Guide
Do I Need a Public Adjuster? A Florida Claim Decision Guide
You need a public adjuster when the claim is underpaid, denied, large, or complex, and you can often skip one on a small, fully paid loss. Here is how to tell.
You need a public adjuster when the value of your claim is at stake and the carrier is not paying it in full, and you can usually handle a claim yourself when it is small, simple, and already paid correctly. A public adjuster (Fla. Stat. 626.854) works only for you, on a contingency fee capped by statute, so the practical question is whether the recovery they add is likely to exceed their capped fee.
When you likely need a public adjuster
You likely need one if:
- ✓The carrier’s offer feels low, incomplete, or leaves out damage you can see
- ✓Your claim was denied or only partially paid
- ✓The loss is large, structural, or spans multiple trades
- ✓The carrier is slow, unresponsive, or keeps re-inspecting
- ✓You do not have the time or documentation experience to fight it yourself
When you may not need one
You may be fine on your own if:
- ✓The damage is small and at or near your deductible
- ✓The carrier has already paid full replacement cost with no dispute
- ✓The loss is simple, fully documented, and uncontested
Free claim review
We review your policy and estimate at no cost. If we take your case, our fee only comes from the increased recovery.
- ✓Licensed Florida public adjusters
- ✓We work for policyholders, not insurance companies
- ✓No fee unless we recover more than you were offered
What kind of damage?
Pick the closest match. We will ask for details next.
The deadline still runs either way
Whether or not you hire a public adjuster, your carrier must acknowledge and pay or deny your claim within the deadlines in Fla. Stat. [627.70131](/florida-law/fs-627-70131). Do not let a slow carrier run out the clock.
How do you decide?
Compare the gap, not the fee. If the carrier’s offer is meaningfully below the real cost to repair or replace, a public adjuster’s capped, contingent fee usually comes out of the additional recovery, not your pocket. If there is no gap, there is nothing for them to recover, and you owe nothing.
Free claim review
A licensed Florida public adjuster will review your policy and loss documentation for free.
- ✓Licensed Florida public adjusters
- ✓We work for policyholders, not insurance companies
- ✓No fee unless we recover more than you were offered
What kind of damage?
Pick the closest match. We will ask for details next.
Is it worth hiring a public adjuster for a small claim?+
Can I hire a public adjuster after I already filed?+
No obligation. No fee unless recovery.
A licensed Florida public adjuster will review your policy and the carrier’s offer for free. No recovery, no fee.
Related guides
Keep deciding
Who values your claim, who litigates it, and when each one is the right call.
The statutory fee cap, the recovery math, and when hiring one nets you more.
What a Florida public adjuster costs, capped by statute, with no upfront fee.
Free claim review
Licensed Florida public adjusters. Free claim review. No recovery, no fee.
- ✓Licensed Florida public adjusters
- ✓We work for policyholders, not insurance companies
- ✓No fee unless we recover more than you were offered
What kind of damage?
Pick the closest match. We will ask for details next.