Wondering Where to Begin?

Navigating any new career can be a daunting process, and a career in claims adjusting is no exception. There are many ways to get started in an adjusting career. As you chart your own path, it can be helpful to understand the various roles you might play.

For starters, there are two major categories for adjusters:

Independent Adjuster

An adjuster who is employed or contracted by one or more independent adjusting firms to provide adjusting services (investigating, evaluating, negotiating and settling claims) to an insurance company

Staff Adjuster

An adjuster who works exclusively as a salaried employee of an insurance company to adjust (investigate, evaluate, negotiate and settle) claims

Within both the independent adjuster and staff adjuster roles, an adjuster might work within one or more lines of business:

Property

Auto

Liability

Bodily Injury

And then within those lines of business, particularly in the property and auto areas, an adjuster could hold a variety of positions:

Field Adjuster

An adjuster who completes physical inspections of damaged property or loss locations

Inside Adjuster

Also known as an examiner or desk adjuster, an adjuster who handles claims from the desk (primarily by phone, email and mail), evaluates and applies coverage, and coordinates all aspects of the claim

File Reviewer

An adjuster who provides a quality assurance role, reviewing field adjuster estimates and appraisals for accuracy

For auto and property claims, work can take place under different circumstances:

Catastrophe Claims

During a major storm event, insurance companies and independent adjusting firms mobilize both field and inside staff to work for a defined period of time to handle the large influx of claims above the normal volume

Daily Claims

Routine claims happen throughout the year and are handled by staff adjusters and independent adjusters alike, depending on carrier protocols and regional staffing coverage

No matter your role, start on the right foundation

Regardless of the type of work you plan to do, ensure your success by building on a solid foundation of quality training. For Property adjusters, we recommend these courses to get started:

Texas All-Lines Adjuster Pre-License

If you are a Texas resident, or if you are a resident of a state that does not require adjuster licensing and you wish to obtain for Texas as a designated home state, we recommend you complete our pre-license course. We’ll teach you the material you need to know and understand in order to pass the pre-licensing exam and prepare to submit your application to the Texas Department of Insurance.

Adjusting 101

Our “Surviving the Storm” course takes you through the fundamentals of property adjusting in our hands-on facility. You’ll learn how to read a homeowner’s policy, what to expect and how to set up for your deployment, critical customer service and soft skills, how to measure and sketch rooms and roofs, how to identify damages and determine appropriate repairs, and how to complete a proper estimate with photos.

Xactimate 28

You’ll learn the industry-leading property estimating software critical to success in the field. Unlike many providers, our approach to Xactimate training is not limited to a computer lab or hotel conference room and workbook exercises. Once you master the essentials, we’ll put you back to work in our real-world damage mockups writing live claims.

Adjuster Training: Where to Start