Adjusterman LLC publishes this guide and ranks itself first. The other firms are listed on facts from their own websites and the Florida DFS license search; none paid to be included.
Updated September 23, 2026
Key takeaways
- Loss of use (Coverage D) pays the necessary increase in living expenses while your home is unlivable; the Florida HO-3 form we read caps it at 24 consecutive months from the loss.
- A public adjuster may take a fee on additional living expenses only under a separate signed agreement (s. 626.854(11)(d)).
- You must prepare an inventory of damaged personal property with quantity, description, actual cash value and amount of loss; smoke damage belongs on it too.
- On a replacement cost policy, the insurer pays actual cash value first and the rest as repairs are done, except on a total loss of the dwelling (s. 627.7011(3)).
- If the insurer pays full policy limits on a coverage part within 14 days of the loss or 10 days of the contract, whichever is later, a public adjuster’s fee on that part is capped at 1%.
After a house fire, the structure is only part of the loss. Smoke and soot travel through ductwork into rooms the flames never reached. Water from firefighting soaks drywall and flooring. Every item you own has to be listed, valued and argued over. And from the first night, you are paying to live somewhere else.
This list covers seven licensed Florida public adjusting firms that publish fire or smoke damage claim pages. After the list we explain the parts of a fire claim that are most often underpaid (loss of use, contents and the replacement cost holdback), using the policy language and Florida statutes that govern them.
| Firm | Base | FL firm license | Good fit for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adjusterman LLC | Oakland Park | W913130 | Homes and commercial fires statewide |
| Action Public Adjusters | Hallandale Beach | W806013 | Tri-county South Florida; Spanish or French |
| Florida’s Best Public Adjusters | Boca Raton | W805951 | Offices from Boca Raton to Jacksonville |
| Claim Concepts | Palm Beach Gardens | W805414 | Contents-heavy losses; 3D documentation |
| Cloud 9 Claims | Naples | W906894 | Southwest Florida homes and condos |
| Altieri Insurance Consultants | Tampa | W808324 | Commercial fires and business income |
| Experienced Public Adjusters | Orlando | W807213 | High-value home fire and smoke claims |
How we chose
Each firm holds a valid Florida public adjusting firm license, confirmed in the DFS licensee search on 23 September 2026, and publishes a fire, smoke or fire-and-smoke claim page. We also looked for a stated way of documenting a loss, a Florida office or service area, and fee terms the policyholder can confirm in the contract.
Adjusterman LLC publishes this guide and is listed first. The other six firms are grouped by region, South Florida first, then the Gulf coast and Central Florida, and are otherwise in no particular order. Facts come only from each firm’s own website and its DFS record.
The rankings
1. Adjusterman LLC
Best for: Structure, contents and ALE together
- HQ
- Oakland Park, FL
- FL firm license
- W913130
- Licensed PA
- Michael Klavan, P151443
- Response
- 24/7
Adjusterman handles fire and smoke claims statewide for homes, condo units, associations and commercial property. The claim is built to cover the structure, smoke and soot contamination, water damage from firefighting, contents, code-required upgrades and additional living expenses while you are displaced.
Thermal imaging and 3D capture record the building before debris removal and demolition change it, and aerial drones document roof and exterior damage that is unsafe to walk. Claims get a 24/7 response and a free claim review; the fee is contingent, with no fee unless there is a recovery.
Consider Adjusterman if you are displaced and want the building, contents and living expenses handled as one claim.
adjustermanllc.com2. Action Public Adjusters
Best for: Tri-county South Florida
- Office
- 800 SE 4th Ave, Suite 110, Hallandale Beach
- FL firm license
- W806013
- Languages
- English, Spanish, French
Action Public Adjusters works Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties from Hallandale Beach and publishes a fire damage claim page. It says it has represented policyholders since 2010.
It represents homeowners, business owners and condo associations, its commercial page covers business interruption, and it says its team speaks English, Spanish and French.
Consider Action if your family would rather go through a contents inventory in Spanish or French.
actionpublicadjusters.com3. Florida’s Best Public Adjusters
Best for: Statewide office network
- HQ
- Boca Raton, FL
- FL firm license
- W805951
- Offices
- Boca Raton, Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Orlando, Tallahassee, Tampa, Jacksonville
Florida’s Best lists seven Florida offices, including Tallahassee and Jacksonville, and says it serves all of Florida. It publishes a smoke and fire damage claim page and a business interruption page.
It says it is available 24/7, offers Spanish and French service, and has served commercial and residential clients since 2012.
