Public Adjuster FAQs

Public Adjuster Frequently Asked Questions

They are licensed insurance professionals that work for the public to represent policyholders when they’ve experienced damages or a loss. They are highly regulated by the state in which they practice, who make sure that the PA is operating according to state standards and statutes. In the state of Florida, Public Adjusters must not only finish an insurance course and pass a state administered bar, but comply with fingerprinting and background checks, be bonded for $50,000, and then apprentice under another licensed Public Adjuster for an entire year. For more details click here.

Insurance Appraisal is an avenue policyholders can take when they feel that their Insurance company isn’t giving a fair claim award for the damages they’ve experienced. The Appraisal Clause, also know as The Appraisal Provision, allows you to have third parties voice their opinion on the damages, and amount to be paid. It’s been described sort of like court arbitration, but without courtrooms, lawyers, or judges.  Most policies have an “Appraisal Clause”. To find the Appraisal Clause in your policy, look for the “Conditions” or “What to do after a loss” segment. For more details click here.

Insurance mediation refers to the process of settling disputes arising from certain types of insurance claims. The dispute will be between the insured and the insurance company. The Insurance company will have a representative to argue their prospective and thoughts on the insurance claim and the policyholder should have a representative to argue their prospective and thoughts on the claim. Many times policyholders go to mediation alone, which usually cost them a lot more than they bargained for.  Both representatives come together at a scheduled time and place and hash out what a fair allotment will be. For more detail, please click here.

Yes.  It is a good idea to mitigate the damage, but please take pictures or video before making repairs.  Please call Noble before though, to make sure that you aren’t doing anything that will hinder your claim.  Also, remember to keep all receipts for supplies and repairs, for reimbursement purposes.
Please call Noble to discuss hiring a contractor.  Storm chasing contractors can be wonderful, helping to quickly deal with massive amounts of damage during a catastrophe, but they can also be scam artist who do shabby work and move out of town quickly.  Give us a call and we can help decipher if they’re reputable or not.

Insurance companies have their own adjusters that they send out to assess the legitimacy of an insurance claim, called Staff Adjusters or Independent Adjusters. They are very different from Public Adjusters. The first and most obvious difference is that they work for the Insurance company and NOT the policyholder. Public Adjusters work only for the public and are paid by the public, not the insurance company. They are also different in that it is much more difficult to become a state licensed Public Adjuster than a standard staff adjuster or independent adjuster. Another major difference is the apprenticeship. Staff and Independent adjusters are not required to apprentice for a year or any set amount of time as a trainee. The motive is different, the program is different, the testing is different, and of course the state license and regulation is different. A Staff or Independent can become a Public Adjuster, but they have to concede to all of the requirements and relinquish their current license as a Staff or Independent Adjuster. They cannot represent both the Insurance Company and the property owner, as that would be a major conflict of interest.

The Insurance company is made up of a multitude of people. While there is definitely some friction between Public Adjusters and Insurance companies in general, most of the negative emotions will be expressed toward your Public Adjuster from people in the corporate office during the negotiation phase,* and you won’t have to hear about it. We are professionals and we don’t take it personally. Your Insurance Agent (the person who sold you your policy) most likely will have no dealings with your claim whatsoever, so there should be no hard feelings. As a matter of fact a lot of agents refer their clients to us, because they can’t legally represent the policyholder and they want to keep their clients happy.

The Insurance company can decide to drop you at any point in time, for any reason, besides personal discrimination (race, age, sexual orientation, etc.). Your rate can go up or they can drop you because they see you as a “high risk” customer. If you accidentally leave your iron on and it burns your house down, they can drop you due to “negligence”. Hiring a Public Adjuster does not change this for the better or worse. If your home is destroyed by an “act of God”, like a hurricane, then it’s not likely that they will drop you or raise your rate. On the up side, if you have wind damage and your entire roof is replaced, you should be able to negotiate a lower rate because you’re less likely to experience leaks and other claimable damages.
A lot of the time Insurance Agents aren’t even notified of a claim, unless you, the policyholder call them and tell them. Insurance Agents are actually some of our best associates. Agents can’t legally represent their policyholders, so they often refer their customers to us, because there is nothing they can do when the insurance company isn’t paying enough and their customer is upset.

Claims Questions

An AOB (Assignment of Benefits) or an AOC (Assignment of Claim) can be a very good or a very bad thing. You definitely want to give us a call to discuss this further in reference to your specific claim and the company who is wanting you to sign the agreement. It will relieve you of dealing with the claim, but it will also relieve you of all of the money paid out on your claim, and furthermore, you will have to give up all authority and say in your claim. If you have a great contractor, this is not a problem. If you have a bad contractor, you’re in trouble. Ask your contractor for a Partial Assignment, which pertains only to the work he is doing. This is much safer than signing over the entire claim. Always make sure the company you are using is reputable, has good online reviews, and referrals.
Noble Public Adjusting can represent policyholders on almost any type of property damage claim, including Commercial and Residential.  We also represent policyholders with car insurance claims, boat and yacht, aircraft, crop damage, and more. We specialize in catastrophic claims from hurricanes and also day to day damages.  Please click here to see a more in-depth list of claims we represent.

