What Belongs in an Appraisal Demand

Browse the full Resources Index

A written demand for appraisal does not need to be lengthy, but leaving out basic information can slow the process down before it starts. At a minimum, the demand should identify the policy number, the date of loss, the property address, and a clear statement that the party is invoking the appraisal provision found in the policy. Referencing the specific policy language, even by quoting the relevant sentence, helps avoid any early confusion about which contractual mechanism is being triggered, since some policies contain more than one dispute resolution provision and it is worth being explicit about which one applies.

Naming the appraiser being appointed, along with basic contact information, is standard practice and lets the other party begin the reciprocal step of naming their own appraiser without delay. Some demands also state the scope of the dispute in general terms, noting for example that the disagreement concerns the amount of loss for roof and exterior damage from a specific storm date, which helps orient both appraisers before they ever meet and reduces the chance of early misunderstanding about what the assignment covers. Attaching or referencing the estimate that prompted the disagreement, such as the carrier’s adjustment or the policyholder’s contractor estimate, can also be useful, since it gives the newly appointed appraisers a common starting document rather than requiring them to reconstruct the dispute from separate conversations with each party.

What a demand should generally avoid is language that reads as argument rather than notice. A demand is a procedural document that starts a contractual process, not a brief, and appraisers on both sides tend to view demands that stay factual and administrative as easier to work from than ones that include estimates of fault, commentary on the other party’s conduct, or characterizations of the dispute’s merits. The demand’s job is to identify the claim, invoke the clause, and name a starting point, leaving the substantive disagreement to be worked out through the appraisal itself.

Timing details matter as well. If the policy specifies a deadline for invoking appraisal, the demand should be sent within that window, and keeping a record of when and how it was delivered, whether by certified mail, email, or another method specified in the policy, is a reasonable precaution given that the timeliness of a demand can itself become a point of disagreement in some claims. Retaining a copy of the demand alongside proof of delivery is a small step that avoids larger complications later, and referencing the insurer’s claim number consistently across the demand and any follow-up correspondence helps keep the file organized once multiple people, including the two appraisers and eventually an umpire, are working from the same set of documents.

Once a demand is received and answered with the naming of a second appraiser, the next procedural step, selecting an umpire, generally follows the process described in the policy itself rather than any preference expressed in the demand letter. What a demand does not resolve, and is not meant to resolve, is any dispute over coverage, since that question remains with the parties and their reading of the underlying policy throughout the appraisal process.

General education only: the appraisal process described here can vary by state and policy language, and nothing in this article is legal advice.

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