What Does a Property Insurance Appraiser Do?

After hiring an insurance appraiser, the appraiser will get to work. Some of the core duties performed by an insurance appraiser during a appraisal include:

• Investigate, inspect the property, and evaluate your insurance claim

• Decide the appropriate amount the insurance company should pay for the loss

• Contact engineers, architects, contractors, and others to get additional information about a claim

• Consult with lawyers on claims if needed

• Maintain claims files, including a record of settled claims and an inventory of claims requiring detailed analysis

• Negotiate a final settlement with the co-appraiser hired by your insurance company

• If a disagreement cannot be reached, pass the case off to the umpire that was selected by both appraisers for a final verdict
  

Overall, an appraiser’s goal is to investigate, evaluate, and provide valuations on property damage to help settle insurance claims.

Some specialize in a specific area of insurance – like commercial, business, and residential insurance. Others specialize in a specific type of damage – like hail, roof, wind, flood, or hurricane damage.