Negotiation* time can range from a few days to a few months, it really depends on how efficient your insurance company is. During this process our office staff will contact them almost daily by phone and e-mail to check the status of your claim, and to ensure that they are working on it steadily. Notes and status updates are recorded in our library of files, where you can login and see what’s happening with your claim. During a catastrophe, such as a hurricane, processing time can slow down drastically because of the influx of thousands of claims.  Ideally a residential, non-catastrophic claim would be completed in 90 days. A multi-million dollar commercial property catastrophic claim can last up to two years, depending on the details. Because there are so many variables, it’s very difficult to say how long it will take for your specific claim. Feel free to ask your Noble claim processor, who knows your claim. If you have a claim with Noble, you can also access your file 24/7 by clicking on Check my Claim Status here or the icon on the home page of our site.  For more details on how the process works, click here.

You need to contact us first because there are a lot of things you might say accidentally to your insurance company that can cause your claim to be denied.  We can help you to avoid many mistakes. If you are involved in a catastrophe or natural disaster, when many people are impacted, your Public Adjuster may direct you to go ahead and call the claim in.  That can be an easy form online or automated call that won’t prompt the usual interrogation, from them. Click here to contact us if you think you have a claim.

Yes! We help people like you everyday who feel that their insurance claim has been unfairly denied.  First, we have to inspect the damages and review your policy to make sure your claim is covered.  It’s easy and free and there’s no obligation. Here is more info about denied claims.

Public Adjuster Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

That’s what we do!  An OPPAGA (government) report indicated that using a Public Adjuster increases your insurance pay out by 747% on average!  Sometimes it more than that and sometimes it’s under that, but either way you spin it, you’ll have an advocate taking on the hassle and freeing you up to just continue on with your life.  We at Noble work on a contingency* basis; if we don’t increase your claim, you don’t owe us a dime. Click here to receive your free claim inspection.

Claim and Property Inspection with Policy Consultation:

No out-of-pocket-cost.  For Noble to come to your property and inspect damages to see if you have a claim and go over your insurance policy, there is no charge whatsoever, and no obligation to sign a contract.

Claim Representation:
Our fee for public adjuster representation is listed on the contract that you will sign if you decide to have us represent you, so you’ll never have to question what we’re charging you.  Fees are regulated according to state statutes that are different in every state, and Noble will clearly communicate the fees with you both in writing and verbally according to the latest state statutes. 

Appraisal and Umpiring Services:

Our fee for Insurance Appraisal Services is $275 per hour, or a flat rate, depending on the claim type.
Our Umpiring fee is $500 per hour.
Expert Witness fee is $1000 per hour and includes court preparation time.

Loss Estimating:
Our fee for creating a professional property damage estimate is based on an hourly rate or a flat fee, depending on the claim type. If you’ve signed a Public Adjusting contract your estimate is included and you will not be billed separately for that service.

Of course!  There’s a disclaimer on the contract that explains the amount of time to cancel the contract per your state’s statutes.  The cancellation must be done in writing and sent by certified mail to Noble Public Adjusting Group within the cancelation period in accordance with state law.  This is a state requirement from the Department of Financial Services and we must send a copy to your Insurance company and keep one on file for the state.  You cannot cancel via phone or email because of the regulations set forth by the state.

YES! We service all of the United States of America, and some islands, as the number one appraiser in the nation for the insured.  For Public Adjusting representation our public adjusters are licenses in most states. Our headquarters is situated in Panama City Beach, FL.  If you have a claim, we can help you in some capacity, no matter where you are. Here are all of our service area locations.

Because we are a Public Adjusting Firm, each P.A. has his own state license number or numbers.  Your Noble P.A.’s license number should be located on their business card. If you don’t have it, give us a call and we will gladly provide that information. 850-403-3051
Noble Public Adjusting Group is ALWAYS looking for talented individuals that have something special to offer our clients and our company.  We hire Public Adjusters and other Insurance personnel, along with administrative staff and marketing individuals to keep our Public Adjusters supported and our clients happy.  If you have insurance experience or you’re just talented in some way that could benefit our company, click here and fill out an application packet.

Yes, Noble Public Adjusting Group is the hero company depicted in Insurance Wars!

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Using a public claims adjuster increases insurance claim payouts by 747% on average, according to a government study.