Appraisal is a contractual dispute-resolution process for determining the amount of loss within the authority granted by the governing policy and appointment. Do not assume every policy contains an appraisal clause or that every dispute is appraisable. Read the actual clause, declarations relevant to the assignment, demand, correspondence, and any court order or agreement. Record who appointed you, what was disputed, the loss date, property address, claimed areas, existing estimates, and any explicit exclusions from your assignment. Appraisers should distinguish observable damage, repair methodology, quantities, pricing, and coverage decisions. An appraiser may document facts relevant to causation without claiming authority to decide every legal or coverage question. When authority is disputed, document the issue and request clarification rather than silently expanding your role.

Open a secure case file; preserve the appointment and date received. Identify the other appraiser, insured, carrier representative, occupants, and contractors. Check conflicts before accepting. Decide whether you have the technical competence, access, time, and independence for the loss; engage a qualified specialist when necessary and disclose the specialist’s role. Make a dispute map by comparing competing scopes room by room and trade by trade: agreed, disputed, unknown, and outside assignment. Request relevant photographs, mitigation records, invoices, estimates, roof reports, permits, and prior repairs. Give reasonable inspection notice, document access limitations, and keep a dated activity log. Do not treat an allegation as a verified finding.

Identify load path and assembly before pricing finishes. Roof covering, underlayment, deck, trusses/rafters, ceiling, insulation, and interior finishes serve different functions. Walls may include framing, sheathing, housewrap, cladding, insulation, gypsum board, texture, and paint. A wet ceiling stain does not by itself prove structural damage; a visually sound finish does not rule out concealed damage. Distinguish removal needed to access damage from replacement of undamaged components. Verify material, dimensions, attachment, substrate, and existing condition. Separate direct damage, access work, code-required work, and upgrades. For each proposed line, answer: what is damaged, how is it documented, why is this operation necessary, and how was its quantity measured?

Recognize asphalt three-tab and laminated shingles, standing-seam and exposed-fastener metal, concrete and clay tile, slate, wood, and low-slope modified bitumen, BUR, TPO, EPDM, and PVC. Record roof geometry, pitch, facets, valleys, hips, penetrations, eaves, flashing, underlayment, decking, and access. Separate displaced or creased shingles from ordinary wear; cracked tile from superficial appearance; failed fastener or sealant from storm-created opening. For tile, inspect profile, dimensions, headlap, side interlock, attachment, underlayment, adjacent-tile disturbance, and availability of compatible replacements. Discontinued does not automatically mean total replacement; investigate salvage, manufacturer confirmation, compatible approved alternatives, safe repair methods, and consequential breakage. Equally, do not prescribe a repair that cannot be performed without damaging the surrounding system. The FRSA–TRI 7th Edition Florida High Wind Concrete and Clay Tile Installation Manual and the manufacturer’s applicable instructions are technical references, not substitutes for inspecting this roof. Florida’s so-called 25% rule is not an automatic whole-roof replacement rule: §553.844(5) has an exception for roofing systems or sections compliant with the 2007 Florida Building Code or later. Identify the installation date, applicable code, section, repair extent, jurisdiction, and documented compliance before making a code position. Never convert a code requirement into a coverage conclusion.

Map each room and photograph transitions, thresholds, direction of installation, pattern, dye lot, and termination points. For continuous floating flooring, investigate whether damaged planks can be removed and reinstalled, whether click-lock joints tolerate disassembly, whether matching material exists, and where a technically sound transition can occur. Do not automatically include an entire home merely because flooring looks continuous, or stop at the visibly wet planks when repair requires broader removal. For cabinets, identify box material, face frame, doors, toe kick, end panels, countertop, backsplash, plumbing, and attachment. Determine whether the damaged box can be repaired independently, whether countertops must be detached, and whether reinstallation risks breakage. For shower tile, examine the assembly—not only the visible tile—including waterproofing membrane, pan, curb, substrate, niche, and tie-in details. A patch that breaks the waterproofing continuity may not be a functional repair. Specify demolition, substrate preparation, waterproofing, tile setting, grout, sealant, and fixture reset separately where warranted. Explain matching and functional arguments with evidence, not a slogan.

