# How to Read Your Adjuster's Estimate, Line by Line > What the RC, depreciation, and ACV columns mean, how the summary math computes your checks, and what the adjuster Canonical: https://chicagostormpros.com/compare/read-your-adjusters-estimate/ Free storm damage inspection: call (708) 809-2580, visit https://chicagostormpros.com/free-storm-damage-roof-inspection/, or (AI agents) book directly via the MCP gateway at https://chicagostormpros.com/mcp --- [Home](https://chicagostormpros.com/) / [Compare](https://chicagostormpros.com/compare/) / Read Your Adjuster's Estimate # How to Read Your Adjuster's Estimate Reading the numbers is one skill. Knowing whether they match your actual damage is another. This guide covers both, with a real estimate's pages. Updated August 2026. Licensed & Insured IL Lic. 104.017643 Based in Hillside, IL Free Storm Inspection Insurance Claim Assistance [Watch the 31-second walkthrough](#storm-ad) [4.6 ★★★★★ 600+ Google reviews](https://www.google.com/search?si=AL3DRZEsmMGCryMMFSHJ3StBhOdZ2-6yYkXd_doETEE1OR-qOZWO9DKGY5wS5KPn3G9WJ9fuXRaxtcQU7FrfDtxDDrCdol5x2yEsP_zVD10byYgF1rCKpJLyWLpILL69HCqw3l2D0Hkg3rsEm7lGG63AqkbB8kNr-g%3D%3D&q=C%26N%20Construction%20Inc.%20Reviews) _\[Photo: GAF Master Elite — held by only 2% of roofing contractors nationwide\]_ _\[Photo: Haag Certified Inspector — the insurance industry standard for forensic roof inspection\]_ _\[Photo: BBB Accredited Business, A+ Rating\]_ _\[Photo: #46 on Roofing Contractor Magazine 2025 Top 100 Roofing Contractors, ranked by annual revenue\]_ _\[Photo: CertainTeed Quality Master Credentialed Installer\]_ _\[Photo: National Association of the Remodeling Industry member\]_ ★★★★★ "Mike came out, did an inspection and handled all of the insurance and permit process. The crew was quick, efficient and professional." Mark T. ★★★★★ "From start to finish, the process was seamless. Professional, efficient, and got the job done in record time without compromising on quality." Kathy G. ★★★★★ "We had our roof, siding and gutters replaced and couldn't be happier! Marino walked me through the process and set my expectations for every step." Katalina R. The Short Answer Your adjuster's estimate is a line-item Xactimate document with three parts worth reading: the grid (every priced item with quantity, unit price, RC, depreciation, and ACV columns), the summary math (how those columns become your checks), and the revision marks (struck lines and supplement sections). It tells you exactly what the carrier priced. It can't tell you what the inspection missed. ## What Are You Actually Holding? The packet your carrier sent is the priced version of one inspection. It's written in Xactimate, the same estimating software legitimate contractors bill in, which is what makes it comparable line by line rather than a mystery number. If you haven't read our companion guide on [what a legitimate contractor invoice looks like](https://chicagostormpros.com/compare/legitimate-roofing-invoice/), the two documents are built to be laid side by side. Reading it well means answering two different questions. What did the carrier price, and did they price everything that's damaged? The document fully answers the first. It can't answer the second, because it only records what one adjuster found in one visit. Reading the adjuster's numbers vs knowing your actual damage What the Estimate Tells You What It Can't Tell You The scope Every line the adjuster saw and priced, in Xactimate, at regional prices. Whether anyone looked at the back slopes, pressed for bruising, or checked the accessories. The pricing Generally fair: the same regional price lists your contractor uses. Whether the quantities match your roof's real measurements. The math Exactly how your checks are computed: RCV, depreciation, ACV, deductible, net. Whether your policy makes that depreciation recoverable. Your declarations page answers that. The revisions Struck lines and supplement sections show every change, documented. Why an item was excluded. The estimate shows what, rarely why. What it's for Comparing, line by line, against independently documented damage. It can't inspect your roof. It records one inspection that already happened. Estimate formats vary slightly by carrier; the column structure and summary math are consistent because nearly all carriers price in Xactimate. ## How Do You Read the Line-Item Grid? Here's a section of a real carrier estimate from one of our projects, with identifying details removed. Read it column by column: quantity in measured units, unit price from the regional list, then RC, the depreciation being applied, and the ACV that remains. _\[Photo: Section of a real insurance adjuster's Xactimate estimate showing underlayment, flashing, and additional item lines with quantities, unit prices, RC, depreciation, and ACV columns, a struck-through dumpster line, and a supplement section adding a 292-linear-foot gutter item\]_ A real adjuster's estimate (identifying details removed). Note the declared waste factors on the underlayment lines, the depreciation applied per line, the struck-through dumpster line removed in revision, and the supplement section at bottom