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
- The standard ISO homeowners form excludes mold, fungus and wet rot, but gives back coverage for mold hidden inside walls, ceilings or floors when it results from an accidental discharge of water from plumbing, HVAC, a sprinkler system or a household appliance. Your carrier’s form may differ.
- In Florida, mold assessment and mold remediation of more than 10 square feet are licensed by the DBPR, and the company that tested your home may not remediate it within 12 months (s. 468.8419).
- Report the water event and the mold together, early: notice within 1 year of the date of loss for a new claim, 18 months for a supplemental claim (s. 627.70132).
- On residential and condo unit owner policies, public adjuster fees are capped at 20%, or 10% for claims from a declared emergency during the year after the declaration, with no fee on the deductible (s. 626.854(11)).
Mold in a Florida home rarely arrives alone. It follows a supply line that leaked behind a cabinet, a roof that let water into an attic, or a storm that left drywall wet for a week. Whether the mold is paid for usually depends on that first event: what caused the water, whether the policy covers that cause, and whether the policy then carves the mold back out or limits it.
That makes a mold claim a documentation job before it is a negotiation. This guide lists seven licensed Florida public adjusting firms that publish mold claim work, starting with ours, then explains the policy language and the Florida licensing rules that shape these claims. For our own service pages, see mold damage claims and water damage claims.
| Firm | Base | FL firm license | Stated tools or fit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adjusterman LLC | Oakland Park (Broward) | W913130 | Thermal imaging, drones, 3D capture; statewide |
| United Claims Specialists | Miami | W806268 | Photos, thermal imaging, moisture meters |
| Reliant Insurance Adjusters | Boca Raton | W805811 | Matterport, drone, infrared, moisture detection |
| Florida’s Best Public Adjusters | Boca Raton | W805951 | Seven offices; Spanish and French |
| Orlando Public Adjusters | Orlando | W831220 | Central Florida; Spanish line; policy review |
| Cloud 9 Claims | Naples | W906894 | Southwest Florida; English and Spanish |
| Gold Star Adjusters | Jacksonville | W806247 | Northeast Florida and Panhandle; rentals |
How we chose
Each firm had to meet five tests: an active Florida public adjusting firm license confirmed in the DFS licensee search on 23 September 2026 (we list the firm license, not an individual’s); a published mold or water damage claim page; a stated way of documenting a loss, such as moisture meters or thermal imaging; a Florida office or clear Florida service area; and fee terms a homeowner can confirm in the contract.
Adjusterman LLC publishes this guide and is listed first. The other six firms are grouped by region, from Miami and Boca Raton to Orlando, then Naples and Jacksonville, and are otherwise in no particular order. Each entry uses only facts from the firm’s own website and its DFS record.
The rankings
1. Adjusterman LLC
Best for: Mold tied to a water loss, statewide
- HQ
- Oakland Park, FL
- FL firm license
- W913130
- Licensed PA
- Michael Klavan, P151443
- Fee
- Contingency: no fee unless there is a recovery
Adjusterman handles mold claims across Florida from its Oakland Park office, usually together with the water loss that caused them: broken pipes, cast-iron drain failures, roof leaks and storm intrusion. It has held its public adjusting firm license since 2022.
Thermal imaging is central to mold work because it shows where water went inside walls and ceilings before anything is opened. Adjusterman documents losses with thermal imaging, aerial drones and 3D capture, and offers a 24/7 claim response.
Fees are contingent: no fee unless there is a recovery, and within the Florida caps on residential and condo unit owner policies. A free claim review tells you whether the water event behind the mold looks covered before you sign.
Consider Adjusterman if the mold followed a leak or storm and you need the water source and the mold documented as one loss.
adjustermanllc.com2. United Claims Specialists
Best for: Miami-Dade and Palm Beach mold claims
- Miami office
- 520 NW 165th St
- Boca Raton office
- 2255 Glades Rd
- FL firm license
- W806268
United Claims Specialists publishes a mold damage insurance claims page that describes documenting losses with photos, thermal imaging and moisture meters. It prints its firm license number on its site.
It lists offices throughout Florida, including Miami and Boca Raton, plus New York and New Jersey, and publishes storm, roof leak and commercial claim pages.
Consider United Claims Specialists if you are in Miami-Dade or southern Palm Beach County.
ucspa.com3. Reliant Insurance Adjusters
Best for: South Florida; moisture detection
- Office
- 7777 Glades Road, Suite 100, Boca Raton
- FL firm license
- W805811
- Service area
- South Florida
Reliant says it uses a Matterport 3D camera, a drone, infrared cameras and moisture detection equipment. Its South Florida service-area list includes Aventura, Boca Raton, Boynton Beach, Coral Springs, Davie and Deerfield Beach.
