When a property insurance appraisal is under way, each side names its appraiser in writing. Below is a plain sample of what that letter often looks like, with a template you can adapt to your own situation.
Once appraisal is invoked under the policy, each side names its appraiser. The naming letter is simply the written notice that does that: it identifies the claim, states that you are naming your appraiser under the policy's appraisal provision, gives your appraiser's contact information, and asks the other side to name theirs so the two appraisers can select an umpire. The same basic letter is used whether you are the one invoking appraisal or you are responding after the carrier invoked it.
If you are still deciding whether appraisal fits your situation, start with what insurance appraisal is. If a demand letter arrived from your carrier, our appraisal demand letter guide covers that side of it.
[Date] [Insurance Company Name] [Claims Department Address] Re: Appraiser Appointment Under the Policy's Appraisal Provision Insured: [Your Full Name] Policy Number: [Policy Number] Claim Number: [Claim Number] Date of Loss: [Date of Loss] Property Address: [Property Address] To Whom It May Concern: This letter concerns the appraisal provision of the policy referenced above. There is a disagreement as to the amount of the loss on this claim. Under the appraisal provision of the policy, I am naming my appraiser: [Appraiser Name] [Appraiser Company] [Appraiser Mailing Address] [Appraiser Phone] [Appraiser Email] Please name your appraiser so that the two appraisers can proceed to select an umpire as the policy provides. Kindly direct appraisal-related correspondence to my appraiser at the contact information above. Sincerely, [Your Signature] [Your Full Name] [Your Phone] [Your Email]
The bracketed items are the parts you fill in. Keep a copy of what you send, and send it in a way that gives you proof of delivery.
A naming letter is short, but a handful of details matter. Use the wording your own policy uses for the appraisal provision rather than generic phrasing. Confirm the timing with your attorney, because when a letter should go out is a policy and situation question, not a one-size answer. Name an appraiser who is genuinely experienced with your kind of loss and available to move, since the process only works when both appraisers actually engage. And keep proof of what you sent and when.
Naming an appraiser is naming the person who will value your loss and represent that number through the process, so experience matters. That is the work we do: serving as the named appraiser on residential and commercial property losses across Texas, backed by nearly a decade of claims adjusting, eight years of appraisal, and a general contracting background. More is on the credentials page. If you would like us to serve as your appraiser, call or email and we will walk you through what comes next.
Call or email with the basics of your claim. The first conversation costs nothing, and if appraisal is not the right fit, we will tell you.
Call (956) 433-2574 Email info@lsappraisers.com