How an Ohio appraisal moves from disagreement to payment
Most property policies sold in Ohio give you and your insurer a way to settle a fight over price without a lawsuit: the appraisal clause. It applies when the company has agreed that some of the damage is covered but the two sides are apart on what it costs to fix — a hail-beaten roof in Lima, a basement in Parma after a drain backed up, a Dayton duplex opened up by a tornado. The steps below follow the order most Ohio appraisals take. Your policy controls the details, so keep a copy of the full policy, including endorsements, beside you as you read.
Two things are worth knowing before you start. First, appraisal decides the amount of loss, not whether the loss is covered. Second, the calendar keeps running while appraisal is under way, so build your deadlines into the claim calendar builder on day one.
Stage 1: Pin down the gap
Appraisal only makes sense once you know what you are disagreeing about. Put the insurer’s estimate next to your contractor’s or your own and find where the numbers part ways. In Ohio claims the usual gaps are predictable:
- How many roof slopes or elevations were damaged, and whether repair or full replacement is the right scope.
- Whether new materials have to match what stays — common with slate, older siding and plaster walls.
- Unit pricing that does not reflect what local contractors charge in Columbus, Cleveland or Cincinnati after a storm.
- Missing items such as overhead and profit, code upgrades, permits, or contents.
Write the gap down and send it to the adjuster with your support. A clear supplement request sometimes closes the file without appraisal. If it does not, you now have the list your appraiser will work from.
Stage 2: Send the written demand
Either you or the insurer can invoke appraisal, and most policies require the demand to be in writing. A useful demand names the policy and claim numbers, the property address and date of loss, says plainly that the parties disagree on the amount of loss, and cites the appraisal provision. Many policyholders also name their appraiser in the same letter so the selection clock starts cleanly.
Send it in a way you can prove later: email plus certified mail is common. Before you mail, check whether your policy asks for anything first, such as a sworn proof of loss or an examination under oath. If you would rather have someone prepare and send the demand for you, see our appraisal demand representation service.
Stage 3: Name your appraiser
Each side picks its own appraiser. Many Ohio policies say the appraiser must be “competent and impartial” or “competent and independent,” and many give each side 20 days from the demand to name one. Competent means they understand construction costs and the type of damage involved. Impartial or independent means no financial stake in the size of the award, which is why your roofer usually should not fill this role.
Your appraiser reviews the policy, the claim file, photos and both estimates, then inspects the property. Ask for the fee arrangement in writing before you sign anything.
Stage 4: Seat the umpire
The two appraisers choose a neutral umpire. Many policies give them about 15 days to agree; if they cannot, either side may ask a court of record in the county where the property sits — in Ohio, usually the common pleas court — to appoint one. Good appraisers settle on an umpire early, even if they expect to agree on everything, so a stalled item does not stall the whole claim.
An umpire should have no ties to either appraiser’s regular clients and should have experience with the type of loss at issue, whether that is a commercial flat roof in Toledo or a slate roof on a Victorian in Zanesville.
Stage 5: Inspect and compare estimates
This is where most of the work happens. The two appraisers walk the property, often together, and build or exchange line-item estimates. They compare:
- Measurements — roof squares, pitch, wall area, flooring.
- Scope — which items are damaged and what it takes to restore them.
- Pricing — local labor and material costs at the time of loss.
- Depreciation — how much is withheld and whether it is recoverable.
Every item the two appraisers agree on is settled. In many Ohio appraisals they agree on everything, sign together and never need the umpire.
Stage 6: Resolve disputed items
Whatever the appraisers cannot settle goes to the umpire. Each appraiser submits a written position with photos, measurements, price quotes or manufacturer documents. The umpire may visit the property, ask questions or hold an informal meeting. There is no formal hearing, no rules of evidence and usually no lawyers in the room. The umpire then decides each open item, ideally line by line so everyone can see how the number was reached.
Stage 7: Sign the award and collect
An award signed by any two of the three — both appraisers, or one appraiser and the umpire — sets the amount of loss. A well-built award breaks out replacement cost, depreciation and actual cash value, and separates items by coverage (dwelling, other structures, contents, loss of use). That makes payment much harder to argue about.
The insurer then pays under the policy terms: the award amount, less your deductible and anything already paid. If your policy holds back recoverable depreciation until repairs are done, finish the work and submit invoices promptly. Each side pays its own appraiser, and the umpire’s fee is commonly split.
Common mistakes that slow Ohio appraisals
- Demanding appraisal before the gap is documented, so the panel starts from nothing.
- Choosing an appraiser with a stake in the outcome, which gives the insurer grounds to object.
- Letting the suit-limitation date pass because everyone assumed appraisal paused it.
- Making temporary repairs without photos, or throwing out damaged materials before both sides have seen them.
- Mixing coverage arguments into the appraisal instead of keeping the panel focused on price.
What appraisal can’t decide
Appraisal is built to value damage. It generally does not decide whether a loss is covered, whether an exclusion applies, whether the insurer acted in bad faith, or whether you are owed interest or other damages. Ohio has no statute that gives policyholders a private bad-faith claim; instead, Ohio courts recognize a common-law bad-faith claim against an insurer that lacks reasonable justification for how it handles or pays a claim, and the Ohio Department of Insurance sets claim-handling standards in Ohio Administrative Code 3901-1-54. If your dispute is really about any of those issues, talk to an Ohio attorney. For terms used throughout this guide, see the appraisal lexicon.