Requirements & Preferences for Your Appraiser

Under most appraisal clauses you name your own appraiser — so yes, you can and should have requirements. Here is what to look for, what to ask about, and what you cannot demand.

By Marshall Smith, IAUA CPAU Certified Insurance Appraiser · Published September 24, 2026 · 7 min read · Filed under Appraisal Process

Yes — you can, and you should. Under most property insurance appraisal clauses, each side selects its own independent appraiser, which means the choice is yours to make on standards you set. Sensible requirements center on three things: the appraiser's qualifications, their genuine independence, and the practical fit for your specific loss. What you cannot require is a predetermined result or an opinion on whether your loss is covered — those sit outside what any appraiser is permitted to do. Everything below explains how to turn that answer into a short, defensible list of what you're looking for.

Where this question comes from

If an intake form, an adjuster, or a claim assistant has asked whether you have preferences for the appraiser, it usually means you are at the point of invoking — or responding to — an appraisal demand. Most appraisal clauses read that when the two parties disagree on the amount of loss, each names a "competent and impartial" appraiser within a set number of days, and the two appraisers then select a neutral umpire. So the question is really asking: now that it is your turn to name someone, what qualities matter to you?

The good news is that the clause itself gives you latitude. It does not hand you a name; it asks you to appoint one who meets the standard. That standard, plus a few practical considerations, is the whole checklist.

The qualifications worth insisting on

Start with competence, because the appraisal clause requires it in plain language. Competence in a property appraisal is not a guess — it is demonstrable experience measuring the type of loss you have.

Relevant credentials. Professional appraisal certification tells you someone has trained specifically in loss measurement rather than picking it up on the side. Marshall Smith holds the IAUA Certified Professional Appraiser (CPAU) designation; you can read more about that background on the about page. A credential is not the only thing that matters, but it is a fast way to confirm the person does this as a discipline.

Experience with your peril and property type. Hail, wind, fire, water, and hurricane losses each measure differently, and a commercial or multi-family structure raises questions a single-family home never does. Ask whether the appraiser has handled losses like yours. Someone who routinely measures hail damage to roofing systems is going to build a scope that holds up better than a generalist working outside their lane.

Command of the estimating tools. Most property scopes today are written in line-item estimating software. An appraiser who works fluently in the same estimating platform the carrier's side uses can compare scopes item by item rather than talking past the other appraiser. If it helps to understand what that software actually produces, our explainer on what a Xactimate estimate is walks through it.

Independence is a requirement, not a preference

Here is the qualification people most often overlook: the appraiser you name must be impartial. The appraisal clause asks each side to appoint a "competent and impartial" appraiser for a reason. Your appraiser advocates for an accurate measurement of the loss — not for the largest possible number, and not for the smallest. An appraiser who promises you an outcome before seeing the roof is telling you they will not read the evidence, and that is exactly the kind of appraiser an award can later be challenged over.

This is why it is worth being clear-eyed about roles. A party appraiser is independent even while appointed by one side. That independence is what makes the eventual award durable. It is also why the same firm can serve as a party appraiser on one file and as the neutral umpire on another — the underlying job is honest measurement, applied without a thumb on the scale. If the distinction between roles is fuzzy, our page on umpire services lays out how neutrality is maintained.

One related preference some people raise: they want an "advocate." It is fair to want someone who will document your loss thoroughly and argue for every legitimate line item. That is what a good party appraiser does. What no appraiser should do is abandon the impartiality the clause requires — and if you are weighing whether you actually want an appraiser or a public adjuster, the difference is spelled out in public adjuster vs. appraiser.

Practical preferences that make a real difference

Beyond qualifications, a few logistical fits are worth stating up front.

Geographic and jurisdictional familiarity. An appraiser who regularly works in your state understands local construction, regional pricing, and how appraisal is customarily conducted there. Marshall Services works across Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Colorado, and California.

Inspection capability. For roof and elevated damage, drone documentation can capture evidence that is hard to reach and hard to dispute. If your loss involves a large or steep roof, an appraiser with FAA Part 107 drone certification is a genuine advantage — more on that under drone inspections.

Availability within the clause's deadlines. Most policies give a limited window to name your appraiser after appraisal is invoked. An appraiser who can inspect and engage promptly keeps you inside those timeframes. Ask about current availability before you commit.

Clear fee structure. You are entitled to know how the appraiser charges before you appoint them. A straightforward explanation of the fee — and of who pays for what under the clause — should be available before any work begins.

What you cannot require of an appraiser

This is where good expectations protect you. Two requests fall outside what any appraiser can honor.

First, you cannot require a guaranteed number or outcome. Appraisal measures the loss based on what the evidence shows; a promise made in advance is not a measurement.

Second — and this is the boundary that matters most — you cannot require an appraiser to decide whether your loss is covered. Appraisal determines the amount of loss only. Whether a loss is covered at all is a separate determination under the policy, made by the carrier and, where the parties disagree, resolved by a court. Neither your appraiser, the other side's appraiser, nor the umpire rules on coverage. An appraiser who offers to "get it covered" is describing something appraisal does not do. When you want to know whether something is covered, that question goes to your policy and your carrier — appraisal settles how much, not whether.

How to state your requirements when asked

When an intake or adjuster asks for your preferences, you don't need a speech. A useful answer sounds like: "I want a certified, impartial appraiser with hail experience who works in Texas and can inspect within the clause's deadline." That single sentence names the competence, the independence, the peril, the jurisdiction, and the timing — everything the clause and your file actually turn on.

If you are still deciding whether to invoke appraisal at all, our guide to invoking the appraisal clause covers the sequence, and the full range of what an appraiser and umpire can do is on the services page.

Talk it through before you appoint anyone

Naming an appraiser is a decision worth getting right the first time, because the person you appoint will document your loss and stand behind the scope through to the award. If you want to confirm whether a candidate meets the standard your policy requires — or to understand how Marshall Services approaches a file as party appraiser or neutral umpire — a consultation is free. Call 972-322-0752 to talk it through before you commit.