Consider Florida’s Best if you are in North Florida and want a firm with a local office.
flbestpublicadjusters.com4. Claim Concepts
Best for: Documentation-heavy fire losses
- HQ
- 4360 Northlake Blvd., Suite 207, Palm Beach Gardens
- FL firm license
- W805414
- Tools
- FLIR thermal, Matterport 3D, moisture meters
Claim Concepts works throughout Florida, plus Georgia, the Carolinas and Tennessee, from Palm Beach Gardens, and publishes a fire damage claim page. It says it has represented policyholders since 2006.
It says it uses FLIR thermal imaging cameras, Matterport 3D cameras and moisture meters, and it also handles commercial and boat or marine claims.
Consider Claim Concepts if you are in Palm Beach County and want a 3D record of the fire scene.
claimconcepts.com5. Cloud 9 Claims
Best for: Southwest Florida
- Office
- 4850 Tamiami Trail N, Suite 301, Naples
- FL firm license
- W906894
- Languages
- English, Spanish
Cloud 9 Claims works throughout Florida from Naples, with location pages for Naples, Sarasota and Tampa, and publishes a Naples fire claim page.
It mentions experience with high-rise condominiums, luxury waterfront homes and coastal properties, and publishes a large loss section for major residential and commercial losses.
Consider Cloud 9 if the fire was in a Collier, Lee or Sarasota County home or condo.
cloud9claims.com6. Altieri Insurance Consultants
Best for: Commercial fires and business income
- Corporate office
- 400 N. Tampa Street, Tampa
- FL firm license
- W808324
- Other offices
- Fort Lauderdale, Miramar Beach
Altieri works from Tampa, Fort Lauderdale and Miramar Beach and publishes a fire damage claim page. Its site says its professionals have worked claims for Florida property owners since 1988.
It publishes commercial pages for industrial, retail, hotel and religious-institution properties, and a business interruption and loss-of-income page, which matters when a fire closes a business.
Consider Altieri if a fire has shut down a business or commercial building.
altieriinsuranceconsultants.com7. Experienced Public Adjusters
Best for: High-value homes
- Office
- 4555 Hoffner Ave, Orlando
- FL firm license
- W807213
- Other offices
- Tampa, Daytona Beach, Naples
Experienced Public Adjusters serves all of Florida from Orlando and publishes a fire and smoke claims page plus a separate page for luxury and high-value home fire and smoke claims.
It says a live person answers the phone 24/7, and it publishes large loss and business interruption pages.
Consider Experienced Public Adjusters if your home has high-value finishes or collections.
experiencedpublicadjusters.com
Loss of use: where you live while it is rebuilt
Coverage D in a standard HO-3 pays “any necessary increase in living expenses incurred by you so that your household can maintain its normal standard of living” when a covered loss makes your home “not fit to live in.” In the Florida Tower Hill HO-3 form we read, payment runs for the shortest time needed to repair, or to settle elsewhere if you move permanently, and is limited to 24 consecutive months from the date of loss. If you rent out part of the home, Fair Rental Value covers the lost rent. If a civil authority bars you from the home because of damage next door, the form pays for no more than 2 weeks.
The key word is “increase.” ALE pays the difference between your normal costs and your costs while displaced: the rent or hotel on top of a mortgage you still owe, extra mileage, laundry, meals out beyond your usual grocery bill. Keep every receipt; the form lists “receipts for additional living expenses incurred” among the documents you may be asked to produce.
Contents: the inventory is your job
The form’s duties after loss require you to “prepare an inventory of damaged personal property showing the quantity, description, actual cash value and amount of loss,” with bills and receipts attached. After a fire, that list can run to thousands of lines, room by room. Smoke-damaged clothing, bedding, electronics and upholstered furniture belong on it too; the form covers “sudden and accidental damage from smoke,” not just what burned.
Florida law also shapes how contents are paid. Insurers must offer personal property replacement cost coverage that pays without holding back depreciation, and may also offer a version that pays actual cash value first and the rest as you send in receipts for replacements (s. 627.7011(3)(b)). Check which one you have before you start replacing things.
The building: actual cash value first, then the rest
On a replacement cost dwelling policy, the insurer must initially pay at least the actual cash value of the loss, less the deductible, and pay the rest “as work is performed and expenses are incurred.” If the dwelling is a total loss, the insurer must pay replacement cost without holding back depreciation (s. 627.7011(3)(a)). Law and ordinance coverage, which pays for code upgrades triggered by the rebuild, is limited to 25% or 50% of the dwelling limit depending on what you selected (s. 627.7011(1)). For more on the gap between the two payments, see ACV vs RCV.
