What a supplement is

On an insurance job, the adjuster writes the first estimate from what can be seen at the inspection. A supplement asks for what that estimate didn’t cover: damage found once the work starts, quantities that came out larger, or items left off. It goes to the insurer on the same claim, line by line, with the proof for each line.

Florida’s statute puts it in legal terms: a supplemental claim is a claim for additional loss or damage from the same peril which the insurer has already adjusted, or for costs incurred while completing repairs on an open claim (Fla. Stat. 627.70132(1)(b)). Other states use their own words; your policy and state law set the rules.

What supplements are for

  • Hidden damage. Rotted decking under the shingles, wet insulation behind the drywall, framing damage found at tear-out.
  • Measurements. The roof or rooms measured larger than the first estimate, or missed waste.
  • Missed items. Drip edge, starter, ridge cap, vents, flashing, detach and reset of gutters or fixtures, haul-off.
  • Price. Line prices that don’t match the area’s current prices for the work.

Who can file it

The insured files the claim, and states draw lines around who can act for them. In Florida, a licensed contractor can discuss or explain its bid for the repair with the owner or the insurer, for the usual fees in its contract, but can’t advertise, solicit, handle or perform public adjuster services without a public adjuster license (Fla. Stat. 626.854(16)). Check your own state’s rules on what a contractor can send on a claim.

How to write one

  1. Start from the adjuster’s estimate. Match its format and line descriptions, so each added line reads against it.
  2. List only what’s added or changed, each as its own line with the quantity, unit and price.
  3. Prove every line: photos of the damage, the measurement, and where it is on the sketch.
  4. Write a short letter that names the claim, the date of loss and each line, in plain words.
  5. Send it on the claim and keep the record of when it was sent.

The guide to ESX files covers sending an estimate in the format adjusters open.

Deadlines

States set time limits for supplements. Florida, for example, bars a supplemental claim unless notice is given within 18 months after the date of loss, and a new or reopened claim unless notice is given within 1 year; for hurricanes, tornadoes and other weather events, the date of loss is the landfall or the date NOAA verifies the event (Fla. Stat. 627.70132(2), (3)). Check your state’s law and the policy’s own terms before the work starts. On a replacement cost policy, the depreciation held back from the first check has a deadline of its own; the recoverable depreciation guide covers it.

Writing supplements in BluMatrix

BluMatrix keeps the estimate, the photos and the measurements on one property, so a supplement is the added lines from the same job: each with its quantity at current prices for the ZIP code, the photos that prove it, and a letter to the adjuster listing what’s added. It goes out as a PDF or as an ESX file that opens in Xactimate.

Common questions

What is a supplement in roofing?

A request to the insurer for work the adjuster’s roof estimate didn’t include, such as decking found rotted at tear-off, or drip edge, starter and ridge cap left off.

Is a supplement the same as a new claim?

No. It adds to a claim the insurer has already adjusted, for the same peril. Florida’s law treats it separately from a new or reopened claim, with its own deadline (Fla. Stat. 627.70132).

How long do I have to file a supplement?

It depends on the state and the policy. In Florida, 18 months after the date of loss (Fla. Stat. 627.70132(2)).

What should be in a supplement?

The claim number and date of loss, each added line with its quantity, unit and price, photos and measurements for each, and a short letter tying them to the claim.