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Appraisal and umpire work only has value if the neutrality is real. This page spells out the role standards, the conflict-check protocol, and the hard boundaries that govern every RiskAxis engagement — before, during, and after the assignment.
Start an Assignment How Appraisal WorksWhether appointed by the policyholder or the carrier, the appraiser's duty runs to the supported number — the damages and proper repairs the evidence shows — not to the party that made the appointment. Same file, same method, same answer, regardless of who calls.
The umpire is a neutral decision-maker for unresolved amount-of-loss differences between the party appraisers — damages, repair scope, methodology, quantities, and pricing. Not an advocate for either side, and not a coverage or legal decision-maker.
Consulting and expert engagements are limited to technical questions within held credentials: building conditions, damage, repair scope and methodology, estimating, and restoration protocols. Opinions follow the evidence, not the retention.
Every inquiry is screened against prior and current engagements — parties, property, carrier, counsel, and contractors — before the assignment is accepted. Potential conflicts and prior relationships are disclosed, not buried.
Scope, role, and terms are confirmed in writing, and a written fee schedule is provided with the engagement terms before any work begins. The engagement defines the lane — and the lane doesn't move mid-assignment.
Findings are anchored to inspection, measurement, imagery, and recognized references — ANSI/IICRC standards, Haag methodology, and defensible estimating practice. The same discipline applies no matter which side appointed us.
Every opinion is supported in the file: what was observed, what standard applies, how the number was built. If a position can't be documented, it isn't taken.
RiskAxis Solutions is not a public adjusting firm and does not sell insurance. Appraisal and umpire assignments address amount of loss under the applicable policy process. RiskAxis does not provide legal advice, interpret insurance coverage, or render coverage opinions. Coverage and legal questions belong with qualified coverage counsel, the insurer, or the appropriate licensed insurance professional.
Start an assignment — the conflict check runs before anything else does.
Start an Assignment