What a public adjuster does, and when to call one

Three adjusters, one who works for you

After a property loss in Florida you may hear from more than one adjuster. A company adjuster is an employee of the insurer. An independent adjuster is a contractor the insurer hires, often after a hurricane. A public adjuster is licensed by the Florida Department of Financial Services and is hired by the policyholder. Of the three, only the public adjuster represents you.

What the work includes

A public adjuster prepares and presents the claim on your behalf. In practice that usually means:

• Inspecting and documenting the damage, area by area
• Reviewing the policy, its limits, deductibles and endorsements
• Preparing a detailed estimate of the loss
• Communicating with the insurer and attending its inspections
• Negotiating the claim payment, including supplemental amounts for damage found later

A public adjuster does not give legal advice or file lawsuits. If a dispute needs an attorney, that is a different professional and a separate agreement.

How fees work in Florida

Public adjusters usually work on a contingency fee: nothing is paid upfront, and the fee is a percentage of the claim payments the insurer makes. Section 626.854 of the Florida Statutes caps that fee:

• 20 percent of claim payments for claims that are not tied to a declared state of emergency, including reopened and supplemental claims
• 10 percent for claims tied to an event under a state of emergency declared by the Governor, during the year after the declaration
• No fee on amounts the insurer paid, or agreed in writing to pay, before you signed the contract

If nothing is recovered, no fee is owed. RicardoPA confirms the exact percentage for your claim in writing before you sign.

Rights you keep when you sign

The contract must be in writing and state the fee. Florida law also gives you these protections:

• You can cancel for any reason, without penalty, within 10 days after signing
• For a loss from a declared emergency, the window is 30 days after the date of loss or 10 days after signing, whichever is longer
• You can also cancel without penalty if the public adjuster does not give you and your insurer a written estimate within 60 days, unless the delay is beyond the adjuster’s control
• You keep the right to talk directly with your insurer or an attorney

When it makes sense to call

Many owners contact a public adjuster when the damage is extensive, when several parts of the property are affected, or when an estimate, a denial or a request for documents is hard to interpret. Others call before reporting the loss to understand the process. Any of these is a reasonable starting point.

Before hiring anyone, verify the license with the Florida Department of Financial Services and ask who will personally work your claim. At RicardoPA that is Ricardo Arevalo, license W319359.