Start with the problem, not the professional
The right kind of help depends on what is actually wrong with the claim. Broadly, Florida property disputes fall into three buckets:
- The claim has not been fully presented yet. The damage is not documented, the estimate is not built, and deadlines are looming.
- The insurer accepts the loss but is paying too little. It is a disagreement about scope, pricing or depreciation.
- The insurer says the loss is not covered, alleges a policy violation, or has stopped responding.
Each bucket points toward a different professional. Many claims touch more than one, and that is fine, as long as everyone’s role is clear.
What an independent appraiser does
An appraiser works inside the appraisal provision of the policy. Once appraisal is invoked, each side names an appraiser, and those appraisers document the damage, build or review line-item estimates and try to agree on the amount of loss, with an umpire breaking any deadlock. The appraiser’s job is narrow by design: to establish what the covered damage is worth.
Most policies require the appraiser to be competent and disinterested, which is why reputable appraisers typically charge an hourly or flat fee instead of a share of the award. Appraisers do not give legal advice and do not argue coverage. Florida Insurance Appraiser works in exactly this lane: estimates, documentation and line-by-line negotiation of the amount of loss. You can read more about our homeowners claim appraisal work.
What a public adjuster does
A public adjuster is a licensed professional who represents the policyholder in preparing, presenting and negotiating the claim with the insurer, often from the very beginning. Public adjusters are licensed and regulated by the Florida Department of Financial Services, and Florida law generally caps their fees as a percentage of the claim payment, with lower caps for claims tied to a declared state of emergency. Check current rules before signing, as limits and disclosure requirements have changed over time.
Public adjusters can be valuable when the claim is large or complicated and the homeowner does not have the time or experience to manage it. Because they are paid a percentage, a public adjuster typically cannot also serve as the disinterested appraiser for that same claim under most policy wording.
What a property insurance attorney does
A Florida-licensed attorney is the only one of the three who can give legal advice, interpret coverage questions for you and file suit. If the insurer has denied the claim, says an exclusion applies, accuses you of misrepresentation, or will not honor the appraisal clause, those are legal problems.
The fee picture changed after Florida’s 2022 and 2023 reforms, which repealed one-way attorney fee shifting for most property insurance claims. Before those changes, a policyholder who won a judgment could often recover attorney fees from the insurer. Now, attorneys and clients usually have to plan around the fees coming out of the recovery. That has made many lawyers more selective, and it has made pre-suit tools like appraisal and DFS mediation more important.
Florida law also now generally requires certain pre-suit steps, such as a written notice of intent to sue sent to the insurer before filing, with time for the carrier to respond. An attorney can explain how those requirements apply to your claim and how they interact with appraisal. If you are unsure whether your problem is legal or purely about dollars, a short consultation with a lawyer is often a sensible first step.
Side-by-side comparison
| Appraiser | Public adjuster | Attorney | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main job | Set the amount of loss within appraisal | Prepare and negotiate the whole claim | Legal advice, coverage disputes, litigation |
| Typical pay | Hourly or flat fee | Percentage of payments, capped by Florida law | Varies: contingency, hourly or hybrid |
| Decides coverage? | No | No, but argues the claim | Argues it, and a court decides |
| Best fit | Accepted claim, disputed dollars | Claim not yet fully presented | Denial, bad faith or legal questions |
This is a generalization. Individual agreements vary, so read any contract carefully before signing it.
Three short scenarios
Real claims rarely fit a chart, so here is how the choice often plays out in practice. These are composite illustrations, not actual client files.
A Tampa homeowner with a roof leak after a storm. The insurer inspected, accepted wind damage and paid for a partial repair. The homeowner’s roofer says the shingles are discontinued and the whole slope needs replacing. Coverage is not in dispute; the scope and matching are. That is a classic appraisal question, and our appraisal process page shows how it would move from demand to award.
A Fort Myers condo association weeks after a hurricane. The board has not documented damage across multiple buildings, has not built an estimate and is juggling unit-owner questions. The claim is not yet fully presented. A public adjuster, or a careful internal process with consultants, may be the right first step, with condo and HOA appraisal held in reserve for disputed amounts later.
A Jacksonville business owner whose water claim was denied. The carrier says the leak was long-term seepage and excluded. That is a coverage dispute. A Florida attorney should review the denial before anyone talks about the amount.
In each case, the starting question is the same: is the disagreement about whether the loss is covered, or about what it costs to fix?
Combining roles without conflicts
It is common for these roles to overlap on one file. A public adjuster may present a claim, then recommend appraisal and step back while independent appraisers handle the amount of loss. An attorney may handle a coverage dispute and, once coverage is resolved, suggest appraisal to settle the number. What matters is that the appraiser stays disinterested and that no one is being paid twice for the same work.
When a client already has a public adjuster or attorney, we coordinate with them rather than around them. We are not a law firm and not a public adjusting firm, and we say so up front.
Coordination works best when everyone agrees early on who communicates with the insurer, who controls the estimate, and who decides whether to accept an offer. A short written understanding among the policyholder, the adjuster or attorney and the appraiser prevents crossed wires later, such as two different estimates reaching the carrier or a settlement call happening without the appraiser’s numbers in hand.
Questions to ask before you hire anyone
- How exactly are you paid, and is that in writing?
- Are you licensed for the role you are describing, and can I verify that with the state?
- Will you produce a line-item estimate I can see?
- Do you have any relationship with a contractor who would do the repairs?
- What happens if appraisal or negotiation does not change the outcome?
Good professionals answer these easily. If you would like to talk through which kind of help fits your file, contact Florida Insurance Appraiser and we will give you a straight read, even if the answer is that you need someone other than us.
General information, not legal advice. Policies differ; read yours and consult a Florida attorney on legal questions.
Frequently asked questions
Can a public adjuster be my appraiser?
Under most policy wording, an appraiser must be disinterested. Because public adjusters are typically paid a percentage of the claim, they are usually not a good fit to serve as the appraiser on that same claim.
Do I still get attorney fees if I win in Florida?
One-way attorney fee shifting for most property insurance claims was repealed in Florida’s 2022 and 2023 reforms. Ask a Florida attorney how fees would work in your specific case.
Can an appraiser help if my claim was denied?
Appraisal generally addresses the amount of a covered loss, not whether the loss is covered. A full denial is usually a matter for a Florida attorney first.