Your Insurance Policy Is a Contract. We Work to Make Sure It Pays What It Promises.
We represent you, not the insurance company, in every aspect of your property insurance claim.
What a Public Adjuster Does and Why It Matters
When your property is damaged, you have an obligation to notify your insurer and cooperate with the claims process. But cooperation does not mean accepting whatever the insurance company offers. You have the right to be represented by a licensed professional who works exclusively in your interest.
A public adjuster reads your policy, identifies all applicable coverage, documents all damage, prepares the claim, and negotiates the settlement on your behalf. We know the policy language, the documentation standards, and the negotiation process. You do not have to navigate this alone.
DCS was founded by a former insurance carrier field adjuster and team lead with carrier-side claims handling experience from 2010 to 2017. That experience is what DCS brings to every claim handled for our policyholders. There is no substitute for knowing how the other side thinks.
"There is an old saying that only a fool represents themselves. In a property insurance claim, the stakes are too high and the process too complex to navigate without someone who knows the rules. DCS knows the rules."
Dependable Claims Specialists Public Adjusters · TX Firm #3134924 · FL Firm #W820363
What We Do for You
Policy Review and Coverage Analysis
We read your entire policy, identify all applicable coverages, and flag any endorsements or exclusions that affect your claim. Most policyholders have coverage they do not know about.
Thorough Property Inspection
We inspect every affected area of your property, including areas the insurance adjuster may not examine. We document all damage with photographs, measurements, and detailed written descriptions.
Detailed Damage Estimation
We prepare a comprehensive, line-item damage estimate using industry-standard estimating software. Our estimates account for all labor, materials, and code-required upgrades.
Claim Preparation and Submission
We prepare and submit all required claim documentation including the proof of loss, damage inventory, and supporting evidence. We ensure all deadlines are met and all requirements are satisfied.
Negotiation and Settlement
We negotiate directly with the insurance company adjuster on your behalf. We know the common tactics used to minimize claims and how to counter them with evidence and policy expertise.
Contingency Fee Structure
We work on contingency. Our fee is a percentage of the settlement we obtain. If we do not recover additional funds, you owe us nothing. No recovery, no fee.
The Property Claim Lifecycle, Stage by Stage
Almost every property insurance claim moves through the same sequence of stages. Knowing what happens at each one, and where money is most often lost, is the difference between a fully paid claim and an underpaid one. Here is the path your claim follows and what a public adjuster does at each step.
First Notice of Loss (FNOL)
You report the loss to the insurer and receive a claim number. Most policies require prompt notice. What you say, how the cause of loss is described, and what you document in the first hours and days can shape the entire claim. We help frame the FNOL accurately and make sure mitigation (tarping, water extraction, board-up) is documented as it happens so those costs are recoverable.
Inspection / Scope of Loss
The carrier assigns a company or independent adjuster to inspect and "scope" the damage. This inspection drives everything that follows. If damage is missed here, it is missed in the estimate. We attend the inspection, walk every affected area, and document damage the carrier adjuster may not capture, including concealed and code-related damage.
The Carrier Estimate
The carrier produces a line-item estimate, typically in Xactimate, of what it will pay. This is where underpayment hides: omitted line items, low unit prices, missing tear-off and disposal, excluded overhead and profit, and skipped code upgrades. We prepare an independent, fully documented counter-estimate to the same standard.
Proof of Loss
Many policies require a sworn proof of loss within a set period (often 60 days of the insurer's request) stating the amount claimed. An incomplete or late proof of loss can damage the claim. We prepare it with a supporting estimate and inventory so the sworn figure is fully backed.
Negotiation
We negotiate the difference between the carrier's number and the documented cost of repair, line item by line item, using the policy language, the estimate, the photographs, and the applicable standards. Having a former carrier adjuster argue your scope changes the conversation.
Settlement & Payment
On a replacement-cost policy, the carrier typically pays actual cash value first and holds back recoverable depreciation. We confirm the deductible, depreciation, and any prior payments are correctly applied so the ACV check is right, and so the depreciation can be recovered later.
Supplements & Depreciation Release
When repairs uncover additional damage, or the original scope was incomplete, we file a supplement. Once repairs are completed and documented, we pursue release of the withheld recoverable depreciation. Many claims are reopened and supplemented well after the first payment.
Carrier Tactics and Common Mistakes, and How We Counter Them
None of this means an insurer is acting in bad faith. It means the claims process is built around the insurer’s estimate and its deadlines, and a policyholder navigating it alone is at a structural disadvantage. These are the patterns we see most, and what we do about each.
Low initial estimate
The first carrier estimate often understates the scope: missing line items, low unit costs, and omitted code upgrades. We respond with a documented, line-item counter-estimate built to the same Xactimate standard so the difference is concrete and defensible.
Scoping only visible damage
An inspection that scopes only what is visible misses concealed damage in subfloors, wall cavities, and roof decking. We document concealed damage with moisture readings, thermal imaging, and selective tear-off where warranted.
Stripping overhead and profit
When three or more trades are involved, a general contractor is typically required to coordinate them, and overhead and profit (commonly 10 percent and 10 percent) applies. Carriers frequently exclude it. We document the trades involved and justify O&P.
Missing the proof-of-loss window
A late or incomplete sworn proof of loss can jeopardize a claim. We track the deadline and prepare the document with full supporting documentation.
