This is an important question. The more experience the Public Adjuster has (at least 7 – 10 years); the broader their knowledge base will be in policy and how to negotiate with the insurance company. Of course, you reap the benefits as your final settlement will be higher. Keep this in mind, as in any profession, the longer amount of time the individual has been immersed in it, the better they are able to represent you.

Another important question – in the most ideal circumstances, there should be a long term, established business relationship between the Public Adjuster you meet in the field and the firm they represent.

All Public Adjusters are not created equal and as such, there will be a variance as to the fee each will charge given each individual loss circumstance. Here are some basic facts to keep in mind:

The industry standard is 10% of the amount received from the insurance company. There are Public Adjusters that will charge more than 10% for their services - please keep in mind that the maximum legal limit a Public Adjuster may charge is 20%. During a Declared Emergency (tornado, hurricane, wild fire) set forth by the Governor of the State, there is a 10% cap on the fees a Public Adjuster may charge. On a supplemental or re-opened claim, there is no limit as to the fee the Public Adjuster may charge however such fee can be charged only on the additional amount of funds received.

For example, let’s say you received $50,000.00 from your insurance company as settlement for a property claim. You then retain a Public Adjuster and he/she is able to secure a further $25,000.00 on your behalf, for a total claim of $75,000.00 - that’s an additional $25,000.00. There is no cap as to the fee the Public Adjuster can charge on the additional $25,000.00 of new money only.

Here’s the posted rule, take a look»

The amount you are being charged should be stated very clearly on the contract you sign with any Public Adjuster. Now is the time to discuss any additions to the Public Adjuster’s fee. Most Public Adjusters do not charge for “costs” such as copies, faxes and telephone calls however there are times, during the claims process, when it becomes necessary to hire an outside expert, i.e. engineer. Those costs are in addition to the fee being charged and not usually borne by the Public Adjuster.