The short answer: if your policy contains an applicable appraisal clause and the dispute falls within the valuation questions assigned to the panel, either party may be able to demand appraisal under that clause. The exact policy and governing law determine the process, what an award sets, and what rights remain. Joshua Friedman accepts policyholder-appraiser assignments in Georgia, Tennessee, and South Carolina. Call 877-650-3515 or text the partners.
Call us before you call your carrier. The first phone call shapes the whole claim. Already filed, or an adjuster already assigned? We're still your next call.
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When you hire the firm, you get the partners: Joshua and Hannah Friedman, with Callie Macho on client success. Not a call center. And when a claim goes to appraisal, the appraiser in your corner is the adjuster on this page.
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When to pull the lever, and when to leave it alone
Appraisal may fit when the policy contains an applicable clause and the disputed questions concern valuation rather than broader liability. The exact clause, concessions, denials, and claim record must be reviewed before a demand.
It is generally not worthwhile for minor disagreements. The process carries real costs, and a small gap is a phone call, not a panel. The appraiser you name must be competent and impartial, and the goal is agreement with the carrier's appraiser before the umpire ever has to vote.
Not every claim qualifies. Three taps to find out if yours does.
The law and the clock
Georgia's Supreme Court confined appraisal to disputed value rather than broader liability. In Harwell v. Home Mutual (1956), the South Carolina Supreme Court held the insured's action premature on the particular policy and record because the insurer had demanded an appraisal that the policy made a condition precedent and the insured refused. Harwell did not announce a universal consequence for every clause or for both parties.
One clock outranks everything: your policy's own "Suit Against Us" clause. Read it the day a claim goes sideways. Do not assume negotiations extend the deadline; the governing policy and law control, and deadline questions belong with counsel.
Questions about appraisal
Should I call you before I call my insurance company?
Yes. What gets said in the first call shapes the whole claim, so talk to us first. Already filed, already offered a low number, or already in appraisal? Call us anyway. We step in at any stage.
Does appraisal reopen a coverage denial?
No. Appraisal decides valuation only: the amount of the loss, never whether the loss is covered. A denial is a coverage fight, and that runs through negotiation, the regulator, or the courts instead.
Who pays for the umpire?
The cost is shared. Under the standard clause, each side pays its own appraiser, and the umpire and panel expenses are split equally. Your policy’s exact wording controls, so we read it before anything is invoked.
Can the carrier refuse to participate?
The standard clause is mutual: either side may make the written demand. Policies vary in their wording, so what a refusal costs the refusing side depends on the clause in yours.
Is the appraisal award final?
Under the standard clause, an award signed by any two of the three panel members becomes the binding amount of the loss, and courts disturb awards only on narrow grounds.
Do I need a lawyer for appraisal?
Appraisal is not a lawsuit. Preparing the valuation and serving as your appraiser is the licensed work of a public adjuster. Coverage and bad-faith fights are litigation, and we refer those to independent policyholder counsel.
The two estimates are only a few hundred dollars apart. Should I invoke?
Usually not. Appraisal carries real costs on your side of the table, and it is generally not worthwhile for minor disagreements. It earns its keep when real money separates the numbers.
Our contractor says the number is way off. Can they run the appraisal?
Your contractor’s estimate is valuable evidence, and we work well beside good contractors. Appraisal itself needs a competent, impartial appraiser, and keeping those roles clean protects you and your builder both.
Prefer a quieter first step? Ask us anything, free: a real answer from a licensed adjuster, no strings.
Friedman & Associates are licensed public adjusters in Georgia, Tennessee, and South Carolina, not attorneys. Our work is the licensed practice of public adjusting (O.C.G.A. § 33-23-43; S.C. Code ch. 38-92): reading the policy, documenting and valuing the loss, negotiating with the carrier, and serving as the policyholder's appraiser when the clause is invoked. Nothing on this page is legal advice, and litigation, including bad-faith suits, is referred to independent policyholder counsel.
A disputed number is not the end of the claim. A free, confidential review by licensed public adjusters in Georgia, Tennessee, and South Carolina. If we take the case, the fee comes from the recovery, never from you.
See if my case qualifies 877-650-3515