Appraisal Representation
When you and your insurer can't agree on the number.
Most property policies include a little-known clause that forces the fight out of the adjuster's office and into a binding, three-person decision. Here's how it works — and how we represent you inside it.
The appraisal clause, plain-spoken.
Nearly every standard property policy contains an appraisal clause — a contractual way to settle a dispute over the amount of loss, without going to court.
When you and the insurance carrier disagree on what it will cost to put your property back together, either party can demand appraisal. The clause is written directly into your policy — it's a right you've paid for.
Each side chooses its own competent and disinterested appraiser. Those two appraisers jointly select an umpire. The three of them review the scope and pricing, and any two signatures on the final award make it binding.
Appraisal is faster than litigation, cheaper than a lawsuit, and decided by people who actually understand construction cost — not a jury.
Three people. One binding number.
Binding. And final.
Appraisal is powerful, but it isn't a courtroom. Before you invoke it, understand what it can and cannot do.
Amount of loss only.
Appraisal decides the dollar figure, not whether the damage is covered. Coverage disputes belong in a different forum.
The award is binding.
Courts will overturn appraisal awards only in narrow circumstances — fraud, bias, or the appraisers exceeding their authority.
You pay your appraiser.
Each party covers their own appraiser. Umpire fees — and any shared costs — are typically split evenly down the middle.
No discovery, no depositions.
There are no subpoenas, no formal rules of evidence. It's faster than litigation — but the informality cuts both ways.
Stuck at an impasse? We step in as your appraiser.
Avant represents policyholders who cannot settle on an amount with their insurance company. When the carrier's number is too low, the scope is too thin, or the line items just don't add up — appraisal is the lever, and we know how to pull it.
We serve as your appointed appraiser: building the documented scope, pricing it accurately, defending it against the carrier's appraiser, and negotiating with the umpire. We've walked through enough of these to know where the fights happen — depreciation, overhead and profit, code upgrades, matching — and how to win them on the page.
You keep control of the claim. We do the arguing.
Hourly. Itemized. No percentage of your award.
You receive an itemized invoice each month with time entries, dates, and mileage. No contingency. No percentage of the award. If we spend less time on your matter, you pay less — full stop.
Demand appraisal with someone in your corner.
Tell us about the offer you've been given. If the numbers are wrong, we'll tell you — and we'll represent you through the appraisal process if you want us to.