How is a public adjuster different from the insurance company's adjuster?

The insurance company's adjuster is paid by the carrier and values the claim from the carrier's side. An independent adjuster is also hired by the carrier, just on contract. A public adjuster is the only one of the three licensed to represent the policyholder. Same claim, opposite side of the table.

How do I verify a public adjuster's license in Florida?

Every legitimate Florida public adjuster holds a state license you can check for free on the Florida Department of Financial Services licensee search at licenseesearch.fldfs.com. Coyne Commercial Group's licenses are W482618 (James Coyne, individual) and G350978 (firm).

Do public adjusters handle commercial claims?

Yes. Some firms focus on it. Coyne Commercial Group works commercial claims across Florida: condominium associations, HOA communities, and multifamily buildings, on hurricane, fire, plumbing-leak, flood, and hail losses.

The Plain-English Guide

What is a public adjuster?

Q: How much does a public adjuster cost?

Most public adjusters, including Coyne Commercial Group, work on contingency: no recovery, no fee. The fee is a percentage of what is recovered, and in Florida that percentage is capped by state law. There is typically no upfront cost to the policyholder.

Q: When should I hire a public adjuster?

As early in the claim as possible, ideally before or right after the claim is reported. Policy deadlines run from the date of loss, and early documentation usually decides the outcome. A public adjuster can also step in later if a claim is underpaid or stalled.

A public adjuster is a state-licensed insurance professional who represents you, the policyholder, never the insurance company. They document your damage, read your policy line by line, prepare and file the claim, and negotiate with the carrier on your behalf. In Florida they are licensed by the Department of Financial Services and paid only as a percentage of what they recover, capped by state law.

Here is the part most people never get told: every adjuster the insurance company sends to your property works for the insurance company. Professional, polite, and paid by the carrier. A public adjuster is the only type of adjuster licensed to sit on your side of the table.

The three kinds of adjusters, side by side

Type	Who hires them	Who they work for
Company adjuster	The insurance carrier (staff)	The insurance company
Independent adjuster	The insurance carrier (contract)	The insurance company
Public adjuster	You	You, the policyholder

"Independent" is the name that fools people. An independent adjuster is independent of the carrier's payroll, not independent of the carrier. They are still hired by, and answer to, the insurance company.

What a public adjuster actually does

Documents everything: photos, measurements, moisture readings, thermal scans, every room and every system. Reads the policy line by line, because the value of a commercial policy hides in details like percentage deductibles and coinsurance clauses. Prepares and files the claim so the deadlines that start running on the date of loss get met. Then meets the carrier's adjusters and negotiates until the number reflects what the policy actually owes.

What it costs

Most public adjusters, including us, work on contingency. No recovery, no fee. The fee is a percentage of what is recovered, and in Florida that percentage is capped by state law. There is typically no upfront cost. If the claim recovers nothing, the fee is nothing.

How to verify any Florida public adjuster

Every legitimate public adjuster in Florida holds a state license you can look up for free on the Florida DFS licensee search. Never hire one who cannot show a license number. Ours: James Coyne, individual license W482618, firm license G350978.

Questions People Ask

Straight answers

What is a public adjuster in simple terms?

A state-licensed insurance professional who works only for you, the policyholder. The insurance company has its own adjusters valuing your damage from their side. A public adjuster documents the damage, reads your policy, prepares the claim, and negotiates with the insurance company on your behalf.

How is that different from the adjuster my insurance company sent?

The company adjuster is paid by the carrier. The independent adjuster is also hired by the carrier, just on contract. The public adjuster is the only one of the three licensed to represent you. Same claim, opposite side of the table.

How much does a public adjuster cost?

Contingency, in most cases: no recovery, no fee. The fee is a percentage of what is recovered, capped in Florida by state law, with no upfront cost to the policyholder.

When should I hire one?

As early as possible, ideally before or right after the claim is reported. Deadlines run from the date of loss and early documentation usually decides the outcome. A public adjuster can also step in later if a claim came back underpaid or has stalled.

Can a public adjuster help with a claim that was already denied or underpaid?

Often, yes. A supplemental or reopened claim is still a claim, and the documentation and policy reading work the same way. The earlier the better, but later is not too late.

Do public adjusters handle commercial buildings?

Yes, and some firms focus there. Coyne Commercial Group works commercial claims across Florida: condo associations, HOA communities, and multifamily buildings, on hurricane, fire, plumbing-leak, flood, and hail losses.

Want to see what this looks like on a real building? Scroll the full story of a Florida commercial claim.

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