of damaged areas and repairs an adjuster decides are needed and covered, which becomes the basis for the estimate and the payment.

Also called: scope of damage, scope of work, damage scope

The scope of loss is the adjuster's description of what is damaged and what work is needed to put it right: which rooms and materials, what is removed, repaired or replaced, and in what quantities. It is different from the price. The scope says "tear off and replace the shingles on two roof slopes, replace the drip edge, repair two sections of drywall, repaint." The estimate then prices those items, usually in Xactimate.

Disagreements often start here. Say an adjuster scopes hail damage as two slopes of a roof, while your roofer says the whole roof must be replaced because the remaining shingles cannot be matched or repaired. Both may use the same unit prices and still land thousands of dollars apart, because they scoped different work.

Walk the damage with the adjuster, point out everything you have noticed, and get your contractor's scope in writing, line by line. Anything left out of the scope is not paid, and items found later usually become a supplemental claim. When a gap remains, compare the two scopes item by item before arguing about price; the guide on Xactimate, contractor bids and estimate disputes shows how.

Last reviewed October 10, 2026

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Related terms

Xactimate Estimating software from Verisk that adjusters and contractors use to price repairs line by line from regional unit-cost price lists. Adjuster The person who investigates a reported loss, decides what the policy covers and how much it will pay, and negotiates the settlement. Supplemental claim A request for more money on a loss you already reported, usually for damage found or costs incurred after the first estimate was written. Desk adjuster A claims adjuster who handles a claim from an office or home by phone, email, photos and estimating software, usually without visiting the property in person. Public adjuster A licensed claims professional hired by the policyholder, not the insurer, who documents and negotiates the claim for a fee, usually a share of the payout.

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