The appraisal process, in plain English
What appraisal is
Buried in almost every homeowners policy is an “appraisal” clause: if you and the carrier disagree on the amount of a covered loss, either side can demand appraisal. You hire an appraiser. The carrier hires an appraiser. If they can’t agree, they pick a neutral umpire — and any two of the three set the number. That decision is binding.
What appraisal is NOT
It doesn’t decide whether damage is covered — only how much a covered loss is worth. If your claim was denied outright, that’s a coverage fight, not an appraisal case, and we’ll tell you so upfront.
The process, step by step
- Free case review — You tell us about your claim: what happened, what the carrier offered, what your contractor says. We give you an honest read on whether appraisal is the right move.
- Formal demand — If it makes sense, you invoke the appraisal clause in writing, naming us as your appraiser.
- Documentation — We inspect, photograph, and scope the full loss, then build a detailed line-item estimate.
- Negotiation — We present your number to the carrier’s appraiser and work toward agreement.
- Umpire (if needed) — If the appraisers can’t agree, a neutral umpire is selected and the panel issues a binding award.
What it costs
You pay for your appraiser (us) and half the umpire’s fee if one is needed. We’ll give you a straight answer on cost before anything starts — and an honest opinion on whether the gap in your claim justifies it. If the math doesn’t work, we’ll say so.
How long it takes
Typically several weeks to a few months, depending on the complexity of the loss and scheduling. Far faster than litigation.