If the claim is due to a catastrophic incident, the maximum fee allowed by the North Carolina General Statutes is 10 percent of the settlement amount. If you don't know anyone who can recommend an adjuster they've worked with personally, ask your prospective adjuster for the contact information of some of their previous customers. See below for the fees that are due for an initial (new) adjuster license, the renewal of an adjuster license, or the reinstatement of an expired adjuster license (if one year from now). A public appraiser can help reopen a claim with the insurer and file a supplementary claim for additional payments.
You'll have to pay a fee to hire one of these licensed professionals, but a public appraiser can save you a lot of money by ensuring that your insurance company pays the full amount you're responsible for, depending on your coverage. The National Association of Public Insurance Adjusters (NAPIA) has an online directory of public appraisers, although membership does not prevent someone from being a qualified or licensed appraiser for your claim. Many public appraisers visit the site of a loss for free to determine if they will work with the policyholder on a case. Noble Public Adjusting Group 107 Amar Place Suite 103 Panama City Beach (West End), FL 32413 (850) 249-MY-PA.
If you have signed a public adjustment contract, your budget is included and you will not be billed separately for that service. The best way to choose a public appraiser is to find someone with the skills and experience needed to process your type of claim. Depending on the severity and complication of the claim, the policyholder may want to seek out a more experienced public appraiser. Policyholders should be sure that they are claiming the right amount, and hiring a public appraiser is the best way to do that.
We also have other public appraisers who focus on fire and water, and others who work primarily with public appraisers.