What does a public adjuster actually do?
Your insurance company sends an adjuster who works for them. A public adjuster does the same job — reviews the policy, scopes the damage, writes the estimate, negotiates the settlement — but works for you, the property owner. California licenses public adjusters separately from carrier adjusters under the Department of Insurance.
How do I pay you?
I work on a contingency fee — a percentage of what the carrier pays on the claim after I'm engaged. If the carrier doesn't pay, I don't get paid. The exact percentage is set in a written contract approved by the California Department of Insurance, and the fee, scope of work, and your right to cancel are all disclosed up front before you sign anything.
When should I call you?
As early as possible after a property loss — ideally before you've taken the first payment or signed off on the carrier's estimate. I can also step in mid-claim if the estimate feels low, the file's gone quiet, or you're not sure what to do next. There's no charge to look it over.
Can you help if my claim is already open?
Often, yes. I'll review what's been documented, what's been paid, what's been denied, and what's missing. If there's room to supplement the claim with additional scope, code items, or contents, I'll tell you. If the carrier's number is already fair, I'll tell you that too.
What if my carrier already denied the claim?
A denial isn't always the end. I'll read the denial letter against the policy language and the facts of the loss to see whether it's based on a coverage issue, a documentation issue, or both. Many denied claims can be reopened with the right evidence; some can't, and I'll be straight with you about which is which.
What should I send for a free second opinion?
Whatever you've got: claim number, policy declarations page, the carrier's estimate, photos of the damage, any denial or payment letters, contractor estimates, and a short note on what happened. The more I can see, the more useful the review.