Deadlines, the insurer’s clock and fees
Notice of the claim is due within 1 year of the date of loss, and of a supplemental claim within 18 months (s. 627.70132). The insurer must send you any detailed estimate its adjuster writes within 7 days after it is generated, and must pay or deny a residential claim within 60 days after notice, unless factors beyond its control apply (s. 627.70131).
On residential and condo unit owner policies, a public adjuster may charge no more than 20% of claim payments (10% on claims from a Governor-declared emergency during the year after the declaration), nothing on the deductible, and 0% on any coverage part the insurer paid or agreed to pay before you signed. If the insurer pays or commits in writing to pay the full limit of a coverage part within 14 days after the loss or 10 days after the contract, whichever is later, the fee on that part is capped at 1% (s. 626.854(11)(b)). These caps, and the 10-day cancellation right, apply by the statute’s terms (s. 626.854(19)) to residential and condo unit owner policies; commercial owners should set terms in the contract.
Checking the adjuster, and what they cannot do
Look up any adjuster and firm on the Florida DFS licensee search before signing. A public adjuster can document and negotiate your property claim, but cannot give legal advice or act on any bodily injury or death claim arising from the fire (s. 626.854(3)); for those you need an attorney. A public adjuster also may not take part in rebuilding or hold a stake in a restoration company working on your claim (s. 626.8795). Bring the 12 questions to ask before hiring a public adjuster to your first meeting.
The first week after a fire
- Get the fire department incident report number.
- Photograph and video every room, including closets and the attic, before anything is removed or cleaned.
- Keep receipts for every night away from home, meals, and essentials you had to buy.
- Start the contents list room by room while memory is fresh; photos from phones and social media help reconstruct it.
- Do not throw out smoke-damaged items until the insurer has had a chance to see them or has agreed in writing that you may.
Frequently asked questions
Does homeowners insurance pay for a hotel after a fire?
Coverage D (loss of use) in a standard HO-3 pays the necessary increase in living expenses while your home is not fit to live in, for the shortest time needed to repair. The Florida form we read limits it to 24 consecutive months from the date of loss. Keep receipts for all extra costs.
Can a public adjuster charge a fee on my additional living expenses?
Only if you sign a separate agreement that includes the disclosure required by s. 626.854(11)(d). Without it, the fee may not be based on additional living expenses.
Is smoke damage covered if the fire did not reach a room?
Standard HO-3 forms cover sudden and accidental damage from smoke, so smoke damage in rooms the fire did not reach is part of the claim. Smoke from agricultural smudging or industrial operations is excluded.
Why did my insurer pay less than the cost to rebuild?
On a replacement cost policy, Florida law lets the insurer pay actual cash value first and the rest as work is performed. On a total loss of the dwelling, it must pay replacement cost without holding back depreciation.
How much can a public adjuster charge on a fire claim?
On residential and condo unit owner policies, no more than 20% of claim payments, or 10% after a Governor-declared emergency during the year after the declaration, with nothing on the deductible. If the insurer pays full limits on a coverage part quickly (within 14 days of the loss or 10 days of the contract, whichever is later), the fee on that part is capped at 1%.
Related guides
Sources
- Tower Hill Select, Homeowners 3 Special Form (TH HO-3 06 13)
- Fla. Stat. s. 626.854 (2026), “Public adjuster” defined; prohibitions
- Fla. Stat. s. 626.8795 (2026), Public adjusters; prohibition of conflict of interest
- Fla. Stat. s. 627.7011 (2026), Homeowners’ policies; offer of replacement cost coverage and law and ordinance coverage
- Fla. Stat. s. 627.70131 (2026), Insurer’s duty to acknowledge communications regarding claims; investigation
- Fla. Stat. s. 627.70132 (2026), Notice of property insurance claim
- Florida DFS licensee search
- Action Public Adjusters, fire damage
- Florida’s Best Public Adjusters, smoke and fire damage
- Claim Concepts, fire damage claims
- Cloud 9 Claims, Naples fire claims
- Altieri Insurance Consultants, fire damage claims
- Experienced Public Adjusters, fire and smoke claims
Adjusterman LLC, FL DFS Public Adjusting Firm License #W913130 · Michael Klavan, FL DFS Public Adjuster License #P151443. Public adjusters do not provide legal advice.