THE SHORT ANSWER
A contractor can document the damage and explain its repair estimate. Negotiating the claim for the homeowner is a different role, and many states reserve it for licensed public adjusters and attorneys. When a claim turns on coverage, is denied, or is too large for the homeowner to manage, a referral protects the homeowner and keeps your role clear.
Know where your role ends
Your job is the repair: the scope, the estimate, and the work. You can explain your bid and the evidence behind it. Negotiating the claim on the homeowner’s behalf is a different role, and states regulate it.
Florida bars licensed contractors from performing public adjuster services unless they are also licensed and compliant as public adjusters. Texas Insurance Code section 4102.163 bars a contractor from acting as a public adjuster on any property where it provides or may provide contracting services. Check the rules in each state where you work.
Signs a homeowner needs representation
A supplement can fix a missing line item. Some claims need more than that.
- The insurer denied the claim or questions coverage
- The loss is large or touches many parts of the home
- The homeowner does not understand the policy or the letters
- The claim has stalled and the homeowner cannot manage it
- You are being asked to argue about coverage, not repairs
Supplements and public adjusting do different work
Many claims need both. Your documentation supports the repair scope, and a public adjuster represents the homeowner on the claim.
| Question | Supplement support | Public adjusting |
|---|---|---|
| Who is the client? | The contractor | The homeowner or property owner |
| What is the focus? | Changes to the repair scope and estimate | The whole claim under the policy |
| Who negotiates the claim? | The homeowner, with your documentation | The public adjuster, under a signed contract |
Refer cleanly
Give the homeowner a name and let them decide. They should check the adjuster’s license, read the contract, and sign it themselves. Keep your repair contract separate from any public adjusting agreement.
Once a public adjuster is on the claim, agree who sends what. Your photos, measurements, and estimate strengthen the claim, and the adjuster handles the conversation with the insurer.
How Hiraya fits both sides
Hiraya supports contractors with Xactimate estimates and supplements, and works as a public adjuster for homeowners where licensed. If a customer’s claim needs representation, have them contact us with the property location. We’ll confirm whether we can take the claim.
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