A public adjuster is licensed to prepare and negotiate an insurance claim for you, for a capped fee. A roofer inspects and repairs the roof. A Florida roofer may not adjust a claim or interpret your policy unless also licensed as a public adjuster, and a public adjuster may not take part in the repair.
After storm damage, you may hear from both. Here is what each one is licensed to do, what each is barred from doing, and how to tell them apart.
A public adjuster handles an insurance claim for a fee. A roofer inspects, estimates and repairs the roof. They are different jobs with different licenses.
Florida Statute 626.854(1) defines a public adjuster as a person who, for compensation, prepares, completes or files an insurance claim for a claimant, or acts on behalf of or aids a claimant in negotiating or settling a claim. The law applies that definition no matter how the person describes their services. A public adjuster must be licensed by the state. Under Section 626.854(20), apart from attorneys and licensed and appointed public adjusters, no one may do that work for pay.
A roofer is a licensed contractor who works on the roof itself. In Florida a roofing contractor holds a Certified Roofing Contractor license from the Department of Business and Professional Regulation. The job is the roof: the inspection, the written estimate and the repair or replacement.
People mix the two up because both show up after storm damage. Mixing them up can cost you. Florida Statute 489.147(2)(d) bars a contractor from interpreting policy provisions, advising an insured about coverage or adjusting a property insurance claim, unless the contractor is also licensed as a public adjuster under Chapter 626. And a public adjuster is barred from the repair side. This page explains who does what.
This is general information, not legal advice. It does not tell you to file a claim, or to hire anyone. Whether to make a claim and who should handle it are decisions for you and your insurer.
Coastline inspects roofs and sends a written photo report. What your policy covers is for you and your insurer to decide, because a roofer cannot advise on coverage. Coastline Roofing works all over Florida (license CCC1331076).
They differ on who they work for, what license they hold, how they are paid and what they are allowed to do.
| Question | Public adjuster | Roofer |
|---|---|---|
| Main job | Prepares and negotiates an insurance claim for you (626.854(1)). | Inspects the roof, writes an estimate, and repairs or replaces it. |
| License | Licensed by the state as a public adjuster. Attorneys are exempt from needing an insurance license to adjust claims (626.860). | Florida Certified Roofing Contractor license from DBPR. |
| How paid | A fee, capped by law as a percent of claim payments (626.854(11)). | The contract price for the roofing work. |
| Can interpret your policy or adjust your claim | Yes, within the license. | No, unless also licensed as a public adjuster (489.147(2)(d)). |
| Can do the repair | No. May not participate, directly or indirectly, in the repair or restoration of the damaged property (626.8795). | Yes. |
| Conflict rules | May not hold a financial interest in a repair business that gets work from the claim (626.8795). Contract may not give authority to choose repair providers (626.854(18)). | May not offer rebates, gifts or deductible waivers for an inspection or claim (489.147(2)(b)). |
| Your right to cancel | 10 days after signing, longer in some emergencies (626.854(7)). | 10 days if the required notice is missing (489.147(5)); 10 days in a declared emergency window (489.147(6)). |
Read the table as a map of lanes. Each person has one lane. The law keeps the claim lane and the repair lane apart.
A roofer can inspect the roof, explain the damage and give a written estimate. A roofer cannot adjust your claim or tell you what your policy covers.
Section 489.147 sets the line. A roofer may not, directly or indirectly:
A contractor who breaks these rules can be fined up to $10,000 for each violation, and the acts of anyone working for the contractor count as the contractor's acts (489.147(3) and (4)). Section 626.854(16) adds that a licensed contractor may not advertise, solicit or perform public adjuster services without a public adjuster license.
A roof contract also has to carry a notice in bold type on the signature page, telling the owner to contact their insurance company to verify coverage for the proposed roofing work (489.147(7)). In plain words, your insurer and your policy decide what is covered. A roofer cannot.
What a roofer can give you is an inspection and a written photo report of what is on the roof. See what a roof inspection includes, and how to compare two roof quotes. Our guide to free roof offers and assignment of benefits covers the offers the law bans.
Florida puts its own limits on public adjusters, too.
Section 626.854(3) says a public adjuster may not give legal advice or act for a claimant in settling bodily injury, death or noneconomic damage claims. Attorneys are exempt from needing an insurance license to adjust claims under Section 626.860.
