Insurance Appraisal Questions & Answers

An appraiser is the person you appoint under your policy's appraisal clause to determine the amount of your loss when you and the insurance company disagree on it. The carrier appoints its own appraiser, and the two appraisers (with an umpire if they cannot agree) issue a binding award. Appraisers must be competent, independent and disinterested in the outcome; they are not advocates in the way a lawyer or public adjuster is.

A public adjuster represents you in presenting and negotiating the claim and is typically paid a percentage of the settlement. An appraiser is appointed only after a dispute over the amount of loss, participates in a formal process that ends in a binding award, and must be disinterested in the outcome, which is why we charge a flat or hourly fee and never a percentage of the award.

No. Appraisal is limited to the amount of loss. If the carrier has denied your claim on coverage grounds, appraisal is generally not the right tool. If the carrier accepted the loss but underpaid it, appraisal is designed for exactly that dispute.

Yes, as to the amount of loss. An award signed by both appraisers, or by one appraiser and the umpire, binds both you and the carrier. Under the 2027 Texas rules it can be set aside only if it was made without authority, not in substantial compliance with the appraisal clause, or affected by fraud, accident or material mistake.

Each party pays its own appraiser, and the umpire's fee is usually split equally. We quote a flat or hourly fee in writing before you appoint us, based on the size and type of the loss. We do not charge a percentage of the award, because an appraiser with a stake in the outcome is not disinterested.

Many appraisals conclude within one to three months. For residential policies issued or renewed on or after March 1, 2027, Texas rules require each side to name an appraiser within 20 days of the demand, the appraisers to attempt agreement within 120 days, and any umpire award to issue within 240 days.

Either party may demand appraisal under a standard clause, and the 2027 Texas rules require residential and personal auto policies to give both sides the unilateral right to demand it without first reaching an impasse. The demand must be in writing.

Under 28 TAC §5.9804, appraisers on residential dwelling losses must be competent by training or experience, independent of the parties and disinterested in the outcome, and must be a licensed adjuster or public adjuster with residential estimating experience, an engineer or architect, or someone with relevant trade experience. Our appraiser is a Texas-licensed public adjuster (license #3356839).

No. An appraiser must be independent and disinterested, and a firm that adjusted the claim has an interest in its outcome. We decline appraiser appointments on any claim where Rise Public Adjusting acted as public adjuster, and we are happy to recommend other qualified appraisers in that situation.

No. Appraisal is a contractual process, not a lawsuit, and most homeowners complete it without counsel. If your dispute also involves a coverage denial, delay or bad-faith conduct, a Texas insurance attorney can advise you on those issues while appraisal resolves the amount of loss. We work alongside counsel routinely.

Either party may ask a county or district court where the property is located to appoint an umpire, after giving the other side 10 days' written notice. Some policies also allow the policyholder to use an independent umpire-selection service, or the parties may agree in writing to another method.

Statewide. We are based in the Houston area and regularly handle appraisals across Greater Houston, Dallas-Fort Worth, San Antonio, Austin, the Gulf Coast and the Rio Grande Valley. Travel is included in the quoted fee.

Only once your residential or personal auto policy is issued or renewed on or after March 1, 2027. Until then, the appraisal clause printed in your current policy controls. Commercial and TWIA policies are not covered by the new rules at all.

Yes, if the commercial policy contains an appraisal clause, as most do. The process follows the clause as written rather than the 2027 residential rules, so deadlines and umpire selection vary by policy form.