Sample Adjuster Name

What a public adjuster does

A licensed public adjuster represents the policyholder, not the insurance company, in preparing, documenting, and negotiating a property-insurance claim. In Florida, public-adjuster fees are capped by statute (commonly 20%, and 10% for claims from a declared emergency in the first year, Fla. Stat. § 626.854); South Carolina has no statutory fee cap. Fees, licensing, and rules vary and change. Confirm current law and any fee agreement before you sign.

Verify this license before you hire

1. Look up the license on the state regulator's site (FL: the Department of Financial Services licensee search; SC: the Department of Insurance).
2. Confirm the license is active, in the right state, and covers public adjusting.
3. Get the fee agreement in writing and read it against the statutory cap for your state.
4. Ask for references and check independent reviews yourself.

Public adjuster vs. attorney

A public adjuster negotiates the amount of a claim. An attorney is needed when the dispute is about coverage, bad faith, or litigation. Many claims use both. If your claim was denied or the dispute is legal rather than a valuation fight, a free case review with a property-insurance attorney is the place to start.