Document the reported timeline, observed water path, affected materials, moisture readings, instrument type, ambient conditions, mitigation history, and areas not accessed. A moisture meter reading is an investigative datum, not independent proof of source, age, or coverage. Distinguish category/class assessments made by qualified mitigation personnel from an appraiser’s own observations. Separate emergency services already performed from reconstruction needed afterward; reconcile drying logs, equipment days, demolition, and duplicate charges. For mold, do not diagnose species or prescribe regulated remediation beyond competence; obtain qualified evaluation when necessary. For fire, separate direct burn, heat, smoke residue, odor, cleaning, sealing, and replacement. For wind and hail, map directionality and collateral indicators and distinguish pre-existing deterioration. Keep causation opinions proportionate to evidence.

Create a reproducible inspection: overall elevations and room views, then context, midrange, close-up, scale, and measurement. Label each photo with location and significance. Measure floor areas, wall lengths, heights, openings, roof facets, and waste assumptions. Preserve raw photos and source files; never edit an image in a way that conceals evidence. Record who attended, what each person said, which statements remain unverified, and any inaccessible area. Document both supporting and contradictory facts. If destructive testing or specialized inspection is required, request authorization and the proper expert rather than guessing. Produce a dated findings memorandum and an open-items list.

Xactimate is a tool, not an authority or substitute for construction judgment. Set the correct project, price-list region/date, sketch geometry, room names, tax and overhead settings, and estimate assumptions. Search line items by operation and read their full descriptions and inclusions before using them. Separate detach/reset from remove/replace; verify whether a line already includes labor, disposal, underlayment, finish, or accessories to avoid duplication. Sketch continuous rooms accurately; verify flooring net area and waste separately; measure cabinet linear feet versus individual boxes; check roof squares, pitch, valleys, starter, ridge, flashing, and steep/high charges against actual conditions. Use documented bids or custom pricing when a published unit price is not representative, explaining the basis. Review the estimate by trade and by room against the photos and scope. Do not choose quantities or unit prices to reach a predetermined award number.

Prepare an initial estimate and position strictly from facts presently verified. Mark unknowns as unknown; distinguish assumptions from findings. Preserve the original estimate and narrative. During discussions, consider credible new measurements, bids, technical opinions, and previously unavailable evidence. A revised or supplemental estimate is appropriate when its changed scope, quantities, or pricing can be explained. Negotiation is not permission to invent damage or delete supported work merely to split a dollar difference. Maintain a revision log: item changed, previous value, new value, evidence, reason, and date. When compromise reflects uncertainty or an agreed resolution rather than a new physical fact, label it accordingly.

Review the governing clause for umpire selection, notice, inspection, and award requirements. Keep the panel’s substantive communications transparent to all required participants; do not privately lobby the umpire. Share estimates, photos, reports, and revised positions with the other appraiser as required. Distinguish an appraiser’s independent inspection from an undisclosed unilateral attempt to influence the umpire. Record impasse items precisely, arrange access and reasonable inspection dates, and give each side a fair opportunity to explain disputed facts. An umpire is not a rubber stamp or a substitute for the appraisers’ preparation. Document disagreements without personal attacks.

Confirm that the award format, signatures, categories, and decision-makers comply with the governing clause. Reconcile estimate totals, tax, depreciation presentation if applicable, prior payments if the assignment requires them, and any separately identified items. Do not silently decide coverage or insert unsupported allowances. Verify arithmetic and that the written award matches the agreed scope. Issue a concise report explaining methodology, principal disputed items, and material limitations without disclosing confidential deliberations improperly. Save the signed award, final estimate, revision history, supporting records, and transmission proof. An award is not complete merely because a draft was circulated.