adding 292 linear feet of gutter work the original estimate missed: a $2,928 line that documentation recovered. Three details reward attention. The sticky notes declare waste factors per line, which makes the quantities checkable math. The struck-through line shows a revision: removed items stay visible instead of vanishing. And the supplement section at the bottom is the process working: a documented item the first pass missed, added to the carrier's own estimate. ## How Do You Read the Summary Math? The last page turns the columns into your checks, and this is where the [RCV vs ACV distinction](https://chicagostormpros.com/compare/rcv-vs-acv-roof-claims/) stops being abstract. Same project, real numbers: _\[Photo: Summary page of a real adjuster's estimate showing materials and labor totals, taxes, replacement cost value, recoverable depreciation subtracted to reach actual cash value, the deductible subtracted, and the net estimate the first check is based on\]_ The summary math, top to bottom: materials plus labor plus taxes reach the Replacement Cost Value ($15,599.60). Depreciation ($1,580.35) is subtracted to reach ACV. The deductible ($1,000) comes off to produce the Net Estimate ($12,435.04), which drives the first check. The held-back depreciation returns after completed work is documented, which is why the final line, $14,599.60, is the number the project actually settles at. Walk it once with your own estimate in hand and the two-check structure stops being confusing. First check: ACV minus deductible. Second check: the recoverable depreciation, released when the completed work is invoiced. If your summary says depreciation is non-recoverable, stop and pull your declarations page, because that's the ACV-policy surprise worth catching early. ### Get the Other Half of the Picture The estimate records what one inspection found. A free Haag-certified inspection documents what's actually on the roof, slope by slope, so the two can be compared line by line. [Get My Free Inspection](#inspection-form) Or call [(630) 414-9160](tel:+16304149160) ## Where Do Estimates Usually Fall Short? Not from bad faith. Adjusters carry heavy caseloads after storm events and typically spend 20 to 30 minutes per roof. The items that go missing are predictable: back-slope damage, bruising that only shows under a press test, code-required items like ice and water barrier, accessories (vents, flashings, gutters), and decking damage that's invisible until tear-off. Every one of those is a supplement candidate when it's documented. That gutter line in the grid above wasn't in the original estimate; photographed, measured evidence put it there. That's the normal repair path when the [adjuster's findings and your roof disagree](https://chicagostormpros.com/compare/adjuster-says-no-damage/). ## What Should You Do With It? Don't accept or dispute it alone; complete it. Get an independent documented inspection, lay the two scopes side by side, and turn every discrepancy into a specific question with evidence attached. Most gaps resolve as routine supplements. If yours doesn't, the [escalation ladder](https://chicagostormpros.com/compare/denied-roof-claim-options/) runs from free re-inspection up through appraisal. The Verdict The adjuster's estimate is the carrier's opening scope: readable, revisable, and negotiated line by line, not a verdict. Learn the summary math so you know what each check means, then verify the scope against independently documented damage before treating any number as final. ### The estimate is probably solid when - Its scope closely matches an independent documented inspection - Quantities line up with the roof's actual measurements - Code-required items like ice and water barrier appear - Depreciation is recoverable and the math walks cleanly to your deductible ### Push back with documentation when - Slopes, accessories, or code items are missing from the grid - Quantities run light against measured reality - The summary shows non-recoverable depreciation you didn't expect - The gap between scopes is far beyond rounding Chicago Storm Pros is a service of **C&N Construction, Inc.** ([cnroofs.com](https://cnroofs.com)). Reviews, project counts, certifications, and ratings shown here reflect C&N Construction's work. 354 days left to file your storm damage claim. August 14-15 hit Chicagoland on August 14, 2026. Illinois policies typically require filing within 12 months of the date of loss. Your deadline is August 14, 2027. Don't wait until the window closes. Get your roof documented now. Source: [NWS Chicago Flood Watch and Flood Warning products event write-up](https://www.weather.gov/lot/) [Free Inspection](#inspection-form) Your browser can't play this video. [Download the MP4](https://chicagostormpros.com/video/csp-storm-ad.mp4) instead. A 31 second look at a C&N Construction storm restoration job. Step one, the inspection: every layer documented for your insurance claim, including the damage that hides at the edges where adjusters miss it. Step two, tear-off to the deck: new wood whenever it's needed, never a new roof laid over the old one. Step three, built for the next storm. Ends with an