Independent claim appraisal · All 102 counties
Your carrier accepted the claim, but the check won’t rebuild the roof, the basement or the kitchen. As an Illinois Insurance Appraiser, we build an independent, line-by-line valuation and carry it through the appraisal clause in your policy.
Covered ≠ paid in fullMost disputed claims aren’t denied. They’re short.
Why owners call
A missed roof slope, siding that can’t be matched, a finished basement priced as bare concrete, code items nobody listed. An Illinois Insurance Appraiser exists for the gap between “we accept coverage” and a payment that actually covers the repair.
Eleven services
From a single estimate review to full panel representation and neutral umpire work. Every service is built around one goal: a valuation of your loss that holds up.
01We act as the appraiser you name once you or your carrier demands appraisal under the policy.
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02Bungalows, split-levels, farmhouses and new-build two-stories where the estimate leaves out real costs.
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03Multi-building associations, high-rise condos, retail, warehouses, churches and mixed-use properties.
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04Hail-bruised shingles, dented metal, split membranes and siding that the carrier calls cosmetic.
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05Straight-line wind, tornado tracks and derecho swaths that lift shingles, topple trees and twist framing.
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06Burst supply lines, sewer and drain backup, sump failure and roof leaks into finished space.
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07Kitchen fires, lightning strikes, wildland grass fires and smoke that travels far beyond the burn.
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08Polar-vortex pipe bursts, ice dams, snow-load sagging and the hidden water damage that follows.
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09Room-by-room inventories, depreciation schedules and like-kind pricing for furniture, electronics and more.
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10A line-by-line second opinion on the carrier’s estimate before you decide whether to supplement or appraise.
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11Neutral umpire appointments for Illinois appraisal panels, chosen by both appraisers or by a court.
Learn moreFive steps
Appraisal turns an open-ended argument into a defined process with a binding result. Here is how an Illinois Insurance Appraiser takes a file from first call to signed award.
We read the policy, the carrier’s estimate and your photos, then tell you plainly whether appraisal fits.
We inspect, measure and build an independent line-item estimate priced for your Illinois ZIP code.
Appraisal is demanded in writing and we’re named as your appraiser within the policy’s window.
We work line by line with the carrier’s appraiser. Most disputes narrow sharply here.
Items still open go to a neutral umpire. Two of three signatures set the amount of loss.
Five claim climates
Basement backups in Chicago, HOA hail claims in DuPage, ice dams in Rockford, tornadoes on the central prairie, derechos in Little Egypt. An Illinois Insurance Appraiser has to read each region’s weather on a roof and in an estimate.
Bungalows, two-flats, towers
Combined sewers, brick bungalows and lakefront condos. Basement backups after summer cloudbursts and pipes split by polar-vortex cold are as common here as storm damage.
Chicago page
DuPage · Kane · Lake · McHenry · Will
Subdivisions and townhome associations from Naperville to Waukegan. One hail swath can touch dozens of buildings under a single master policy.
Naperville page
Rockford · Elgin · Rock River Valley
Long winters bring ice dams and snow load; spring brings tornadoes like the 2023 Belvidere storm. Older housing stock adds plaster and wood-siding matching questions.
Rockford page
Peoria · Springfield · Bloomington · Champaign
Open prairie lets storms arrive at full strength. Washington in 2013 and Springfield in 2006 show how severe central Illinois tornadoes can be.
Peoria page
Belleville · Edwardsville · Carbondale
From the 1925 Tri-State Tornado to the 2009 derecho, southern Illinois has a long wind history — and sits near the New Madrid seismic zone.
Carbondale pageCheck your numbers
Type in the two figures you already have. A large gap is worth a conversation with an Illinois Insurance Appraiser; a small one may close faster with a documented supplement. The examples are illustrative.
Seven free tools, all running in your browser with nothing stored:
Size the gap between estimates, project an award and subtract appraiser and umpire fees to see your net.
Split a replacement-cost claim into the first ACV payment, the holdback and the total once repairs are done.
Turn a footprint and pitch into true roof squares, bundles and a rough cost, then compare with the estimate.
Turn a percentage wind/hail deductible into dollars and see what a storm claim would actually pay.
Map notice, proof-of-loss, depreciation and suit dates from your date of loss — then export them.
Answer 12 yes-or-no questions to score your claim file and get a to-do list before invoking appraisal.
Compare a realistic basement loss with your water backup endorsement limit and see what’s left with you.
Illinois storm record
Every Illinois Insurance Appraiser file sits on top of this history: tornadoes, derechos, blizzards, floods and deep freezes that keep testing how policies are read.
Crossed southern Illinois, including Murphysboro; still the deadliest tornado in U.S. history.
An F5 tornado struck Plainfield, Crest Hill and Joliet on August 28.
More than 20 inches of snow in Chicago, stranding drivers on Lake Shore Drive.
Basements flooded across Cook and DuPage in April; an EF-4 hit Washington in November.
Chicago fell below −20°F in January, splitting pipes in homes that had never frozen.
Hurricane-force gusts crossed northern Illinois, flattening crops, trees and roofs.
An EF-3 tore through neighborhoods on the night of June 20.
A March tornado collapsed part of a theater roof during a concert.
Picking the right help
Each solves a different problem. Choosing first saves time and fees, and an Illinois Insurance Appraiser will point you elsewhere when appraisal isn’t the right tool.
Questions
Straight answers about how appraisal works, what it costs and when it’s the wrong move.
We value property damage when you and your insurer agree a loss is covered but disagree on what it costs. As your named appraiser we inspect, build an independent line-item estimate, work with the carrier’s appraiser and, if needed, present unresolved items to a neutral umpire.
A public adjuster handles and negotiates the whole claim. An appraiser works inside the policy’s appraisal clause on one question: the amount of loss. We don’t negotiate outside appraisal and we don’t give legal advice.
When coverage is accepted, you have the carrier’s estimate, and the gap between it and your contractor’s number is meaningful — usually more than about 10% or several thousand dollars.
On the amount of loss, yes, once any two of the three panel members sign it. That’s why the file should be complete before appraisal is demanded.
No. Section 155 of the Illinois Insurance Code is a remedy a court may consider in a lawsuit. Appraisal only sets the amount of loss. Talk to an Illinois attorney about legal remedies.
Each side pays its own appraiser and usually half the umpire. We put our fee in writing before any work starts, and the first conversation is free.
Articles
Practical articles from the Illinois Insurance Appraiser team on policy wording, documentation and timing.
A plain-English walk through the appraisal clause: who can invoke it, how the panel is built and what the award really decides.
Illinois law lets courts penalize unreasonable claim delays. Here’s, in general terms, how that remedy differs from appraisal — and why the two aren’t interchangeable.
What to photograph, measure and keep after an Illinois hailstorm so your roof claim stands up to scrutiny.
Storm season is claim season
A short review now can keep you from accepting a payment that won’t cover the repair.
Start with a conversation
Tell us what happened and what the carrier offered. We’ll review it and give you a straight answer on whether appraisal is worth it — no pressure and no obligation.
