ASK A PUBLIC ADJUSTER · FLORIDA & NEW JERSEY
Ask a Public Adjuster
By Nelson Avila, Licensed Florida Public Adjuster (License G332385) · Florida Certified Residential Contractor · Property Insurance Appraiser & Umpire
Homeland Public Adjusters · Last reviewed: October 2026
Homeland Public Adjusters · Last reviewed: October 2026
Real questions from Homeland's clients, answered honestly by licensed public adjusters. These are the ten we hear most often. Have a different one? Ask it below; we answer the questions that help the most people right here.
The ten questions clients ask most
Will my premium go up if I file a claim?
It can. Each insurer sets its own rating rules, and many give a claims-free discount that a paid claim can remove or add a surcharge for past claims. What the law limits is cancellation and nonrenewal: in Florida, claims caused by an act of God, like a hurricane, can't be used as the reason to cancel or nonrenew your policy, with one narrow exception. Read the full answer →
They underpaid my claim. Can you help me?
Yes. Underpaid claims are one of the most common reasons people call Homeland. We reinspect the damage, write our own estimate, compare it line by line with the insurer's, and present a supplemental claim for what was left out. In Florida, a supplemental claim must be reported within 18 months after the date of loss. Read the full answer →
Can my insurer drop me after a claim?
Not for a weather claim alone, in most cases. In Florida, claims caused by an act of God can't be used as a cause for cancellation or nonrenewal unless you ignored a reasonable request to prevent the damage from recurring. New Jersey bars cancelling or nonrenewing an owner-occupied one-to-four family home solely because of weather-related claims. Other claims can count under an insurer's underwriting rules. Read the full answer →
How long does the insurance company have to pay?
In Florida, the insurer must pay or deny your claim within 60 days after it receives notice of the claim, in writing. In New Jersey, the insurer must decide a first-party property claim within 30 calendar days after receiving properly executed proofs of loss, unless the delay is clearly justified, and must pay within 10 working days after you agree to a settlement. Read the full answer →
My claim was denied. What can I do?
A denial isn't the end of the claim. Start with the denial letter: it should name the reason and the policy language. From there you usually have five options: better documentation and negotiation (on your own or through a licensed public adjuster), appraisal, Florida's DFS mediation program, a complaint to the state insurance department, or an attorney. Read the full answer →
Am I covered for this?
It depends on your policy's wording: what perils it covers, what it excludes, your deductibles and any sublimits or endorsements. No one can answer honestly without reading it. Policy Scan shows you what your policy says and where the gaps are, in plain English, before you need it. Read the full answer →
Do I need a public adjuster or a lawyer?
It depends on where your claim is. A licensed public adjuster works for you to document, value and negotiate the claim with your insurer. An attorney gives legal advice and can file a lawsuit. Many claims are resolved with a public adjuster alone; some need an attorney, and on some both work together. Attorneys play an important role, and we refer clients to them when a claim needs one. Read the full answer →
I already accepted a check. Can I still get help?
Often, yes. What matters is what you signed, not just whether you deposited a check. A payment check and a signed release are different things. In Florida, more damage from the same event can be reported as a supplemental claim within 18 months after the date of loss. Read the full answer →
Is my roof covered if it's old?
An old roof can still have covered storm damage. Age isn't a cause of loss; what decides the claim is evidence of what caused the damage and when. But age matters in other ways: wear and tear is excluded, many policies pay older roofs on a payment schedule or at actual cash value, and in Florida roof age affects whether an insurer will write or renew the policy. Read the full answer →
Is water damage from a leak covered?
Usually, if the leak was sudden and accidental, like a burst supply line or a failed water heater. Usually not, if water leaked or seeped over a long time; many Florida policies exclude seepage over 14 or more days. Watch for a cap: many Florida insurers now limit non-weather water damage to $10,000. Read the full answer →
Ask your own question
A licensed public adjuster reads every question. We answer the ones that help the most people right here, with names, addresses and anything that identifies you or your property removed. If you have damage now, don't wait for an answer: call us.
Stay in the know. Get the free Adjuster Advantage app from Homeland Public Adjusters: Policy Scan, a hurricane tracker, home inventory and answers like this one when they matter.
This answer is general information only and is not legal or insurance advice. Statutes, regulations and policy wording change, and how they apply depends on your own policy and the facts of your claim. Homeland Public Adjusters is a public adjusting firm, not a law firm.
Ask a Public Adjuster
Will my premium go up if I file a claim?They underpaid my claim. Can you help?Can my insurer drop me after a claim?How long does the insurer have to pay?My claim was denied. What can I do?Am I covered for this?Public adjuster or lawyer?I accepted a check. Can I still get help?Is my old roof covered?Is water damage from a leak covered?
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