In 2018 CMA added appraisal to the practice. The news post is dated. The process is not. When you and the carrier agree the loss is covered but cannot agree on the amount, most policies give you appraisal.
Appraisal is not a lawsuit. It is usually faster and cheaper than court. It is also not a public-adjusting engagement — it is a separate policy process. CMA handles both.
The steps
- You demand appraisal in writing under the policy.
- Each side names a competent, independent appraiser.
- The two appraisers try to agree on the amount of loss.
- If they cannot, they select an umpire. An agreement by any two of the three sets the amount.
When appraisal is the right tool
Use it when the fight is the number: the roof, the fire rebuild, the water mitigation, the contents. Do not use it as a shortcut around a coverage denial. Coverage disputes belong in a different lane.
CMA takes appraisal on fire, storm, water, and commercial files in the states we serve. If a contractor or another public adjuster already has the claim and the number is still wrong, that is often when appraisal gets invoked.
A first offer that will not rebuild the house is not the end of the policy. It is the start of the argument the policy already wrote down.
Rewritten from CMA’s 2018 appraisal announcement. The process has not changed.