Section 626.854(18) bars a contract or power of attorney that gives the adjuster the effective authority to choose repair providers, or that requires the insured to pay more than the adjuster's contract fees.
Section 626.8795 says a public adjuster may not participate, directly or indirectly, in the reconstruction, repair or restoration of the damaged property.
Section 626.8795 also bars a financial interest in a salvage, repair or other business that gets work from a claim the adjuster is handling, and any other activity that can reasonably be seen as a conflict of interest.
Section 626.854(13) bars compensation for referrals, except payments to another public adjuster. Section 626.854(23) separately bars rebates, gifts and deductible waivers for roof inspections or claims, with fines up to $10,000 per act, or $20,000 in an emergency.
Section 626.854(5) allows solicitation only Monday through Saturday, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. If someone is pitching you at night or on Sunday, that is worth noting.
The fee is capped as a percent of claim payments, and you have cancellation rights. Read the contract before signing.
Section 626.854(11) sets the fee limits. For claims from an event under a state of emergency declared by the Governor, the cap is 10 percent of the claim payments or settlements, for claims made during the year after the declaration. For other claims the cap is 20 percent. If the insurer pays or commits in writing to the policy limit within the short window the statute sets, the cap drops to 1 percent. If the insurer paid or agreed in writing to pay before the contract was signed, the cap is 0 percent. For reopened or supplemental claims, the fee may not exceed 20 percent of that payment and may be based only on work done after the contract was signed. Deductibles are left out of the amount the fee is figured on.
Section 626.854(7) lets the insured cancel without penalty within 10 days of signing. For a contract tied to a state of emergency, the window is 30 days after the date of loss or 10 days after signing, whichever is longer. The contract must carry a bold, 18-point cancellation notice right before the signature line. Section 626.854(12) requires an itemized estimate within 60 days of the contract, and if one does not arrive in time the insured may cancel without added penalty, unless the delay was outside the adjuster's control.
Whether to hire a public adjuster is your call. This page does not recommend for or against it. If you do hire one, read the contract for the fee, the cancel notice and who picks the repair company, and compare it to what the statute requires.
Look up each license before you sign anything.
For a roofer, use the state's license lookup. Our guide on how to verify a Florida roofing license shows each step, and how to check if a roofer is insured covers the insurance side.
For a public adjuster, use the Florida Department of Financial Services Licensee Search. You can search by name, license number, city or county. The website notes that its information is not guaranteed to be accurate or timely, so write down the license number and what it shows. Remember that an attorney in good standing with The Florida Bar does not need an insurance license to adjust a claim under Section 626.860.
Check who is actually in front of you. A person who says they are a public adjuster but also wants to do your roof should raise a question, because the law keeps those two jobs apart. A roofer who says they can tell you what your policy covers should raise one too. For more warning signs, see how to avoid a roofing scam after a storm, how Florida roof insurance claims work and roof deductibles in Florida.
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No. Florida Statute 489.147(2)(d) bars a contractor from adjusting a property insurance claim, interpreting policy provisions or advising an insured about coverage, unless the contractor is licensed as a public adjuster under Chapter 626. A roofer can give you an inspection and a written estimate for the roof work. Your insurer decides what the policy covers.
Section 626.854(11) caps the fee. It is 10 percent of claim payments for claims made in the year after a Governor-declared state of emergency, and 20 percent for other claims, with lower caps in a few cases the statute lists. Deductibles are not counted. Always read the contract and the cancellation notice. This is general information, not legal advice.
No. Section 626.8795 says a public adjuster may not participate, directly or indirectly, in the reconstruction, repair or restoration of the damaged property, and may not hold a financial interest in a repair business that gets work from a claim the adjuster is handling. The law keeps the claim lane and the repair lane apart.
Yes, within limits. Section 626.854(7) lets the insured cancel without penalty within 10 days after the contract is signed. For contracts tied to a declared state of emergency, the window is 30 days after the date of loss or 10 days after signing, whichever is longer. The notice must be in writing and sent by certified mail or another way that proves mailing.
Use the Florida Department of Financial Services Licensee Search. You can search by name, license number, city or county. The website says its information is not guaranteed to be accurate or timely, so save a copy of what it shows. Attorneys in good standing with The Florida Bar do not need an insurance license to adjust a claim, under Section 626.860.
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