Short answer: Florida property insurance appraisal is a non-judicial dispute resolution process invoked under the policy's appraisal clause when the policyholder and carrier disagree on the amount of loss. Each party appoints an appraiser; the two appraisers agree on an umpire (or the court appoints one); appraisals are submitted and the appraisers or umpire render an award. Any two of the three signatures produce a binding amount-of-loss determination.
What appraisal does
Appraisal resolves amount-of-loss disputes:
- How much will it cost to repair the damage?
- How much did the contents actually lose in value?
- What is the reasonable scope of the repairs?
Appraisal does NOT resolve coverage disputes:
- Is the loss covered at all?
- Does an exclusion apply?
- Is the peril a named peril?
If your dispute is about amount, appraisal is often the right tool. If it's about coverage, litigation is typically required.
The appraisal clause
Most Florida residential property policies contain an appraisal clause. Standard language typically requires:
- Either party may demand appraisal
- Each party selects a competent and impartial appraiser
- The two appraisers select an umpire (or a court appoints if they can't agree within a set period: often 15 days)
- Appraisers review the loss and submit valuations
- If appraisers agree, the amount is binding
- If they disagree, the umpire decides; any two of three signatures bind the award
Invoking appraisal
Who can invoke
Either party, but policyholders invoke much more often than carriers.
How to invoke
Written demand citing the policy's appraisal clause. Specify:
- The loss and claim number
- Your appraiser's name and contact
- Your amount in dispute
When to invoke
- Carrier's settlement is materially lower than your documented scope
- Negotiation has stalled
- The dispute is clearly about amount, not coverage
- You have the documentation and estimate to support your position
When NOT to invoke
- The dispute is about whether coverage applies (invoke appraisal inappropriately can waive litigation rights)
- You don't have a fully documented scope
- You haven't attempted resolution through normal channels
Choosing an appraiser
Qualifications
- Competent: knowledgeable in the line of business (property claims, specific claim type)
- Impartial, not so biased toward one side as to be useless
- Available: willing to spend the time required
Where appraisers come from
- Public adjusters (Ocean Point members frequently serve as appraisers in cases where we're not otherwise engaged)
- Experienced contractors with claim-scoping expertise
- Engineers or specialty experts for specific claim types
What to ask before selecting
- Experience with the specific claim type
- Prior appraisal work
- Availability
- Fee structure
- Typical disposition (tends to favor one side systematically?)
The umpire
- Selected by agreement of the two appraisers
- If appraisers can't agree within the statutory period (often 15 days), either party can petition a Florida court to appoint
- Should be neutral, experienced, and willing to explain decisions
The process timeline
- Invocation: 1 day
- Appraiser selection: 5-10 days each side
- Umpire selection: 10-15 days (or court-ordered if delayed)
- Appraisers' site inspection: 1-3 weeks from selection
- Valuations submitted: 2-4 weeks after inspection
- Umpire decision (if needed): 2-6 weeks after submissions
- Award: typically 60-120 days from invocation
Cost
- Each party pays its own appraiser (rate varies; typically $200-500/hour or flat fee for the proceeding)
- Umpire fees and other proceeding costs are typically split
- Total cost for a policyholder: often $3,000-$10,000 depending on claim complexity
For a $100,000+ claim dispute, these costs are generally worth bearing.
Strategic considerations
When appraisal works for you
- Strong documentation
- Clear scope of loss
- Competent, fair-minded appraiser
- Amount dispute, not coverage
When it may not
- Weak documentation
- Coverage issues mixed in
- Carrier-appointed appraiser is aggressively partisan
- Small claims where costs eat the upside
The Ocean Point Appraisal Protocol™
Our 5-phase methodology for appraisal proceedings:
- Qualification review: is appraisal the right tool?
- Appraiser selection: identifying and retaining the right appraiser
- Documentation preparation: full scope, evidence, expert reports
- Proceeding: inspection, valuation, negotiation with the other appraiser
- Award implementation: ensuring payment and resolving any disputes
Learn more about the Ocean Point Appraisal Protocol™ →
What happens after the award
- Award signed by any two of three (appraisers + umpire) is binding as to the amount of loss
- Carrier must pay within the statutory period
- Limited grounds for vacating an award (fraud, procedural error, improper conduct)
Alternatives to appraisal
- DFS mediation (Fla. Stat. 627.7015): non-binding, low-cost, 2-4 hours
- Civil Remedy Notice (Fla. Stat. 624.155): 60-day cure window, potential bad-faith damages
- Litigation: coverage disputes, bad-faith claims
A focused resource on appraisal
Appraisal is a specialty area within property-insurance claim handling, and the procedural details (panel selection, evidence preparation, award structure) frequently decide outcomes. For policyholders who want an appraisal-only deep-dive, AppraiseClaims.com covers the appraisal-and-umpire workflow in detail.