Client Submission

What Happens After You Submit

Once your submission reaches us, review moves in a predictable order. First, we confirm your loss falls within property appraisal — building and contents damage from hail, wind, tornado, hurricane, fire, or water — and that the disagreement is over the amount of loss, which is what appraisal resolves. Whether a particular loss is covered at all is a separate question decided under your policy by your carrier and, if the parties disagree, by a court; the appraisal panel and umpire never decide coverage.

Next, we read the documents that actually move a file. The most useful items to attach with your submission are: the carrier's estimate or scope of loss, your own contractor's or public adjuster's estimate if you have one, dated photographs of the damage, any engineering or roofing reports, and the declarations and conditions pages of your policy. The appraisal clause itself lives in those policy conditions, and confirming it is present and how it reads is one of the first things we check.

You do not need every item to start. A carrier estimate and a set of clear photos are usually enough to open a meaningful review. Missing pieces can follow.

Timeline and What to Expect

A common question is how long appraisal takes. Realistically, most residential property appraisals resolve within a few weeks to a couple of months once both sides have named their appraisers — faster when documentation is complete, slower when a site inspection, a drone roof survey, or a third-party report is still outstanding. After both appraisers are appointed, they inspect, exchange estimates, and attempt to agree on the amount of loss. Where they agree, that figure stands. Where they cannot, the disputed items go to the umpire, and an award signed by any two of the three panel members sets the amount.

Yes, you can use your own contractor's estimate. It is treated as evidence, not as a final number — the appraiser weighs it against the physical damage, the scope, and standard line-item pricing. A well-documented estimate that ties each line to observable damage carries far more weight than a lump-sum figure.

Storm and Claim Patterns Behind DFW Submissions

Most submissions we receive come out of the DFW Metroplex and greater North Texas, and the pattern is seasonal. Spring through early summer brings the hailstorms that drive the majority of our roof and exterior files, with a second wind and severe-weather window that can extend into fall. Water losses tend to arrive year-round and turn on a different question — not the extent of damage, but its cause and origin, which is why moisture readings, timelines, and expert reports matter more in those files than in hail files.

Across recent hail submissions in the Metroplex, the recurring point of disagreement is the extent of damage — how much of a roof or elevation is storm-related versus pre-existing or cosmetic. That is precisely the kind of amount-of-loss question appraisal exists to settle. Disagreements over repair cost on wind files follow a similar shape, often resolved by comparing multiple detailed estimates line by line.

An Illustrative Pattern

To show what strong documentation looks like: across a set of anonymized DFW hail files, the disputes that resolved most cleanly shared one trait — detailed, dated photographic evidence paired with line-item justification tying each repair to visible storm damage. Where a scope was backed by clear photos and an expert assessment rather than a round-number total, the two appraisers were frequently able to agree on the amount of loss without the file ever reaching the umpire. Several of those property owners returned for later claims. The lesson for your submission is simple: the more your damage is documented at the line-item level, the faster the panel can do its work.

Questions Your Submission May Raise

What if I disagree with the outcome? The appraisal award establishes the amount of loss. If your concern is instead whether the loss is covered, that is a policy-and-carrier question outside the panel's authority, and it is resolved elsewhere.

How do I know what my policy provides for a given type of damage? Read your own declarations and conditions pages, and check for any wind/hail deductible or exclusion language — policy mechanics vary, so confirm yours rather than assuming. We can point you to the appraisal clause; the coverage terms are yours to review with your carrier.

If anything about your submission is unclear, call 972-322-0752 before you send it.