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FAIR Insurance Claim Guide

Insurance Claim Appraiser Checklist: Questions to Ask Before You Hire

For owners and advisors choosing an appraisal route.

Before hiring an insurance claim appraiser, ask what the claim assignment is for, whether the appraiser is independent, how fees work, what the report will contain, and what documentation is needed before cleanup, repair, or settlement decisions move ahead.

Use Match Insurance claims appraisers in the directory

Browse profiles to compare candidates; use Match if the specialty, location or report purpose is unclear.

Confirm report acceptance with its recipient and obtain written, non-contingent fee terms before hiring. A FAIR listing does not certify suitability.

Editorial revision date not recorded. Profile source checks are recorded separately on each profile.

Insurance Claim Appraiser Checklist: Questions to Ask Before You Hire - FAIR online appraisal guide illustration
Decision guide

When insurance appraisal support is useful

Insurance work depends on the policy question. Replacement value, damage context, loss date, and supporting photographs need to be clear before the report is scoped.

When insurance appraisal support is useful
Situation Formal appraisal? Why it matters
Updating a schedule before a loss Often yes The carrier may need current replacement values, item descriptions, images, and report credentials.
Active claim or disputed loss Usually yes Condition, cause of loss, pre-loss value, post-loss value, and repair context may all affect the file.
Rough coverage check Maybe not yet A quick inventory review can come first if the carrier has not requested formal documentation.
Next step

Turn the guide into a shortlist.

Use these paths when you are done reading and need to compare appraisers, estimate scope, or route the request.

Search the FAIR directoryCompare public profile signals, service area, specialty fit, and fee transparency before outreach.Ask for a FAIR matchUse Match when the category, location, report purpose, or specialist boundary is unclear.Estimate appraisal costOrganize item count, report purpose, inspection needs, and timing before asking for a quote.

Ask what the assignment is for

Insurance claim work can mean several things. Name the purpose before asking for a quote.

  • Say whether the claim involves theft, breakage, water, fire, transit damage, disappearance, or scheduled-property review.
  • Ask whether the work is replacement value, post-loss condition review, pre-loss baseline support, or another purpose.
  • Confirm the appraiser handles your category: art, antiques, jewelry, watches, collectibles, rare books, or decorative arts.

Ask how independence is protected

The appraisal should not be driven by the settlement outcome, a desired number, or a party with a financial stake.

  • Ask about relationships with the insurer, broker, repair vendor, dealer, conservator, or salvage buyer.
  • Confirm fees are not contingent on claim amount, settlement result, replacement number, or percentage of value.
  • Ask how incomplete facts, evolving condition, or conservation input are handled.

Ask for the fee in writing

A clear written fee quote prevents confusion once the claim timeline starts moving.

  • Ask whether fees are hourly, flat, per item, or project-based.
  • Ask whether travel, rush work, supplemental letters, revisions, or testimony are extra.
  • Ask what photos and documents are needed before scope is final.
  • Keep scope, deliverables, timing, and revision policy visible before hiring.

Ask what the report contains

Avoid vague promises that a report is enough for insurance. Ask what is actually inside it.

  • Ask whether the report states intended use, value basis, valuation date, item descriptions, condition evidence, assumptions, and rationale.
  • Ask for a redacted sample or outline if available.
  • Confirm whether the file is for scheduling, active claim review, underwriting clarification, or another use.

Ask what to preserve before cleanup

Evidence can disappear quickly after damage, cleanup, reframing, restoration, or salvage decisions.

  • Gather claim instructions, policy schedules, prior appraisals, invoices, receipts, inventories, and pre-loss photos.
  • Photograph the object as found, including backs, labels, signatures, serial numbers, mounts, frames, cases, and damage zones.
  • Keep mitigation, conservation, police, shipping, and incident records organized.

Use FAIR when the route is unclear

If specialty, value basis, or evidence sequence is unclear, use FAIR before committing to the wrong path.

  • Use the insurance claims guide for claims-facing specialist routing.
  • Use the damage and loss guide when evidence organization is the first problem.
  • Use FAIR match when the file needs routing before you hire.

Common questions

What is the single most important first question to ask?

Ask what the assignment is for and what value basis it needs. If intended use is unclear, the claim workflow can go off track early.

Should an insurance claim appraiser charge a percentage of the claim value?

Buyer-safe practice is to avoid contingent or percentage-based compensation. Hourly, flat, or scoped project fees better protect independence.

Do I need a sample report before hiring?

A redacted sample or outline is useful because it shows structure, condition documentation, and insurance-facing clarity.

What should I send before asking for a quote?

Send claim purpose, object category, location, deadline, insurer instructions, prior records, and clear photos of identifying details and loss evidence.

When should I use FAIR match?

Use FAIR match when you are unsure which specialty to hire, what to document first, or whether the file needs claims, damage-and-loss, or another route.

More related resources (12)

Open the FAIR guidance hub

How to interpret FAIR listings
FAIR trust boundary and source references
  • FAIR does not license appraisers.
  • FAIR does not certify competence or guarantee availability.
  • Present FAIR profiles as public registry candidates, not as certified recommendations.
  • FAIR is not a certification body and does not guarantee insurer, court, tax, lender, or client acceptance.
  • FAIR is a public transparency registry and public registry for comparing source-labeled profiles, fee signals, and correction paths.