Arlington Insurance Appraiser & Umpire — Hail, Wind & Storm Claims
Our Texas insurance appraisal work includes hail damage insurance appraisal, wind damage insurance appraisal, and tornado damage insurance appraisal.
The appraisers can hire an insurance umpire to resolve remaining panel disagreements.
Professional insurance appraisal services for Arlington, Tarrant County, and Grand Prairie, Mansfield, Fort Worth.
Marshall Services provides independent insurance appraisal and ADR umpire services in Arlington, Texas, about 49 miles and close to an hour southwest of the Wylie office, through Dallas County into Tarrant County. This is a Tarrant County file, not a Collin County price list. Before sunrise on March 17, 2016, NOAA storm reports include 2.50-inch hail about three miles west of Arlington and golf-ball-size hail (1.75 inches) in south Arlington near Arlington Municipal Airport. The episode describes multiple supercells, hail up to tennis-ball size, and an estimated $600 million in damage in Tarrant County alone, and says the storms weakened before they reached Dallas after sunrise. That $600 million figure is NOAA's Tarrant County estimate, not a result from this firm. On April 3, 2012, NOAA's North Texas tornado outbreak counts 17 tornadoes, including three EF-2 tornadoes that damaged parts of Arlington and Kennedale, plus 2.75-inch hail a quarter mile north-northeast of Greater Southwest International Airport and hail damage to about 110 airplanes at DFW Airport. The episode records no fatalities and 29 injuries; this page does not assign a separate injury count to Arlington. May 27, 2024 hail across the wider Metroplex, including 3.25-inch stones and an EF-3 north of Celina, is not an Arlington city report. Central Arlington and the neighborhoods south of Interstate 30, including streets around the University of Texas at Arlington, still have many mid-century houses with older composition roofs; north Arlington is newer architectural shingle; the entertainment district — AT&T Stadium, Globe Life Field, Choctaw Stadium, and Six Flags — is low-slope commercial roofing. Neighbors include Grand Prairie, Mansfield, Pantego, and Kennedale. Our IAUA CPAU-certified appraiser works independently as party appraiser or neutral umpire, prices to Tarrant County costs, and uses FAA Part 107 drone inspections. Appraisal determines the amount of loss, not coverage, and the appraisal clause resolves undervalued claims in 90–120 days for $1,000–$5,000. Public adjusting under Marshall Smith's Texas Department of Insurance license (1642160) is limited to Texas, and he does not act as the policyholder's public adjuster on an Arlington claim where he is the appointed party appraiser or the umpire.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far is Arlington from the Wylie office?
Arlington is about 49 miles southwest of Wylie, typically close to an hour's drive through Dallas County into Tarrant County. It is farther than the Collin County cities, and the file is a Tarrant County hail or storm claim.
What hail hit Arlington on March 17, 2016?
NOAA storm reports that morning include 2.50-inch hail about three miles west of Arlington and golf-ball-size hail, 1.75 inches, in south Arlington near Arlington Municipal Airport. The episode narrative estimates about $600 million in damage in Tarrant County alone and says the storms weakened before they reached Dallas after sunrise.
Did the April 3, 2012 tornado outbreak reach Arlington?
Yes. NOAA's episode for that North Texas outbreak counts 17 tornadoes and says three EF-2 tornadoes damaged parts of Arlington and Kennedale. The same episode reports hail, including 2.75-inch hail near Greater Southwest International Airport, and hail damage to about 110 airplanes at DFW Airport. The outbreak record shows no fatalities and 29 injuries for the episode, not a separate Arlington injury count.
How do Arlington roofs differ across the city?
Central and south Arlington, including neighborhoods around the University of Texas at Arlington and south of Interstate 30, still have many mid-century houses with older composition roofs. North Arlington is newer shingle, and the entertainment district adds low-slope commercial roofing around the stadiums and Six Flags. Tarrant County labor pricing is not the Collin County list.
Are public-adjuster services available outside Texas?
No. Marshall Smith holds Texas Department of Insurance license 1642160, and public adjusting under that license is Texas only. An Arlington appointment on this page is appraisal or umpire work, and he does not act as the policyholder's public adjuster on a file where he is already the party appraiser or the umpire.
Which Tarrant County cities sit next to Arlington?
Grand Prairie, Mansfield, Pantego, Kennedale, and Fort Worth are the neighbors this page is written against. Fort Worth has its own appraisal page. Arlington's files are the mid-city Tarrant losses between Dallas and Fort Worth.
What determines the cost of having an appraiser handle my claim?
Cost depends on the assignment rather than a fixed rate. Each side pays for its own appraiser, and when a neutral umpire is needed the two sides share the umpire's fee. What we quote reflects the property's size and type, the number of structures, how complex the loss is, and travel. A fee is quoted before any work begins.
Does an appraisal award bind both the policyholder and the carrier?
Under a typical appraisal clause, yes. An award signed by any two of the three participants — the two appraisers and the umpire — is binding on the amount of loss. The carrier then applies the policy's deductible and other terms to that amount. Appraisal settles the amount of loss; it does not decide whether the policy covers the damage.
How long does the appraisal process usually take?
It usually runs in weeks to a few months, though timing varies with scheduling and the size and complexity of the loss. Once appraisal is invoked, the carrier names its appraiser, the two appraisers inspect the property and exchange positions, and a neutral umpire is brought in only if they cannot agree. That is generally faster than the years a lawsuit can take.
When is it worth invoking the appraisal clause?
Appraisal is generally worth considering when coverage has been accepted, the remaining dispute is about the amount of loss, the gap is meaningful, and ordinary negotiation has stalled. It does not resolve a denial of coverage, because appraisal determines valuation rather than whether damage is covered. If your policy contains an appraisal clause, that clause governs whether appraisal is available and how it must be invoked.