It says it is a Certified Property Insurance Appraiser & Umpire (CPAU) with the Insurance Appraisal & Umpire Association, and it also handles sinkhole and collapse claims.
Consider Reliant if you are in Broward or southern Palm Beach County.
reliantpa.com4. Florida’s Best Public Adjusters
Best for: Multilingual; many offices
- HQ
- Boca Raton, FL
- FL firm license
- W805951
- Languages
- English, Spanish, French
Florida’s Best publishes a mold damage insurance claim page alongside water, smoke and fire, and storm pages. It lists offices in Boca Raton, Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Orlando, Tallahassee, Tampa and Jacksonville and says it serves all of Florida.
Its site advertises Spanish and French service and says it is available 24/7.
Consider Florida’s Best if you want your claim explained in Spanish or French.
flbestpublicadjusters.com5. Orlando Public Adjusters
Best for: Central Florida; Spanish speakers
- Office
- 100 E. Pine Street #110, Orlando
- FL firm license
- W831220
- Service area
- Central Florida (Orlando and Tampa pages)
Orlando Public Adjusters works Central Florida and publishes location pages for Orlando and Tampa. Its FAQ says it handles residential and commercial losses.
It lists a separate Spanish-language phone line (“Hablamos Español”) and offers a policy review service, which can be a useful first step when you are not sure your form covers mold.
Consider Orlando Public Adjusters if you are in Central Florida and prefer to speak Spanish.
orlandopublicadjusters.com6. Cloud 9 Claims
Best for: Southwest Florida; coastal homes
- Office
- 4850 Tamiami Trail N, Suite 301, Naples
- FL firm license
- W906894
- Languages
- English, Spanish
Cloud 9 Claims publishes a mold damage page and water, fire and storm pages, with location pages for Naples, Sarasota and Tampa. It prints its firm license number on its site.
It mentions experience with high-rise condominiums, luxury waterfront homes and coastal properties, and lists its languages as English and Spanish.
Consider Cloud 9 if you own a coastal home or condo in Southwest Florida.
cloud9claims.com7. Gold Star Adjusters
Best for: Northeast Florida; rental properties
- Office
- 3771 San Jose Pl, Jacksonville
- FL firm license
- W806247
- Service area
- Northeast Florida and the Panhandle
Gold Star Adjusters publishes a mold page alongside pipe leak, hurricane and fire pages, and works residential, commercial and rental-property claims. Its homepage says it has been “Holding insurance companies accountable since 2004.”
Its location pages include Jacksonville and Pensacola.
Consider Gold Star if you own a home or rental in Northeast Florida or the Panhandle.
goldstaradjusters.com
How the standard policy treats mold
Policies vary by carrier, so the only reliable answer is your own form and endorsements. A common reference point is the ISO Homeowners 3 Special Form (HO 00 03). The 1999 sample published by the Insurance Information Institute handles mold in two places:
- Exclusion with a carve-back. Among the losses it does not cover, the form lists “mold, fungus or wet rot.” It then says it does insure loss caused by mold, fungus or wet rot that is hidden within the walls or ceilings, beneath the floors or above the ceilings, if the loss results from the accidental discharge or overflow of water or steam from a plumbing, heating, air conditioning or automatic fire sprinkler system or a household appliance on the premises, or from a storm drain or water, steam or sewer pipes off the premises.
- The water peril repeats the rule. Its “accidental discharge or overflow of water or steam” peril does not include loss caused by mold, fungus or wet rot unless hidden within the walls, ceilings or floors.
In practice, that language makes three questions decisive: where the water came from, whether the mold was hidden, and when it started. Your policy may also carry a mold or fungi endorsement with its own limit. Read your declarations page for any mold, fungi or “fungus” entry and its dollar limit before you plan remediation.
Florida’s mold assessor and remediator rules
Florida licenses mold work under part XVI of chapter 468, administered by the Department of Business and Professional Regulation. A “mold assessment” is sampling and evaluation to find the origin and extent of mold growth of more than 10 square feet, and “mold remediation” is removal, cleaning or other treatment of more than 10 square feet (s. 468.8411). A licensed assessor or remediator must have passed the licensing exam and have documented training in water, mold and respiratory protection (s. 468.8414). You can check a license on the DBPR license search.
Section 468.8419 adds conflict rules that protect a claim:
- A mold assessor may not remediate a structure it assessed in the last 12 months, and a remediator may not assess a structure it remediated in the last 12 months (with an exception for certified Division I contractors).
