FL Public Adjuster cheat sheet

Chapter 626, Part VI of the Florida Statutes governs insurance representatives and adjusters, including licensing, appointment, and public adjuster conduct.

The Florida public adjuster license is class 6-20 (all lines), issued by the Department of Financial Services; the holder may adjust claims for the insured only, never for the insurer on the same claim.

F.S. 626.854 defines a public adjuster and lists prohibited acts, including soliciting an insured at the insured's residence before 8 a.m. or after 6 p.m.

A public adjuster contract must be in writing, signed by the insured, state the compensation, and disclose the insured's right to rescind within three business days.

Compensation may not exceed 20 percent of the insurance settlement amount, and is capped at 10 percent for claims arising from a declared state of emergency.

Florida adjuster licenses run on a two-year term and renewal requires continuing education that includes ethics hours.

Adjusting or negotiating a policyholder's claim for compensation without an active license is a criminal violation and a ground for license denial or revocation.

The DFS Division of Consumer Services receives and investigates consumer complaints against licensees, and F.S. 626.9521 authorizes fines, suspension, and revocation.

Indemnity restores the insured to approximately the pre-loss financial position; a covered loss may not produce profit or betterment.

ACV = replacement cost − depreciation; recoverable depreciation is released only after the insured documents completed repair or replacement.

HO-3 insures the dwelling on an open-peril basis and personal property on named perils; HO-5 insures both on an open-peril basis.

Homeowners forms exclude flood; NFIP residential limits are $250,000 on the building and $100,000 on contents, with a 30-day waiting period.

A Florida hurricane deductible is stated as a percentage of Coverage A and applies to named tropical storm or hurricane losses, tracked on a calendar-year basis.

Ordinance or law coverage pays code-required upgrade costs; Florida forms commonly offer 25 percent or 50 percent of Coverage A.

Mold remediation is limited to $10,000 under Florida homeowners policies unless a higher limit is purchased.

Coinsurance recovery = (insurance carried ÷ insurance required) × loss, then the deductible is applied; subrogation lets the insurer pursue a negligent third party after payment.

Adjusting sequence: acknowledge the claim, investigate and document, determine coverage, evaluate damages, negotiate, settle, and close the file.

A proof of loss is the insured's sworn statement of amounts claimed and is generally due within 60 days after the insurer's written request.

Appraisal resolves disputes about the amount of loss only; each party selects a competent appraiser, and an umpire decides disagreements. Coverage disputes are not appraisable.

An examination under oath is a policy condition; an unreasonable refusal to submit can bar recovery on the claim.

A reservation of rights letter preserves the insurer's coverage defenses while the investigation continues and is not itself a denial.

A Civil Remedy Notice under F.S. 624.155 is filed with DFS, the insurer, and the claimant; the insurer has 60 days to cure before a bad-faith action.

The Homeowner Claims Bill of Rights statement under F.S. 627.7142 must be delivered to a residential property claimant and explains statutory claim timelines.

Preserve salvage and subrogation; damaged property should not be discarded before the insurer has had a reasonable opportunity to inspect.

Actions on a written contract in Florida generally must be brought within five years under F.S. 95.11(2)(b).

One roofing or siding square = 100 square feet; 3-tab shingles typically require three bundles per square.

RCV = ACV + recoverable depreciation; depreciation = (age ÷ expected life) × replacement cost.

Concrete volume in cubic yards = length × width × depth in feet ÷ 27.

Board feet = (thickness in inches × width in inches × length in inches) ÷ 12.

Roof pitch multipliers: 4/12 ≈ 1.054, 6/12 ≈ 1.118, 12/12 ≈ 1.414 applied to the footprint area.

Overhead and profit is commonly 10 percent overhead plus 10 percent profit on labor and material line items, and is not applied to sales tax.

Drywall: a 4'×8' panel covers 32 square feet and a 4'×12' panel covers 48 square feet; add tape, joint compound, texture, and waste.

IICRC S500 classifies water by contamination category (1 clean, 2 gray, 3 black) and by class 1–4 based on the extent of absorption; drying is documented with moisture readings.

Florida Building Code sets the repair standard; secondary water barriers, roof-to-wall straps, and impact glazing support wind mitigation credits. Add 10–15 percent waste on roofing cuts.

F.S. 626.9541 defines unfair methods of competition and unfair or deceptive acts, including enumerated unfair claim settlement practices; F.S. 626.9521 sets penalties.

Unfair claim practices include misrepresenting policy provisions, failing to investigate promptly, and offering substantially less than the amount ultimately owed.

A public adjuster is a fiduciary of the insured and must fully disclose all compensation; the adjuster may not also serve the insurer on the same claim.

Solicitation at the scene of a loss, or at the insured's residence between 6 p.m. and 8 a.m., is prohibited.

Accepting money or anything of value from contractors, restoration firms, or unlicensed persons for referrals is prohibited.

Advertising must be truthful and may not imply the adjuster is an employee of the insurer, a government agency, or a charitable organization.

A public adjuster may not acquire an interest in the claim or the damaged property, or advance funds to the insured against the anticipated settlement.

Claim files and contracts must be retained and made available to DFS upon request during an examination or investigation.