Houston Insurance Appraiser & Umpire — Hail, Wind & Hurricane Claims
Our Texas insurance appraisal work includes hail damage insurance appraisal, wind damage insurance appraisal, and hurricane damage insurance appraisal.
Our insurance appraisal services include water and flood damage insurance appraisal; an appraisal umpire resolves remaining panel disagreements.
Houston is the most hurricane-exposed major city in Texas. Marshall Services provides IAUA CPAU certified insurance appraisals, umpire services, and expert witness testimony for property damage claims in Harris County and the Greater Houston metro. Harris County has absorbed more billion-dollar storm losses than any county in Texas — Harvey, Ike, the 2024 derecho, and Hurricane Beryl each produced tens of thousands of disputed claims. Standard policies cover wind damage, including rain entering through a wind-created opening, while rising water requires separate flood insurance; our appraisals document the physical evidence that separates the two perils, from breach points to moisture readings. In one case, a Houston homeowner's hurricane roof claim closed below the named-storm deductible was resolved through appraisal at many times the original offer after our drone documentation and Xactimate re-estimate. Specializing in hurricane, hail, wind, and water damage claims for residential and commercial properties. The Gulf Coast is one territory of several, and the full list of cities and regions served is kept on one page. Serving The Woodlands, Katy, Sugar Land, Pearland, Cypress, Spring, Clear Lake, Pasadena, Baytown, and other Houston-area communities.
What Damages Houston Property, and When
Houston's disputed claims are not confined to named storms. The Gulf climate produces a year-round pattern that shapes how losses get argued. Spring brings the region's severe convective season — late February through May — when supercells moving off the Hill Country drop wind-driven hail across Katy, Cypress, and the northwest suburbs. Hurricane season runs June through November, with the highest concentration of wind and wind-driven-rain losses in August and September. Between events, the region's persistent humidity and heavy subtropical rainfall keep water intrusion, roof-seam failure, and long-dwell moisture damage in play through the shoulder months.
That mix matters at appraisal because Houston's older housing stock — much of it built on expansive clay soils — presents overlapping conditions that have to be told apart carefully. A single roof may carry spring hail bruising, prior wind creasing, and general weathering all at once. The appraisal process addresses the amount of loss attributable to the disputed event; separating storm-created damage from pre-existing wear is the core documentation task, and it is done with dated evidence rather than assertion.
The Documentation That Carries a Houston Claim
The questions Houston property owners ask most often come down to one thing: how do you prove what caused the damage, and how much of it? Several categories of evidence do the heavy lifting.
- Time-stamped, geolocated photographs establish both condition and date. FAA Part 107 drone imagery lets us document steep or storm-compromised roofs at full resolution without walking a surface that may be unsafe after a hurricane or hailstorm.
- Meteorological data — hail-size estimates, peak wind gusts, and storm-track records tied to the property's coordinates on the date of loss — corroborates that a weather event of damaging intensity actually reached the address. In hail and wind disputes generally, cross-referencing local storm reports with on-roof findings has repeatedly been the difference between two parties reaching a defensible number.
- Moisture readings and breach-point mapping matter most in Houston's wind-versus-water cases, showing where water entered and how far it traveled.
- A line-item Xactimate estimate priced to the local market converts the physical findings into a repair scope both appraisers can evaluate against the same standard.
Where damage cause is genuinely ambiguous — a recurring pattern in mixed-peril losses — bringing in a structural engineer or other specialist to identify the mechanism produces a cleaner record than a general inspection alone.
How the Appraisal Runs, and How Long It Takes
Appraisal is a policy provision, not a lawsuit, and it follows a set order. Once the appraisal clause is invoked in writing, each side names a competent, independent appraiser. The two appraisers then attempt to agree on the amount of loss directly. In many Houston claims they do — a jointly documented roof and interior scope leaves little to argue about, and no umpire is needed.
When the two appraisers cannot agree on some or all line items, they select an umpire, and the disputed items — only the disputed items — go to the umpire for a decision. An award signed by any two of the three panel members sets the amount of loss. Realistically, a residential Houston appraisal moves in weeks rather than months once both appraisers are engaged; commercial and multi-family files with extensive scopes take longer, driven mainly by inspection access and estimate complexity.
A point worth being precise about: the panel decides the amount of loss and nothing more. Whether a peril is covered, and how a named-storm or percentage wind/hail deductible applies to your particular policy, is a policy-and-carrier question — and where the parties disagree on coverage, a court decides it, not the appraisers or the umpire. Check your own declarations page for your deductible structure before assuming what a settlement figure will net.
If you are weighing whether appraisal fits your Houston claim, call Marshall Services at 972-322-0752 for an evidence-based read on where the dispute actually sits.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a Houston insurance appraisal cost?
Houston property appraisals typically cost $750–$5,000 depending on property size and claim complexity. Hurricane and large commercial claims may run higher due to the extensive damage documentation required. This is still a fraction of the cost of insurance litigation through an attorney.
Do you appraise hurricane damage in Houston?
Yes. Houston hurricane claims are among our most common engagements. We appraise wind damage, rain intrusion through compromised roofing, fallen tree damage, flying debris impact, and the consequential interior damage caused by roof breaches during named storm events. We carefully document the wind vs. water distinction that's critical for coverage determination.
Can you serve as umpire for Houston insurance disputes?
Yes. Marshall Smith, CPAU, provides neutral umpire services for disputed Houston claims. As a certified umpire, Marshall delivers binding impartial evaluations that resolve the dispute without litigation. This process typically concludes in 90–120 days — far faster and less expensive than a lawsuit.
What's the difference between flood damage and storm damage in Houston?
Flood damage (rising water) requires a separate NFIP or private flood policy and isn't covered under standard homeowner's insurance. Storm damage — including wind-driven rain through a compromised roof, hail damage, and wind damage — is covered under standard policies. The distinction matters enormously for Houston claims, and we carefully document which damage results from which peril.
How soon can you inspect my Houston property?
We typically schedule Houston property inspections within 5–10 business days of engagement. After major storm events, demand increases significantly — we recommend reaching out as soon as possible after receiving a claim determination you disagree with.
Do you serve Houston suburbs outside Harris County?
Yes. Marshall Services handles appraisals across Harris County and the Greater Houston metro, including Spring, The Woodlands, Cypress, Katy, Sugar Land, Pearland, Pasadena, Baytown, Kingwood, and nearby communities. Residential and commercial properties outside Houston city limits can be inspected when the claim involves a disagreement over the amount of loss.
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.