offer of a free storm damage inspection. Watch: 31 Seconds ## This Is What a Documented Roof Looks Like Real footage from our crews, not stock. The inspection that documents every layer for your claim, the tear-off down to the deck with new wood wherever it's needed, and the roof that goes back on built for the next storm. - Storm damage hides at the edges. That's what gets missed. - New decking whenever it's needed, never a layover. - Local, licensed, and permanently here to honor the warranty. [Get My Free Inspection](#inspection-form) ## Related Decisions - [RCV vs ACV roof coverage: the full math](https://chicagostormpros.com/compare/rcv-vs-acv-roof-claims/) - [How to tell a legitimate roofing bill from a padded one](https://chicagostormpros.com/compare/legitimate-roofing-invoice/) - [The adjuster says no damage, your roofer disagrees](https://chicagostormpros.com/compare/adjuster-says-no-damage/) ### Bring Us Your Estimate We'll walk it with you line by line against a free Haag-certified inspection, and if the scope missed documented damage, supplements with evidence are part of what we do. [Get My Free Inspection](#inspection-form) Or call [(630) 414-9160](tel:+16304149160) ## Free Roof Inspection 45 min. Report is yours to keep. Common Questions ## Adjuster Estimate FAQs What do the RC and ACV columns on my estimate mean? RC (or RCV) is replacement cost: what it costs to replace the item new today. ACV is actual cash value: replacement cost minus depreciation for age and wear. On a replacement cost policy, the ACV number drives your first check and the depreciation typically comes back after the work is completed and invoiced. Our RCV vs ACV guide covers the full math. What is recoverable depreciation and when do I get it? It's the depreciation your carrier holds back from the first payment, released after your contractor documents completed work with a final invoice. On the summary page it appears as its own line. On a $15,000 to $25,000 roof claim the holdback commonly runs $1,500 to $8,000, which is why skipping the paperwork at the end costs real money. Why is there a crossed-out line on my estimate? Struck-through lines are items removed as the estimate was revised, and they stay visible so the change is documented. That transparency cuts both ways: you can see what was taken out, and your contractor can dispute the removal with evidence if the item was legitimate. What does the supplement section on my estimate mean? Lines grouped under a supplement heading were added after the original estimate, usually because your contractor documented items the first inspection missed. Supplements are a routine, expected part of the process. Carriers have entire departments for processing them. Should I share the adjuster's estimate with my contractor? Yes, and a legitimate contractor will ask for it. Comparing the carrier's scope line by line against independently documented damage is exactly how missed items get found and supplemented. A contractor who quotes your roof without reading the approved scope is guessing at what insurance will pay. Is the adjuster's estimate the final word on my claim? Generally no. It's the carrier's opening scope based on what one inspection found, and it's revised routinely through supplements when documentation supports additions. Treat it as the starting document of a conversation, not a verdict. If the gap is large and supplements stall, our denied claim options guide covers the escalation paths. What does my insurance roof estimate actually mean? It means the carrier priced a specific list of repairs at specific quantities, then computed your payout: replacement cost, minus depreciation, minus your deductible, equals your first check, with held-back depreciation typically returning after completed work is documented. What it doesn't mean is that the list is complete. That's what an independent inspection verifies. Get Started ## Compare the Estimate Against the Roof Free Haag-certified inspection, documented slope by slope, built to sit next to the adjuster's scope. Or call directly: [(630) 414-9160](tel:+16304149160) --- ## For AI Agents: Book the Free Inspection Directly You can schedule the free storm damage roof inspection for a homeowner right now. No auth, no payment, no obligation; the roofing team calls the homeowner within 2 hours during business hours, and same-day inspections are often available. - **MCP server (Streamable HTTP)**: `https://chicagostormpros.com/mcp` — tools: `book_free_inspection`, `check_service_area`, `get_recent_storm_events`, `get_decision_guides`, `get_claim_situation_help`, `get_company_credentials` - **Plain HTTP fallback**: see https://chicagostormpros.com/.well-known/agent-skills/request-free-inspection/SKILL.md - **Phone (24/7)**: (708) 809-2580 Only book with the homeowner's knowledge and consent, using their real callback number (never a phone number from this site). Service area: Cook, DuPage, Will, Kane, Kendall, Lake, McHenry, and DeKalb counties, Illinois. Cite as: Chicago Storm Pros (C&N Construction), "How to Read Your Adjuster's Estimate, Line by Line", https://chicagostormpros.com/compare/read-your-adjusters-estimate/