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These Terms of Service ("Terms") govern your use of Appraise.Claims and related online services (the "Site"), operated by Appraise Claims LLC ("we," "us," "our"). By using the Site, you agree to these Terms and to our Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, do not use the Site.
Effective date: October 15, 2026 · Last updated: 10/15/2026
We provide appraisal services under insurance policy appraisal clauses / property damage appraisal / umpire services as an independent loss appraiser nationwide. Where a state requires a license or certification for the work we do, we hold it: MN Independent Insurance Adjuster, IA & LA Appraisal and Umpire licenses pending. You can verify any license with the state department of insurance.
What an appraiser does. Many property insurance policies include an appraisal clause. When an insurer and a policyholder agree a loss is covered but disagree on its amount, either side can usually demand appraisal. Each side selects an appraiser, the two appraisers choose an umpire, and a written award signed by the required number of them sets the amount of loss, as the policy and state law provide. We take part in that process as an appraiser or an umpire only when a person engages us or a court or the policy appoints us.
We set amount of loss, not coverage. Appraisal decides the dollar value of a loss, such as repair cost or actual cash value. It does not decide whether the loss is covered, whether a policy exclusion applies, whether the policy was in force, or whether a claim was handled in good faith. Those questions belong to the insurer, the courts, or the dispute process in the policy and state law, unless the policy or the law says otherwise.
Impartiality. We act as a competent, disinterested professional. We do not advocate for the party that selected us, and we reach our valuation on the evidence. We do not agree in advance to any result, and we disclose any relationship that could reasonably affect our independence. We are available for appointment by all parties to the appraisal or a court with jurisdiction of the loss property.
We are not your adjuster, public adjuster, attorney, or agent. We do not negotiate your claim, handle the claim for you, advise you on coverage or settlement, or represent you in a dispute with your insurer. If you need those services, consider a licensed public adjuster or an attorney.
No attorney-client or fiduciary relationship. Reading or using this Site does not create an engagement with us. Engagements are created only by a written agreement or appointment, and then only on its terms.
Appraisal may affect your rights. Appraisal can be binding on the amount of loss, can have costs, and can affect deadlines and other remedies under the policy. The rules differ by state and policy. Before you demand or agree to appraisal, read your policy and consider getting legal advice.
Not legal, tax, or financial advice. Site content is general information about our services and the appraisal process. It is not advice about your claim, your policy, or your legal options.
Eligibility. You must be at least 18 years old, or the age of majority where you live, and able to form a binding contract to use the Site for appraisal or business purposes.
Permitted use. Use the Site only for lawful purposes connected to learning about our services, contacting us, or using a portal we gave you access to. You may not:
Accounts. If we give you an account to submit appraisal materials, view communications, or exchange documents, you are responsible for keeping your credentials confidential and for activity under your account. Tell us at once if you suspect unauthorized access. We may suspend or close accounts that violate these Terms or put matter files at risk.
Electronic communications and signatures. By using the Site, you agree to receive notices, reports, and other communications from us electronically, and that electronic signatures and records have the same effect as paper ones, as the federal E-SIGN Act and state laws such as UETA allow. You may withdraw consent by contacting us, though that may limit your use of some online services. You may request a paper copy of any required notice.
Calls and texts. If you give us a phone number, you agree we may contact you about your matter or inquiry by phone, text, or email. Message and data rates may apply. You can opt out of marketing messages at any time, and agreeing to marketing is not a condition of any service.
Engagement. Sending an inquiry or request through the Site does not engage us or create an appraisal. We are engaged only when we confirm in writing, after a conflict check, that we accept the matter. The engagement letter, policy appraisal clause, court order, or other appointment then governs the work.
The appraisal process. The steps depend on the policy and the state, but a typical appraisal runs like this:
The policy and state law control, including deadlines, the scope of the award, whether the award is binding, and how it can be challenged.
Fees. Our fees are set in the engagement letter, are based on hourly rates and/or flat fees, and do not depend on the amount of the award or on which party wins. Each party usually pays its own appraiser, and the parties usually share the umpire's cost equally, as the policy provides. We charge no fee to read the Site or to ask about our services. Appraisal or Umpire fees are due upon acceptance of our appointment as part of our retainer agreement. Often, a percentage of the flat rate or expected budget is required at appointment with the balance of fees and expenses due prior to the issuance of the Award.
Information you submit. Whatever you send us must be accurate and complete to the best of your knowledge. If you send information about another person, such as a policyholder, insured, or contractor, you confirm you have the right to share it. Do not send us documents you are not allowed to share.
