Questions we hear every week: answered

A public adjuster is a Florida-licensed professional who represents the policyholder, not the insurance carrier, in negotiating property insurance claims on a contingency basis.

You don't always need a public adjuster, but if your claim is complex, denied, underpaid, delayed, or involves a significant loss, a public adjuster typically recovers materially more than homeowners handling claims alone.

Ideally, as early in the claim process as possible, but Florida public adjusters can also be engaged after denial, underpayment, or delay, subject to the 1-year (new/reopened) and 18-month (supplemental) statutory deadlines.

Florida public adjuster fees are set on a contingency basis and capped by Florida Statute 626.854, with a reduced cap for claims arising from declared emergencies. No recovery, no fee.

A public adjuster manages your claim and negotiates scope and settlement. An attorney litigates coverage disputes or bad-faith actions. For most Florida property claims, a public adjuster is the right starting point; attorneys get involved when litigation or bad-faith is warranted.

A public adjuster is licensed to represent the policyholder and is paid only by the policyholder. An insurance company adjuster (staff or independent) represents the insurance carrier. They are opposites.

For most denied, underpaid, delayed, or significant Florida property claims, yes: policyholders with public adjusters recover materially more than those handling claims alone, net of the fee.

Under Florida Statute 627.70132, new hurricane claims must be reported within 1 year of the date of loss. Supplemental claims have 18 months.

Florida insurers must acknowledge within 7 days, begin investigation within 7 days of proof-of-loss, inspect within 30 days, and pay or deny the claim within 60 days. Fla. Stat. 627.70131.

Yes: subject to statutory deadlines. Supplemental claims are permitted within 18 months of date of loss; reopened claims within 1 year. A public adjuster can pursue additional recovery within these windows.

Verify the DFS license at MyFloridaCFO, check for FAPIA/NAPIA membership, review documented case results, read independent reviews, and confirm contingency-fee structure matches statutory caps.