Florida Public Adjuster Claim File Checklist

Key takeaways

Build the file around authority, facts, sources, decisions, and next actions.
Preserve the original and current version of every material document.
Keep claim milestones separate from the firm's internal reminders.
Connect every estimate position or communication to supporting evidence.
Make the file understandable to another licensed team member without oral history.

1. Engagement and authority

The file should establish who the firm represents and the scope of that engagement before substantive claim work begins. Florida Statute § 626.8796(1)-(6) supplies the controlling contract, disclosure, copy-delivery, and related residential-property requirements; confirm claim type and the current text before applying them.

Executed public adjusting contract and addenda
Required disclosure form and delivery record
Unaltered client copies
Firm and adjuster license information
Cancellation notices or amendments, if any
Authorized contacts and communication preferences
Conflict checks and internal assignment

Use the Florida public adjuster contract checklist for a more detailed preflight. Contract templates and required forms should be checked against current official sources rather than reused indefinitely.

2. Claim identity and policy

Insured name and risk address
Carrier, policy number, and claim number
Policy period and reported date of loss
Declarations, full policy, endorsements, and forms
Deductible and applicable coverage limits
Duties after loss and proof-of-loss provisions
Mortgagee or other dual-interest information

Record where each policy document came from and whether the set is complete. Do not treat a declarations page as the full policy.

3. Loss facts and chronology

Date, time, location, and reported cause of loss
First discovery and mitigation activity
People with direct knowledge
Weather or event verification, when relevant
Inspections and site access
Carrier assignment changes
Material representations and corrections

Separate observed facts, policyholder statements, expert opinions, and assumptions. They have different evidentiary weight.

4. Evidence and documentation

Original photos and video with available metadata
Organized photo sheets or annotations
Measurements, sketches, floor plans, and diagrams
Moisture, testing, or inspection records
Contractor proposals and invoices
Product data and manufacturer instructions
Building-code and permit sources selected for the claim
Damaged-property inventories and receipts

The insurance claim document checklist for public adjusters explains how to label source, version, and purpose instead of merely collecting files.

5. Estimates and scope

Carrier estimate and every revision
Firm estimate and every revision
Comparison worksheet
Omitted or disputed scope list
Quantity and pricing support
Supporting photos, measurements, invoices, or code sources
Reviewer and approval record

Never overwrite an estimate that was previously submitted. Preserve the transmitted version and the evidence package that accompanied it.

6. Communications and submissions

Claim notice and delivery confirmation
Carrier acknowledgments
Emails, letters, portal messages, and call notes
Requests for information and responses
Written/electronic claim-status requests, requester/designated authority, response date, specific information, delivery proof, and file record
Proof-of-loss submissions
Estimate and supplement submissions
Reservation, coverage, payment, and denial correspondence
Policyholder status updates

A submission log should show the exact artifact, version, recipient, channel, time, and delivery evidence. A sent-folder entry without attachments or version context is incomplete.

Chapter 2026-174, § 29, effective June 26, 2026, adds § 626.854(24). It requires a public adjuster, apprentice, or firm to respond with specific information to a claimant's, insured's, or designated representative's written or electronic claim-status request within 14 days after the request date and document the response or information provided in the claim file. As a stricter firm-control practice, preserve the request, response, any information provided, and delivery proof. Leave scope and compliance conclusions to a licensed public adjuster or counsel.

7. Dates and open actions

Keep three categories visible:

Statutory or rule-based dates, with the current source
Policy and carrier dates, with the policy page or communication
Firm follow-ups, with a named owner

The Florida property claim deadlines guide explains why these should not be collapsed into one generic "deadline" field.

8. Client communication

Each status update should capture:

Work completed since the last update
New carrier communication or claim event
Open items and who owns them
Documents or decisions needed from the client
Next expected date or update date
Material uncertainty stated plainly

Preserve the sent version. Avoid promises about timing, coverage, or recovery that depend on other parties or unresolved facts.

9. Payments and closeout

Carrier payment letters and check details
Estimate version associated with each payment
Deductible and depreciation treatment
Mortgagee or endorsement status
Fees and client disbursement record
Remaining supplemental or reopened issues
Final client communication
Complete export or retention checkpoint

Payment records should reconcile to carrier correspondence and the estimate history rather than exist as isolated deposit entries.

A file-readiness test

Ask a licensed team member who has not worked the claim to review it for 15 minutes. They should be able to identify:

The firm's authority
The policy and loss at issue
The current claim position and supporting sources
What has been sent
What is still open
The next action and date
Payments received and unresolved amounts

Anything they must learn through oral history is a continuity risk worth fixing.

This checklist supports file organization. It does not establish legal compliance, coverage, damages, or professional sufficiency. Apply current law, rules, policy terms, claim facts, firm procedures, and licensed judgment.

Official sources

Restoria completed an editorial check of the cited primary sources on July 12, 2026. Restoria separately verified Chapter 2026-174, § 29 against the official session law on July 13, 2026. No Florida-licensed public adjuster or attorney review or endorsement is claimed.