Insurance appraisal, explained by someone who does it.
When a policyholder and an insurer disagree about the amount of a property loss, the policy's appraisal clause offers a way to settle the number without a lawsuit. This site explains how that process works — the mechanics, the deadlines, the case law, and the gap between how it's supposed to go and how it actually goes. California is home turf; most states get coverage too.
Insurance appraisal resolves claim amounts. It is not real estate appraisal.
The Case Law
The California decisions that control appraisal — every citation verified against the actual opinion, with the key language quoted verbatim.
California case law library →The Articles
Process, deadlines, umpire selection, award drafting — written from dozens of real appraisals, not from other people's blog posts.
Browse articles →The Handbook
The California Appraisal Handbook — the process end to end, in plain language, for policyholders and the professionals who help them.
About the handbook →Latest articles
California appraisal runs two independent deadlines — the 100-day window to challenge the award and the policy's suit-limitation period. Missing either one changes everything; they never pause for each other.
In an appraisal now, or headed toward one?
Leland Coontz serves as a party appraiser and umpire in California and most other states. Email is best — include the carrier, the loss location, and where the appraisal stands.