Public adjuster for school property claims

A school claim has to answer two questions that most property claims don't: who has the authority to make decisions, and can the work be done before students return? A spring hailstorm that damages a campus leaves only a short window to settle the scope, approve contracts, and get crews on the roof before August. Claims that drift into the school year cost more and disrupt classes. We work to that timeline from the first inspection.

Public districts vs. private schools

How a school is insured affects how the claim runs.

A public entity may have its own rules about hiring outside representatives, including a public adjuster. We ask early what the district's or school's approval process is, so our own contract, which Texas law requires to be on a TDI-approved form, goes through the right channel.

Portable buildings

Many campuses rely on portable classrooms. They're light, raised on piers, and exposed on every side, so they take wind and hail differently from the main building. Common damage includes torn or dented roofing, damaged skirting, broken windows, and HVAC wall units. Portables also raise coverage questions: are they listed on the schedule of buildings, are they owned or leased, and is a leased portable the leasing company's responsibility? We document each portable by its campus number and confirm how it's covered before including it.

Gyms and long-span roofs

Gymnasiums, auditoriums, and natatoriums have long-span roofs with no interior supports, often covered with metal panels, built-up roofing, or single-ply membranes. They're large, they're high, and water from a leak lands on wood gym floors that are expensive to replace. A complete gym scope can include:

• Full roof inspection with test areas on each section and at every curb and drain
• Lift or scaffolding to reach ceilings, lights, and the underside of the deck
• Wood floor moisture readings at several points, since cupping can appear weeks later
• Floor sanding, refinishing, and repainting game lines if the floor can be saved
• Scoreboards, bleachers, and sound systems as separate items

Code upgrades on older campuses

Older school buildings rarely meet current code. Repairing them after a major loss can trigger requirements for fire alarms, sprinklers, accessibility, energy code insulation, or updated roof assemblies, depending on what the local building official requires. Those costs are often excluded or limited unless the coverage includes ordinance or law protection. Check whether yours does, and what limit applies, before the repair scope is set. Getting the building official's requirements in writing early prevents a scope that has to be rewritten mid-summer.

Timing repairs for the summer

For most schools, the ideal plan is to settle the scope in spring and start work as soon as classes end. That requires the claim to move in parallel with procurement, not after it. Steps that help:

1. Report and document quickly. Photos, drone images of roofs, and moisture readings before temporary repairs change the evidence.
2. Protect classrooms before the next rain. Whether district maintenance crews or a contractor tarp the roof and dry rooms, keep labor hours, material receipts, and photos; reasonable emergency protection is generally part of the claim.
3. Get the full scope agreed before bids. Contractors bid more accurately on an agreed scope, and the board can approve with confidence.
4. Track Chapter 542 deadlines. If the claim is with an insurer subject to the Texas prompt-payment statute, our claim deadline calculator shows when responses are due. Risk pools may follow different rules, so check your coverage document.

Working with the governing board

Superintendents, business managers, and facilities directors know their buildings, but board members vote on settlements and contracts. We prepare written summaries suited to a board packet: what was damaged, what the carrier has offered, where the difference lies, and what the options are, including appraisal if the dispute is about the amount of the loss. See our denied and underpaid claims page for how disputes get resolved and roof and hail damage claims for the inspection side. Districts that insure every campus under one blanket limit should also read how blanket and scheduled limits work.