What Carriers Look for in a Professional Appraisal Panel

Browse the full Resources Index

Selecting an appraiser is a more consequential decision than it might first appear, since the person a carrier names will represent its interests during a process that can determine hundreds of thousands of dollars on a large commercial loss or a modest but still meaningful sum on a residential claim. Carriers that use appraisal regularly tend to develop clear internal standards for the professionals they select, whether those individuals work as staff appraisers, independent contractors, or specialists retained for a particular claim type.

Construction knowledge sits near the top of most carriers’ criteria. An appraiser evaluating a hail-damaged roof needs to understand shingle manufacturing tolerances, the difference between functional damage and cosmetic granule loss, and how test squares are used to establish damage density across a roof slope. An appraiser evaluating a commercial property with a built-up or membrane roof system needs a different set of technical references entirely. Carriers generally look for appraisers whose background spans the relevant construction categories they handle, whether that means residential steep-slope roofing, commercial low-slope systems, or interior finishes affected by wind-driven rain or ice damming.

Credentialing and professional affiliation also factor into selection, though the field does not have a single universal license the way general contracting or real estate appraisal does in many states. Membership in industry organizations, completion of relevant coursework, and a documented track record of serving on panels that reached timely, well-reasoned awards all serve as proxies for competence. Carriers also pay attention to how an appraiser communicates, since a panel that cannot productively exchange information and narrow disagreements tends to stall, driving up costs and delaying resolution for everyone involved. Some carriers also weigh whether an appraiser carries errors and omissions coverage of their own, treating that as one more marker of a professional operation rather than a side activity someone performs occasionally between other work.

Neutrality of process, even for a party-appointed appraiser, matters more than carriers sometimes expect from the outset. An appraiser who functions purely as an advocate, disregarding sound methodology to argue for the lowest possible number regardless of the evidence, tends to lose credibility with umpires and opposing appraisers over time, which weakens the carrier’s position on future panels. Carriers that take a longer view understand that an appraiser who applies rigorous, defensible reasoning, even when that reasoning does not always favor the carrier’s initial position, tends to produce better outcomes across a portfolio of claims than one who simply pushes numbers downward without support. This is particularly true in regions with a small pool of experienced umpires, where an appraiser’s reputation for fairness follows them from one panel to the next and can influence how quickly future disputes involving that carrier get resolved.

Finally, carriers look for reliability in the practical sense: availability to travel for inspections, timeliness in producing reports and responding to the opposing appraiser, and a track record of avoiding unnecessary delay. Given that many appraisal panels involve appraisers and umpires who cross paths repeatedly across different claims and different carriers, professional reputation in this field tends to be well known within the community, and carriers weigh that reputation heavily when building their lists of appraisers to call.

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.