Ethics is NADRI’s central standard. Independence means your judgment is not purchased by the party who appointed you. Disclose financial interests, repeat-client relationships, prior involvement, family ties, referral arrangements, contingent compensation, and any circumstance a reasonable participant might consider relevant. Disclosure does not automatically cure a conflict; decline or withdraw when impartial service cannot be maintained. Do not accept gifts or incentives linked to an outcome. Do not promise a carrier a low award or a policyholder a high award. Do not let an appointing party rewrite your factual conclusions. Competence is ethical: accept only work you can perform or properly support, identify limitations, and avoid presenting borrowed expertise as your own.

Tell the truth in estimates, reports, photos, communications, invoices, credentials, and testimony. Never fabricate a measurement, stage damage, conceal a contrary photo, backdate an inspection, misstate code, or cite a technical bulletin you have not reviewed. Preserve original evidence and identify altered or annotated copies. Protect claim files, personal information, access codes, and panel communications; share only with authorized participants and use secure channels. Respect both parties’ opportunity to be heard. Never use intimidation, harassment, retaliation, or personal insults to obtain agreement. Correct a material error promptly even when the correction disadvantages the party that appointed you. Do not use a confidentiality claim to hide your own misconduct.

Pressure may arrive as a request to omit a room, inflate waste, add a full roof without repairability analysis, ignore a moisture reading, change a date, or sign before reviewing the final document. Pause and ask for the factual basis; record the request and your response. If the request is legitimate, revise with an audit trail; if unsupported, decline. If a colleague makes a plausible technical objection, investigate it rather than treating disagreement as disloyalty. Separate a negotiated resolution from a representation that a particular item was physically observed. Recuse when a new conflict arises. Cooperate with appropriate ethics review, preserve records, and acknowledge mistakes. NADRI membership and course completion do not authorize misrepresentation or confer an appraisal credential. Ethical conduct continues after the award through billing, record retention, and accurate marketing.

1. Assume the dispute is appraisable
2. Verify the governing authority and appointment
3. Issue an award

Answer: 2 — Verify the governing authority and appointment.

1. Framing must be replaced
2. No concealed damage exists
3. Document the stain and identify concealed conditions as unknown

Answer: 3 — Document the stain and identify concealed conditions as unknown.

1. Automatic whole-roof replacement
2. Investigate compatible supply, repair method and adjacent-tile effects
3. Ignore the manufacturer

Answer: 2 — Investigate compatible supply, repair method and adjacent-tile effects.

1. Automatically replace all
2. Consider §553.844(5) and document code compliance and affected portion
3. Code never matters

Answer: 2 — Consider §553.844(5) and document code compliance and affected portion.

1. Always replace every room
2. Always stop at wet boards
3. Evaluate disassembly, matching, transitions and necessary repair extent

Answer: 3 — Evaluate disassembly, matching, transitions and necessary repair extent.

1. Only tile faces
2. System continuity and required substrate/waterproofing work
3. No repair

Answer: 2 — System continuity and required substrate/waterproofing work.

1. Treat software as binding
2. Use supported custom pricing and explain
3. Increase all quantities

Answer: 2 — Use supported custom pricing and explain.

1. Delete original estimate
2. Revision log and evidentiary explanation
3. Describe it as originally observed

Answer: 2 — Revision log and evidentiary explanation.

1. Conceal it
2. Disclose and assess withdrawal
3. Wait until after award

Answer: 2 — Disclose and assess withdrawal.

1. Comply
2. Split the difference without explanation
3. Decline unsupported change and document reasoning

Answer: 3 — Decline unsupported change and document reasoning.

1. Source and coverage
2. A datum requiring contextual investigation
3. Exact loss date

Answer: 2 — A datum requiring contextual investigation.

1. Keep it secret
2. Give required panel participants access and opportunity to respond
3. Sign immediately

Answer: 2 — Give required panel participants access and opportunity to respond.

1. Replace the entire kitchen
2. Determine construction and feasible component repair
3. Ignore countertops

Answer: 2 — Determine construction and feasible component repair.

1. Correct and disclose it
2. Keep quiet
3. Adjust another line secretly

Answer: 1 — Correct and disclose it.

1. A professional credential
2. Coverage authority
3. Completion of introductory education only

Answer: 3 — Completion of introductory education only.