Insurance appraisal in Alabama
Alabama does not write the appraisal clause into a statute, so your own policy sets the steps. The Alabama Supreme Court has held that appraisers put a dollar value on the loss. Whether the loss is covered, and what caused the damage, are questions for a judge.
At a glance
- Name an appraiser
- 20 days from the written demand in the homeowners wording the Alabama Supreme Court quoted in Rogers. Other forms can differ, so read yours.
- Choose an umpire
- 15 days for the two appraisers to agree on an umpire, in that same wording.
- If they cannot agree
- Either side may ask a judge of a court of record in the state where the insured home sits to pick the umpire (wording quoted in Rogers). Check your own form.
- Does appraisal pause the deadline to sue?
- The appraisal clause itself does not stop the policy's suit deadline. Find the suit clause in your policy and note the date before you demand appraisal.
- Who may serve
- The clause sets the qualification, not a license. It asks for a competent and disinterested appraiser and a competent and impartial umpire. More below
Deadlines in Alabama
The clock
- Day 0Written demandEither party, in writing
- By day 20Appraisers named20 days for each side
- By day 35Umpire chosen15 days, or a court appoints
- On siteInspectionBoth estimates, line by line
- The awardAward signedAny two of three
- After the awardPaymentPer policy and state rules
Appraisal starts with a written demand. In the homeowners wording quoted in Rogers, each side has 20 days from receiving the demand to name a competent, disinterested appraiser and tell the other side. The two appraisers then have 15 days to agree on a competent, impartial umpire. If they cannot, either side can ask a judge to choose. Those numbers come from one carrier's form, so confirm them in your own policy.
Delay does not automatically end the right to appraisal. In Rogers the insurer asked for appraisal almost two years after the tornado and 14 months into a lawsuit. The court applied the test it uses for arbitration clauses and held there was no waiver, because the policyholders could not show substantial prejudice from the delay.
What the panel decides
Amount of loss only
In Rogers the court held that an appraiser's duty is limited to the amount of loss, meaning the dollar value of the damage, and that appraisers cannot decide questions of coverage and liability. In that case the parties agreed on what caused the roof damage but not the damage to the brick veneer and the foundation. The court held that the cause of those items was for the courts, and it reversed a judgment that had been built on the umpire's findings.
In practice, appraisal fits best when both sides accept that the storm caused the damage and disagree about price, scope or quantity. If the carrier says a given item was not caused by the storm or is not covered, that question stays with the court.
Who may serve
The wording quoted in Rogers calls for a competent, disinterested appraiser from each side and a competent, impartial umpire. Each side pays its own appraiser. The two sides split the umpire's fee and the other costs of the appraisal. Because the standard is disinterest, a person with a stake in the outcome of the claim is open to challenge.
The award
Under the wording quoted in Rogers, a written agreement signed by any two of the three panel members sets the amount of loss. That figure is only the amount. It does not settle cause or coverage, and the court in Rogers refused to let appraisal reach those questions. Alabama also treats appraisal as different from arbitration. In Great American Insurance Co. v. Crystal Shores Owners Ass'n (Ala. Dec. 22, 2023), the court dismissed an insurer's appeal that depended on treating a commercial policy's appraisal clause as arbitration, reasoning that the clause was not an arbitration clause and that coverage and causation issues would remain for the court.
Points particular to Alabama
Cause of loss is the line Alabama draws. Before you demand appraisal, work out whether the carrier is disputing the price or disputing whether the storm caused the damage. Rogers sent the second kind of dispute to the courts.
Alabama treats a late appraisal demand under the same waiver test it uses for arbitration. The question is prejudice to the other side, not just the passage of time (Rogers).
The Crystal Shores case grew out of Hurricane Sally damage to a Gulf Shores condominium. It is a reminder that on the Gulf Coast the carrier's coverage position can sit alongside a price dispute, and appraisal only reaches the price.
Common losses in Alabama
Each one links back to how we look at that kind of loss.
Questions
Does my Alabama homeowners policy have an appraisal clause?
Most homeowners and commercial property forms do. Alabama does not dictate the wording by statute, so the clause in your own policy controls. Look in the conditions section under the heading Appraisal.
How long do we have to name an appraiser in Alabama?
The policy decides. The homeowners wording quoted in Rogers gives each side 20 days from receiving the written demand. Other forms can differ.
Who chooses the umpire in Alabama if the appraisers cannot agree?
In the wording quoted in Rogers, the appraisers have 15 days. After that, either side can ask a judge of a court of record in the state where the home is located to choose the umpire.
Can the appraisers decide whether my loss is covered in Alabama?
No. The Alabama Supreme Court held in Rogers that appraisers decide the amount of loss, and that cause and coverage are for the courts. If the carrier disputes what caused the damage, that part is not for the panel.
Does demanding appraisal pause the deadline to sue in Alabama?
The appraisal clause does not say it does. Find the suit clause in your policy, note the date, and treat it as running while appraisal goes on.
Do appraisers need a license in Alabama?
The appraisal clause asks for a competent, disinterested appraiser and a competent, impartial umpire. That is the test a challenge would use. A person with a stake in the claim's outcome is open to objection.
Before you decide anything
Has a claim in Alabama stalled on the number?
Tell us what happened and where. We'll read the policy and tell you plainly whether appraisal fits.
When you write to us
- We read the policy, the estimates on both sides and the letters that came with them.
- We tell you plainly whether appraisal fits the disagreement, and if it doesn't, who can help.
- If it fits, we confirm next steps in writing before anything starts.
Reviewed against the sources listed, October 2026. General information, not legal advice.