Independent insurance appraisers · Texas
Your appraiser in the insurance appraisal process.
When the carrier agrees your loss is covered but will not agree on what it costs, your policy lets you invoke appraisal. You appoint an appraiser. We are the appraiser Texas policyholders appoint: competent, independent, and disinterested in the outcome, which is exactly what makes our number hold up.
- Flat fee, never a percentage of the award
- Texas public adjuster license #3356839
- Residential & commercial
- Statewide Texas
Is appraisal right for your claim?
Three quick questions
- The carrier accepted the loss as covered
- You disagree with the amount or scope of its estimate
- Your policy has an appraisal clause (every Texas home policy will from March 2027)
Three yeses and appraisal is probably the fastest, cheapest way to a binding number. Send us the estimate and we will confirm.
Send the Carrier's EstimateWhat we do
Appraisal and umpire services for disputed property claims
One job, done carefully: determine the amount of loss and defend it at the appraiser conference and before the umpire.
Homeowners Claim Appraisal
Your appointed appraiser on a disputed homeowners, condo or renters claim anywhere in Texas.
Learn more →Commercial Claim Appraisal
Appraisal for retail, office, industrial, multifamily and church property losses.
Learn more →Hail & Roof Appraisal
Repair vs. replace, matching, decking and code items: the most common Texas appraisal dispute.
Learn more →Hurricane & Wind Appraisal
Wind-driven rain, roof and envelope damage, contents and ALE after a named storm.
Learn more →Water Damage Appraisal
Slab leaks, supply-line failures, freeze events and the scope fights that follow.
Learn more →Fire & Smoke Appraisal
Structure, cleaning and deodorizing, contents inventories and ALE after a fire.
Learn more →How it works
Appraisal in four steps
Deadlines shown are the Texas residential rules for policies issued or renewed on or after March 1, 2027. Older policies follow the clause as printed.
You demand appraisal
A written demand to the carrier invokes the policy's appraisal clause and names your appraiser.
Appraisers are named
Each side appoints a competent, independent, disinterested appraiser and shares contact details.
Appraisers inspect and compare
Both appraisers document the loss, exchange estimates and agree on everything they can.
Umpire resolves the rest
Remaining items go to a jointly chosen umpire. Two signatures make the award binding.
Why independence matters
An appraiser with a stake in the award is an appraiser the umpire discounts.
Texas now requires appraisers to be competent, independent of the parties and disinterested in the outcome. We built the practice around that standard before it was a rule:
- Fees are flat or hourly, quoted in writing, and never a percentage of the award
- We decline appointments on any claim where Rise Public Adjusting acted as public adjuster
- Our estimates are written in industry-standard software, line by line, so they can be compared and defended
- We tell you when appraisal is the wrong tool, including when the real dispute is coverage
Credentials
Joseph Dittman
Appraiser and licensed Texas public adjuster. Texas public adjuster license #3356839, verifiable through the Texas Department of Insurance license lookup. Residential and commercial estimating experience on hail, wind, water and fire losses across Texas.
Guides
Understand the process before you start it
Texas Appraisal Rules 2027 (SB 458)
Mandatory appraisal, firm deadlines and minimum appraiser qualifications arrive March 1, 2027.
Read the guide →Appraisal vs. Public Adjuster vs. Lawsuit
Three paths out of an underpaid claim, compared on cost, time and what each can actually decide.
Read the guide →How to Demand Appraisal (with sample letter)
Where to find the clause, what the demand must say, and a letter you can adapt.
Read the guide →What Happens at an Appraisal Inspection
From the joint inspection to the two-signature award: what each step looks like from the homeowner's side.
Read the guide →FAQ
Common questions about appraisal
What is an insurance appraiser for policyholders?
An appraiser is the person you appoint under your policy's appraisal clause to determine the amount of your loss when you and the insurance company disagree on it. The carrier appoints its own appraiser, and the two appraisers (with an umpire if they cannot agree) issue a binding award. Appraisers must be competent, independent and disinterested in the outcome; they are not advocates in the way a lawyer or public adjuster is.
How is an appraiser different from a public adjuster?
A public adjuster represents you in presenting and negotiating the claim and is typically paid a percentage of the settlement. An appraiser is appointed only after a dispute over the amount of loss, participates in a formal process that ends in a binding award, and must be disinterested in the outcome, which is why we charge a flat or hourly fee and never a percentage of the award.
Does appraisal decide whether my claim is covered?
No. Appraisal is limited to the amount of loss. If the carrier has denied your claim on coverage grounds, appraisal is generally not the right tool. If the carrier accepted the loss but underpaid it, appraisal is designed for exactly that dispute.
Is the appraisal award binding?
Yes, as to the amount of loss. An award signed by both appraisers, or by one appraiser and the umpire, binds both you and the carrier. Under the 2027 Texas rules it can be set aside only if it was made without authority, not in substantial compliance with the appraisal clause, or affected by fraud, accident or material mistake.
How much does an appraiser cost?
Each party pays its own appraiser, and the umpire's fee is usually split equally. We quote a flat or hourly fee in writing before you appoint us, based on the size and type of the loss. We do not charge a percentage of the award, because an appraiser with a stake in the outcome is not disinterested.
How long does appraisal take in Texas?
Many appraisals conclude within one to three months. For residential policies issued or renewed on or after March 1, 2027, Texas rules require each side to name an appraiser within 20 days of the demand, the appraisers to attempt agreement within 120 days, and any umpire award to issue within 240 days.
Can I demand appraisal, or only the insurance company?
Either party may demand appraisal under a standard clause, and the 2027 Texas rules require residential and personal auto policies to give both sides the unilateral right to demand it without first reaching an impasse. The demand must be in writing.
Who can be an appraiser in Texas?
Under 28 TAC §5.9804, appraisers on residential dwelling losses must be competent by training or experience, independent of the parties and disinterested in the outcome, and must be a licensed adjuster or public adjuster with residential estimating experience, an engineer or architect, or someone with relevant trade experience. Our appraiser is a Texas-licensed public adjuster (license #3356839).
Get started
Send us the carrier's estimate.
We read the appraisal clause, compare the carrier's scope with the damage you describe, and tell you plainly whether appraisal is the right move. If it is, you get a flat fee in writing before you appoint us.