Should You Hire a Public Adjuster? An Honest Guide for Florida Owners and Boards

Short answer

The short answer

Hiring a public adjuster makes sense when the claim is large or complex, when the carrier has denied it or paid it short, or when the property is an association with shared structures and a master policy. It usually does not make sense when the damage is below or close to your deductible, or when the carrier has already paid the claim in full and the number is fair. A public adjuster is paid a share of what the carrier pays, so on a small or already-settled claim there is little for one to do and little reason to give up part of the payment.

If you are not sure which side of that line you are on, most public adjusters, including us, will look at the file first and tell you. If the answer is that you do not need one, a good one will say so.

What a public adjuster actually does

A public adjuster is licensed by the State of Florida to represent the policyholder in an insurance claim. Florida Statute 626.854 defines the role: a person who, for compensation, prepares, files or negotiates a property insurance claim on behalf of the insured. The insurance company has its own adjuster. The public adjuster is the one on your side of the table.

In practice the job is documentation and communication. The public adjuster inspects the property, prepares a line-item estimate of the damage, reads the policy and its endorsements, collects the reports and records that speak to cause and timing, and presents the claim to the carrier in writing. The public adjuster also handles adjuster meetings, requests for information and the day-to-day back and forth so the owner or the board does not have to.

A public adjuster does not decide what the policy covers, cannot promise an outcome, and cannot give legal advice. What one can do is make sure the carrier is looking at a complete, dated and organized file, and that every deadline is met while the claim is reviewed.

When hiring a public adjuster makes sense

These are the situations where the work a public adjuster does tends to matter most.

• —The loss is large or complex. Roof systems, interior water damage, code upgrades, mechanical equipment and business income all need to be scoped and priced, and each one is a place where a claim can come in short.
• —The claim was denied. A denial is a position the carrier has taken, usually on cause, timing or a policy exclusion. It can be answered with documents, and a public adjuster is built to gather and present them.
• —The claim was paid, but the number looks low. Most underpayments are several small omissions rather than one big mistake. A line-by-line comparison against a full scope of the building is the way to find them.
• —The property is a condo or HOA association. Association claims run under a master policy, involve common elements and shared structures, and carry fiduciary duties for the board. The carrier will often scope only the units with visible damage.
• —You do not have the time or the background to run the claim. A commercial claim can take months of correspondence. If nobody on your side can own that, the carrier sets the pace.
• —A milestone inspection or SIRS report described damage that may trace to a storm or a pipe failure. The maintenance versus claim question needs an answer before repairs erase the evidence.

When hiring a public adjuster does not make sense

A public adjuster is paid a share of what the carrier pays. On some claims there is no reason to give up part of the payment, and a public adjuster who takes those claims anyway is not doing you a favor. Be careful with anyone who says every claim needs one.

• —The damage is below or close to your deductible. Florida hurricane deductibles are often a percentage of the insured value and can run well into five figures on a commercial building. If the loss does not clear the deductible by a meaningful margin, there is nothing to adjust.
• —The carrier already paid the claim in full and the number is fair. If the estimate matches a real contractor bid, includes the whole scope, and the money arrived, the claim is done. Cash the check and fix the building.
• —The claim is small and simple. A single broken window, a small appliance leak with visible and limited damage, or a fence section down are claims most owners can handle directly with the carrier.
• —The dispute is about coverage rather than amount, and it is heading to court. A public adjuster documents and negotiates. If the carrier says the loss is not covered at all and will not move, the next step is often an attorney, not an adjuster.
• —You are already inside the appraisal process or a lawsuit. The rules for who can act on your behalf change once those start. Ask your attorney or the appraiser before adding anyone.

Public adjuster, carrier adjuster, or attorney: who does what

Three different people can show up on a Florida property claim, and they are not interchangeable.

• —The carrier adjuster works for the insurance company. This person may be a company employee or an independent adjuster the carrier hired. Either way, the job is to determine what the carrier will pay under the policy. This person is not your representative.
• —The public adjuster works for you. Licensed under Chapter 626, paid by you out of the claim, and focused on documenting the loss and presenting it to the carrier. A public adjuster cannot practice law and cannot file a lawsuit for you.
• —The attorney also works for you, but handles legal disputes: coverage denials that will not move, bad faith, and litigation. Since the December 2022 reforms, the one-way attorney fee that policyholders used to recover is gone, so a lawsuit is a more expensive last step than it once was. Many attorneys prefer a claim that has already been documented by a public adjuster.

