THE SHORT ANSWER
Most public adjusters charge a percentage of the insurance payments on your claim, set in a written contract. Rates vary, and some states cap them. Before you sign, ask what the percentage applies to, especially money the insurer already paid or offered, and how you can cancel.
A share of the claim payment
A public adjuster’s fee is usually a percentage of what the insurer pays on the claim, agreed in a signed contract. The Pennsylvania Insurance Department explains that the fee comes out of the claim payment, not on top of it.
United Policyholders reports that contingency fees commonly range from 5% to 15% of insurer payments, and that fees are negotiable.
Read the Pennsylvania Insurance Department’s guide to public adjusters
Ask what the percentage applies to
This is the question that matters most. If the insurer has already paid or offered money before you sign, does the fee apply to that amount, or only to what the adjuster recovers afterward? Some public adjusters charge only on new money. Get the answer in writing before you sign.
Also ask whether the fee applies to every part of the claim, such as additional living expenses.
Read United Policyholders’ advice on hiring a public adjuster
Some states cap the fee
Rules differ from state to state. Florida, for example, limits most residential public adjuster fees to 20% of claim payments, and to 10% for claims from a declared state of emergency during the first year. Florida also bars a fee on amounts the insurer paid or agreed to in writing before the contract was signed.
Ask the adjuster which rules apply where your property is, and check with your state insurance department.
Read the contract before you sign
A public adjusting agreement should state the fee, what it covers, and how either side can end it. Some states give homeowners a set number of days to cancel without penalty. In Florida, it is 10 days after signing, or longer for some emergency claims.
- The fee percentage and what it applies to
- The work included
- How and when you can cancel
- How settlement offers will be shared with you
How Hiraya handles fees
Hiraya sets its public adjusting fee in a written agreement before work begins. We explain how it is calculated, what it covers, and when it is paid, so you can decide with the numbers in front of you.
Public adjusting
For homeowners and property owners with an insurance claim. We document the damage, prepare the estimate, and present the claim for you.
See Hiraya’s public adjusting