Why policyholders call Tutwiler & Associates Public Adjusters, Inc
Tutwiler & Associates has been in the policyholder's corner since 1984, and four decades of that work adds up: well in excess of $210 million in client success stories. Founded in Florida and now national in scope, the firm specializes in commercial and residential property insurance claims and represents policyholders exclusively.
Reach is a real advantage here. Tutwiler is licensed across Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, with offices in Tampa, Orlando, Palm City, and Hollywood, Florida, plus Dallas and Pittsburgh. Clients range from individual homeowners to condominium associations, apartment complexes, educational institutions, and divisions of Fortune 500 companies.
The firm is led by seasoned, credentialed professionals and belongs to both NAPIA and FAPIA, the national and Florida associations of public insurance adjusters. Beyond straight claim representation, Tutwiler offers appraisal and mediation, expert witness and umpire services, builders risk adjustment, and pre-loss inspection and disaster planning. President and CEO Rick Tutwiler was featured as The Policyholder's Champion in 2021. They handle fires, hurricanes, floods, collapses, thefts, sinkholes, business interruption, plumbing and frozen-pipe losses, mold, and wind.
What a public adjuster does
A public adjuster is the only kind of adjuster licensed to work for you, the policyholder — not the insurance company. They document the loss, build a detailed scope and estimate, read the policy for coverage you may have missed, and negotiate the payout with the carrier, working on a percentage of what you recover.
A public adjuster is not a contractor and not an attorney: they cannot make repairs, file suit, or give legal advice. See what a public adjuster actually does and when to hire one.
The fee, in Florida & South Carolina
Florida caps a public adjuster's fee at 20% of the claim payment, dropping to 10% for claims from a declared state of emergency (Fla. Stat. § 626.854). The fee applies only to what the insurer pays — it may not be charged on your deductible.
South Carolina sets no statutory percentage cap; the fee is negotiated in the written contract, which must carry the disclosures required by S.C. Code Title 38, Chapter 48. Read the percentage and what it applies to before you sign.
Full fee guide → · Drafted for education, not verified by counsel — read your contract and the current statute.
Get the exact legal name and license (or NPN) number, then confirm an active public adjuster license in the state where your property sits. Do it on the official roster — never take the number on a business card at face value.
Florida Department of Financial Services licensee search →A public adjuster, or an attorney?
A public adjuster is the right call when the carrier agrees the loss is covered but the check is too low. When the carrier denies coverage outright, alleges misrepresentation, sits on the claim past the statutory deadlines, or acts in bad faith, that is legal territory a public adjuster cannot enter.
If your claim was denied rather than merely underpaid, start with a free attorney review — see public adjuster vs. attorney, why claims get denied, and the deadlines that protect your rights.
We believe in public adjusters, and we want the good ones to get found and get hired. HurricaneLaw.pro features Tutwiler & Associates Public Adjusters, Inc to help policyholders connect with an experienced advocate. We are not affiliated with Tutwiler & Associates Public Adjusters, Inc; this profile is compiled from the firm's own public website and materials, and our links to them are meant to send real business their way. Always confirm current licensing yourself on the state roster above before you hire anyone. A firm that would like its listing updated or removed can reach us through the contact page. Independent resource, not a law firm, and not legal advice.
Denied, not just underpaid? Talk to an attorney first.
Send the denial letter and your declarations page. You'll get a straight read on whether this is a valuation fight for an adjuster or a coverage fight that needs a lawyer.
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▸ SEE THE FULL SITE MAP — EVERY PAGE →HurricaneLaw.Pro is an independent informational resource, not a law firm. Coverage summaries, policy-language quotations, dollar figures, deadlines, and chart examples throughout this site are general information based on typical or standard policy forms and are illustrative only — they are not a quote, a guarantee of coverage, or a promise of any outcome. Every insurance policy is different: your own policy, endorsements, and state law control, so read your policy and confirm current statutes. Weather imagery courtesy of NOAA, the National Hurricane Center, and the National Weather Service. Legal services are provided by our law firm partner, Halversen Law. Nothing on this site is legal advice; consult an attorney about your specific claim.
All legal matters on this site are referred to and handled by our law firm partner, Halversen Law, a licensed law firm in Florida and South Carolina. HurricaneLaw.Pro is an informational resource and is not itself a law firm.