Umpire Hearing Formats: From Desk Review to Site Meetings

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An umpire’s hearing does not look the same from one appraisal to the next, and the appraisal clause in most policies gives very little instruction about format. Some disputes are resolved almost entirely on paper, with the umpire reviewing estimates, photographs, moisture readings, and manufacturer specifications submitted by both party-appointed appraisers. Others require a walk of the roof, attic, or affected interior spaces before the umpire feels comfortable forming an opinion on scope or pricing. The format chosen usually reflects the size and complexity of the disagreement rather than any fixed rule.

A desk review works well when the dispute is narrow, for example a disagreement over unit pricing for asphalt shingles of a known type, or a difference in the depreciation schedule applied to a furnace of known age and condition. In these cases the underlying facts about the property are not seriously contested, and the umpire’s job is closer to reconciling two sets of numbers than investigating a structure. Submissions typically include each appraiser’s line-item estimate, supporting photographs, and any manufacturer or code citations relevant to the specific dispute.

Site meetings become more useful when the two estimates diverge on questions that are hard to answer from photographs alone, such as whether hail impacts on a metal roof are cosmetic or functional, whether water intrusion reached framing members, or whether matching an existing product is achievable. A joint site visit, with both appraisers and the umpire present, allows direct measurement, moisture testing, or removal of a small test section to examine what lies beneath a finished surface. Some umpires prefer a hybrid approach, holding a short site visit focused on specific disputed items followed by a written submission period for pricing and code arguments.

Regardless of format, most umpires document the process in writing so the record shows what was reviewed, who was present, and what conclusions were reached on each disputed item. Video conferences have become a common substitute for smaller disputes where an in-person visit is not proportional to the dollar amount at stake, particularly for out-of-state properties. The right format is the one that gives the umpire enough reliable information to form an independent judgment, and an experienced umpire will generally say so plainly if the available documentation is not sufficient to reach a fair conclusion without a site visit.

Seasonal and weather considerations often influence the choice of format in a Midwest practice. A hail damage dispute discovered in late autumn may require the umpire to schedule a site visit quickly, before snow cover or freezing temperatures make roof access unsafe or make it impossible to verify certain conditions until spring. Ice dam disputes present the opposite problem, since the physical evidence of the loss, the ice itself and the water staining it produced, may only be fully visible during the winter months and largely resolved by the time warmer weather allows for a comfortable site visit. Umpires who practice regularly in cold climates build this seasonal reality into how they schedule hearings, sometimes conducting an interim desk review in the immediate aftermath of a loss and reserving a physical site visit for a window when conditions allow safe and informative access. The number of participants at a site meeting also varies. Some umpires prefer both party-appointed appraisers present together so that observations and measurements are made jointly and disputes about what was actually seen can be resolved on the spot. Others conduct separate walk-throughs with each appraiser at different times, particularly when scheduling conflicts make a joint visit impractical, and then compare notes afterward. Either approach can work well, provided the umpire keeps a clear, contemporaneous record of what was observed, since that record often becomes the reference point when the award itself is drafted weeks or months later.

This article is provided as general education on the appraisal process. It is not legal advice, and procedures vary by state and by policy.

Based in Minnesota and serving clients nationwide, Russ Lis is a working property insurance appraiser and umpire. Contact Appraisal Resolution.