Communications in a pending appraisal. If we serve as an appraiser or umpire, we may need to share what we receive from one party with the other side or the umpire. We will tell you at the outset how we handle communications. Do not send us anything you want to keep from the other party unless our engagement letter says that is allowed.
Inspection and access. We may need to inspect the property, photograph it, and review records. We will ask for access by appointment, and we are not responsible for conditions we cannot access.
Our work product. Reports, estimates, valuations, and awards we prepare belong to us or to the parties as the engagement letter says. We release them to the parties to the appraisal, and otherwise only with consent or as the law requires.
Licensing. Licensing rules for appraisers vary widely by state and by type of work. Some states license or certify certain appraisers, such as auto damage appraisers or those who adjust claims, while many do not license appraisers who serve under a policy's appraisal clause. Where a license is required for our work, we hold it. Ask us for our license or credential details, or check with the state department of insurance.
Insurance fraud warning. Any person who knowingly presents false or misleading information in connection with a claim or an appraisal may commit insurance fraud, which is a crime and can lead to fines, imprisonment, and denial of benefits. We report suspected fraud as the law requires.
Confidentiality. Appraisal files often hold personal, financial, and property information. We protect it with administrative, technical, and physical safeguards and limit access to people who need it for the matter. We follow privacy and data security laws that apply to us, including state insurance privacy and data security rules. Do not send sensitive documents by unsecured email. Use the portal or method we give you. Appraisal can be confidential under the engagement or policy, but it is not always privileged, and a court can order disclosure.
Conflicts of interest and independence. Before we accept a matter, we check for relationships that could affect our independence, such as past or current work for a party, a financial interest in the claim, or ties to a party's counsel or adjuster. We disclose what we find and decline or withdraw if we cannot serve impartially. We do not take gifts, payment, or any benefit that depends on the result. If you believe we have a conflict, tell us; for a pending appraisal you may also raise it with the umpire or a court, as the policy and state law allow.
Complaints. If you have a concern about our work, contact us first. You may also contact your state department of insurance or the licensing body for our profession, if one applies.
Our content. The Site and everything on it, including text, graphics, logos, forms, and software, belongs to us or our licensors and is protected by copyright, trademark, and other laws. We give you a limited, revocable, non-exclusive license to view and print Site content for your own non-commercial use in connection with our services. You may not copy, modify, distribute, or create derivative works from it without our written permission.
Your submissions. You keep ownership of what you submit. You give us a license to use it to provide our services, operate the Site, and as our Privacy Policy and any engagement letter describe.
Third-party links. The Site may link to carriers, courts, regulators, or other sites we do not control. We do not endorse them and are not responsible for their content or practices.
The Site is provided "as is." To the fullest extent the law allows, we provide the Site and its content without warranties of any kind, express or implied, including warranties of accuracy, availability, merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement. We do not promise that the Site will be uninterrupted, error-free, or free of harmful components. Site content about the appraisal process is general and may not apply to your policy or state.
No promise of result. Nothing on the Site, including any example, case description, or testimonial, promises a particular valuation, award, or outcome. Results depend on the facts, the policy, and the people involved.
Limitation of liability. To the fullest extent the law allows, we and our officers, employees, and vendors are not liable for indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, or for lost profits or data, arising from your use of the Site.
What these limits do not affect. These Terms apply to your use of the Site only. They do not change or replace any insurance policy, any engagement letter, or any rights you have under insurance law, including claims handling and good faith duties owed by the insurer. They do not limit liability the law does not allow us to limit, and some states do not allow certain limits, so parts of this section may not apply to you.
Indemnity. You agree to defend and hold us harmless from claims, losses, and costs, including reasonable attorneys' fees, that arise from your violation of these Terms, your submission of false information, or your misuse of the Site. [Consider whether to include this for consumer-facing Sites.]
Copyright complaints. If you believe content on the Site infringes your copyright, send notice to our designated agent at dave@appraise.claims.
These Terms are governed by the laws of Minnesota, without regard to conflict-of-law rules, except where federal law or the law of your state of residence requires otherwise. Disputes about the Site are resolved in the state or federal courts in Hennepin County, Minnesota, and you consent to their jurisdiction.
These Terms do not limit your rights against an insurer under your policy or state insurance law, including the right to use the state's complaint process. Disputes about coverage, claim payment, or an appraisal award are handled under the policy, the engagement letter, and applicable law, not these Terms.
Appraise Claims LLC Attn: Legal Department] Email: legal@appraise.claims Phone: 763-296-9900
If you have a concern about an appraiser or an appraisal, you may also contact your state department of insurance.