What the process looks like, step by step

Every firm runs a little differently. This is the general shape of a Florida public adjuster engagement.

• —Review. You share the policy, the carrier letters and any estimate. The public adjuster tells you whether there is a claim worth pursuing and what is missing.
• —Contract. Florida requires a written public adjuster contract that states the fee. Florida law caps that fee, and the cap is lower for claims tied to a declared state of emergency. The law also gives you a short window after signing to cancel without penalty. Read the contract before you sign it.
• —Inspection and documentation. The public adjuster walks the whole property, takes dated photos, prepares a line-item estimate, and reads the policy against the damage.
• —Presentation. The claim, or the supplement to an existing claim, goes to the carrier in writing with the supporting documents.
• —Negotiation. The carrier responds, usually with its own estimate. The two sides compare scopes and prices. Most claims resolve here.
• —Appraisal, if needed. When the disagreement is about the amount rather than coverage, most policies let either side invoke appraisal. Each side picks an appraiser, the two pick an umpire, and the panel sets the number.
• —Payment. The carrier pays the policyholder. The public adjuster fee comes out of that payment as set in the contract. Florida law requires the fee to be based on the amount actually paid by the carrier.

What to ask before hiring anyone

A licensed public adjuster should be able to answer every one of these without hesitation. If the answers are vague, keep looking.

• —What is your Florida license number, and is the firm licensed too? Then check both with the state, as described below.
• —Who will actually handle my file? Some firms sign the contract with a senior adjuster and hand the work to someone else.
• —What is the fee, and is it within the Florida cap for this type of claim? Get the number in the written contract, not in a conversation.
• —What is the cancellation window, and what happens if I cancel? Florida law gives you one. The contract should state it.
• —Have you handled this kind of property and this kind of loss before? A condo master-policy claim is not a single-family roof claim.
• —Do you have a financial relationship with any contractor who would repair the building? Florida law restricts public adjusters from acting as the contractor on the same loss, and you should know about any referral arrangement.
• —What happens if the carrier denies the claim outright? A good answer names the appraisal process, the notice deadlines and when an attorney becomes the right call.
• —Will you promise a result? The correct answer is no. Florida rules prohibit a public adjuster from guaranteeing an outcome.

How Florida licensing works and how to verify a license

Florida licenses public adjusters through the Department of Financial Services, Division of Insurance Agent and Agency Services. An applicant must pass a state examination, submit fingerprints, meet a surety bond requirement, and complete continuing education to keep the license active. Apprentice public adjusters hold a separate license and must work under the supervision of a licensed public adjuster. Firms that employ public adjusters hold a separate firm license.

To verify a license, go to the DFS licensee search at licenseesearch.fldfs.com. Search by name or license number. The record shows whether the license is active, the license type, and any administrative actions. Check the individual and the firm. Our own numbers are on the licensing page of this site: James Coyne, Public Adjuster License W482618, and Coyne Commercial Group, Firm License G350978.

Florida also sets rules for how a public adjuster may contact you. There are limits on solicitation after a declared emergency and on the hours during which a public adjuster may contact a policyholder. If someone shows up at your door in the days after a storm and pushes you to sign that day, that is a reason to slow down, not speed up.

Commonly Asked Questions

Related

• Underpaid or denied claim in Florida: what to do next →
• Florida claim notice deadlines →
• Milestone report found damage: maintenance or claim? →
• Central Florida public adjuster →
• How we work a claim →
• Our Florida license numbers →
• Public adjuster FAQ →

About the Author

James Coyne

Florida Licensed Public Adjuster, License W482618. Founder of Coyne Commercial Group, Firm License G350978, Sanford, Florida. Represents commercial property owners, condominium and HOA associations, and homeowners on insurance claims statewide.

Sources

• Fla. Stat. § 626.854 : definition of a public adjuster, contract, fee and conduct requirements
• Fla. Stat. § 626.8651 and § 626.865 : apprentice and public adjuster licensing and bond requirements
• F.A.C. 69B-220.201 : ethical requirements for public adjusters
• Fla. Stat. § 627.70132 : notice deadlines for property insurance claims
• Florida Department of Financial Services, licensee search (licenseesearch.fldfs.com)

This page is for general information, not legal advice or a coverage determination. Confirm any deadline or obligation against your policy, your association’s governing documents, and current Florida law.