- An assessor may not pay or accept referral fees to or from a remediator.
- An assessor may not take an engagement where the assessment, or its fee, depends on the assessment’s conclusions.
An independent assessor’s report, with sampling and a mapped area, gives you and the insurer a documented scope for remediation, and a test after remediation can document that the work is complete.
Deadlines and documentation
Report the water event as soon as you find it, and include the mold in the same notice. Florida bars a claim or reopened claim unless notice reached the insurer within 1 year after the date of loss, and a supplemental claim within 18 months (s. 627.70132). Before anything is removed, photograph the source, the staining and the wet materials; keep moisture readings, the plumber’s or roofer’s invoice naming the cause, and samples of removed materials if the insurer has not yet inspected. Mitigation such as stopping the leak and drying is expected; a full tear-out before the insurer inspects can leave you arguing about what was there.
For more on this, read documenting damage before you clean up.
Fees, and what a public adjuster can and cannot do
On residential and condominium unit owner policies, s. 626.854(11) caps public adjuster fees at 10% of payments for claims from a Governor-declared state of emergency during the year after the declaration, and 20% otherwise; 20% of new money only on reopened or supplemental claims; nothing on the deductible; and 0% on any amount the insurer paid or agreed to pay before you signed. You may cancel within 10 days of signing, or within 30 days of the loss after a declared emergency, whichever is longer.
A public adjuster documents and negotiates the property claim. A public adjuster may not give legal advice or handle bodily injury claims (s. 626.854(3)). If someone in the home has health effects from mold, that is a separate matter for a doctor and, if needed, an attorney, not for your adjuster. If the dispute is over the amount or cause of the damage on a residential claim, DFS mediation is available for disputes of $500 or more after the deductible, and the insurer pays the $350 mediator fee.
Check the license and ask the right questions
Look up the adjuster and the firm on the Florida DFS licensee search. Then use our 12 questions to ask before hiring a public adjuster, plus three for mold: Will you identify and document the water source first? Will you recommend an independent licensed mold assessor rather than one tied to the remediator? How will you handle a mold limit in my policy?
Frequently asked questions
Does homeowners insurance cover mold in Florida?
It depends on your policy form. The standard ISO HO 00 03 form excludes mold, fungus and wet rot but covers hidden mold that results from an accidental discharge of water from plumbing, HVAC, a sprinkler system or a household appliance. Your policy may also have a mold endorsement with a separate limit, so check your declarations page.
Does a mold assessor need a license in Florida?
Yes, for mold assessment of more than 10 square feet. Florida licenses mold assessors and mold remediators through the DBPR under part XVI of chapter 468, and requires documented training in water, mold and respiratory protection.
Can the company that tested my home for mold also remove it?
Generally not within 12 months. Section 468.8419 bars a mold assessor from remediating a structure it assessed in the last 12 months, with an exception for certified Division I contractors.
How long do I have to file a mold claim in Florida?
Notice of a new or reopened claim must be given within 1 year after the date of loss, and a supplemental claim within 18 months (s. 627.70132). Report the water event and the mold together as soon as you find them.
How much can a public adjuster charge on a mold claim?
On residential and condo unit owner policies, no more than 20%, or 10% for claims from a Governor-declared emergency during the year after the declaration, with no fee on the deductible (s. 626.854(11)).
Related guides
Sources
- Homeowners 3 Special Form, ISO form HO 00 03 10 00 (sample published by the Insurance Information Institute)
- Fla. Stat. s. 468.8411 (2026), Mold-related services: definitions
- Fla. Stat. s. 468.8414 (2026), Mold-related services: licensure
- Fla. Stat. s. 468.8419 (2026), Mold-related services: prohibitions; penalties
- Fla. Stat. s. 627.70132 (2026), Notice of property insurance claim
- Fla. Stat. s. 626.854 (2026), “Public adjuster” defined; prohibitions
- Florida DBPR, Mold-Related Services
- Florida DBPR license search
- Florida DFS, Mediation and Neutral Evaluation
- Florida DFS licensee search
- United Claims Specialists, mold damage insurance claims
- Reliant Insurance Adjusters
- Florida’s Best Public Adjusters, mold damage insurance claim
- Orlando Public Adjusters, about
- Cloud 9 Claims, mold damage
- Gold Star Adjusters, mold
Adjusterman LLC, FL DFS Public Adjusting Firm License #W913130 · Michael Klavan, FL DFS Public Adjuster License #P151443. Public adjusters do not provide legal advice.