FAQs About Property Insurance Claims Adjusters

In the past few years, there has been a lot of talk about insurance adjusters. There are many different kinds of insurance professionals, but the job of a property claims adjuster is to talk to witnesses, read police reports, look at the damage, and advocate for the client. When you hire a public insurance claims adjuster in Polk County, we work for you.

What Is a Property Claims Adjuster?

A property claims adjuster is a specialized insurance inspector who looks at property damage, like wind or flood damage to a commercial or residential building and estimates how much an insurance company should pay based on certain policy terms.

As a property claims adjuster, you have to talk to the policyholder and other witnesses to the damage, look into the damage, and look over other records. For example, you could talk to engineers and lawyers to figure out how big the claim is. Then you write a report and give it to an examiner, whose job it is to decide whether a claim is valid or not.

How Do Insurance Adjusters Help Clients?

The main goal of an insurance adjuster is to keep the amount of loss as low as possible for their client. When a policyholder makes a claim, the insurance company usually sends an adjuster to look into the claim and decide how much to pay in settlement.

These adjusters work for the insurance company and try to ensure that the company loses as little money as possible. Claimants can turn down this offer and hire a public adjuster to help them get the most money possible from the insurance company.

The Insurance Company Will Only Pay Based on Its "Pricing Guidelines," But They Don't Match What Local Contractors Are Charging. What Can I Do?

Your insurance company owes you the amount that a reputable and experienced contractor would charge you to do the work needed to get your home back to how it was before the loss.

Many insurance companies use "Xactimate," a computer program that estimates the cost of replacing a home, and "guideline pricing" to figure out how much materials and labor should cost. But an estimate made by a qualified, local, licensed, and bonded contractor who has seen the damage and looked at information about the building before the damage is usually the most reliable way to settle a claim.

Do I Need to Do Anything Before the Insurance Adjuster Comes?

Take pictures before your insurance adjuster comes out, and make sure that you do not move anything.

Your insurance company may hire a company to clean and store your belongings while your property is restored. They'd usually pay them out of your insurance payout for your belongings. People often disagree about whether broken things can get fixed and cleaned or if it would be better to buy new ones.

Check out what your insurance company or cleaning company says can be saved. Talk to your public insurance claims adjuster in Polk County if you feel you are being treated unfairly in the claims process. At Five Star Claims Adjusting, we have the experience you want on your team. Contact us to hear how we can help settle your property claim today.