Mishandled depreciation
On a replacement-cost policy, recoverable depreciation must be calculated correctly and then actually recovered after repairs. We verify the depreciation and pursue its release rather than letting it quietly stay with the carrier.
Premature closing and full releases
Accepting a quick payment or signing a broad release can foreclose supplements for damage discovered later. We review any release before you sign and preserve your right to supplement legitimate additional loss.
Who Needs a Public Adjuster, and What It Costs
Public adjusters most often help homeowners and commercial property owners with significant or complex losses: storm and wind damage, hail, water and pipe failures, fire and smoke, and large contents and business-interruption claims. They are especially valuable when a claim has been denied, underpaid, delayed, or closed for less than the cost to repair, and when the policyholder simply does not have the time or expertise to fight line item by line item.
The economics are straightforward. Public adjusting is contingency-based: our fee is a percentage of what we recover, and if we recover nothing additional, you owe nothing. State law caps that percentage. In Texas, Texas Insurance Code Chapter 4102 caps the public-adjuster contingency fee at 10 percent of the amount paid on the claim. In Florida, Florida Statute 626.854 caps it at 20 percent, reduced to 10 percent for losses tied to a declared state of emergency during the first year after the declaration. Because the fee is contingent and capped, the relevant question is whether professional representation increases the settlement by more than the fee, which on an underpaid claim it frequently does.
No recovery, no fee. Our public-adjusting work is contingency-based and capped by state statute. You pay nothing up front, and you pay nothing at all unless we recover additional funds on your claim.
Why DCS
DCS personnel include former carrier field adjusters and team leads with carrier-side claims handling experience from 2010 to 2017. We know how claims are evaluated from the inside.
Texas-based licensed public adjusting firm (TX Firm #3134924) with Florida licensure (FL Firm #W820363).
DCS has been Xactimate Level 2 certified. Xactimate is the industry-standard estimating software used by insurance companies. We speak their language.
Extensive experience handling property insurance claims across Texas and Florida.
Public adjusting work is contingency-based: no recovery means no fee.
We are available to our policyholders throughout the entire claims process. You will always know where your claim stands.
Recent Case Studies
The carrier valued this Hurricane Ian loss below the policy deductible, effectively offering nothing. After the appraisal clause was invoked and DCS served as the policyholder appraiser, the appraisal panel issued an award of $1,427,372.70. Result driven entirely by inspection, scope, and pricing on the record, not by the carrier prior position.
A 50-year State Farm customer had major portions of their Beryl claim denied. A large tree struck the front of the house with multiple limb penetrations and water flowed into seven rooms. DCS documented the full scope and reversed the partial denial. Final settlement included a new roof, new A/C unit, and full damage payments.
A Galveston homeowner with Texas Windstorm Insurance Association (TWIA) coverage received an initial offer several times smaller than the actual damage warranted. DCS negotiated the settlement up through persistent documentation and construction knowledge.
A late-December 2024 tornado swept through Spring and damaged the home. The initial Homesite scope captured only a fraction of the actual structural and roof-decking damage. DCS lifted shingles, documented fastener pull-through, and built a supplement that grew the settlement by more than 5.65×.
Extensive concealed water damage from a failed HVAC condensation line. The initial Homeowners of America offer did not account for the full scope of subflooring, wall cavity, and cabinet damage. DCS documented the complete causation and damage trail and negotiated a 25× settlement increase.
Allstate denied the plumbing leak claim in full on wear-and-tear grounds. DCS assembled engineering causation evidence, documented the prompt-payment timeline against Texas Insurance Code Chapter 542 deadlines, and negotiated a full reversal to the policy limit.
The initial State Farm offer on a hail-and-roof-leak claim captured only visible surface damage. DCS documented the true scope of roof decking, fastener pull-through, and interior water damage from the resulting leak. Final settlement was 6.5× the initial offer.
A tree fell on the home during Hurricane Beryl, causing major structural and interior water damage. DCS was engaged from the first day of the claim and documented dwelling, ALE (loss of use), and personal property in full across all coverages.
A failed toilet supply line caused extensive water damage across multiple rooms. DCS was engaged from day one and presented a fully documented claim including subfloor, cabinet, and framing damage.
A plumbing supply line leak caused extensive water damage, but the carrier's initial estimates severely undervalued the restoration scope. Through the formal appraisal process, a binding award was issued that accurately reflected the true cost of repairs, increasing the settlement by over $76,000.
The initial Allstate assessment significantly undervalued the scope of loss. Acting as the appraiser, a binding award was secured that accurately reflected the true cost to repair the property, increasing the final settlement by over $82,000.
The initial Texas Fair Plan scope for this Hurricane Beryl claim drastically undervalued the wind and storm damage. Acting as the public adjuster, the true extent of the property loss was meticulously documented and negotiated, resulting in a final settlement increase of over $81,000.
Hurricane Ian devastated Sanibel Island, and the carrier's initial offers fell severely short of the catastrophic destruction. Acting as the public adjuster, the true extent of wind and structural damage was meticulously scoped and negotiated, pushing the final settlement up by over $181,000 to cover the rebuild.
Your Policy Is a Parachute. We Work to Make Sure It Opens.
You paid for your coverage. When the plane is going down, you jump and expect the parachute to open. We are here to advocate for you.
