Public adjuster, contractor or attorney: who does what
Three different jobs, three different licences, and a contractor who offers to do all three is telling you something.
- Contractors document and repair; they do not negotiate
- Public adjusters are licensed to represent you on the claim
- Attorneys handle disputes and litigation
- Deductible waiving is fraud, whoever offers it
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The restoration contractor
What we do: stop the damage spreading, document the loss, write an accurate scope, do the work, and bill your carrier directly.
That documentation — photographs, moisture mapping, a dry standard, daily readings, a line-item scope in the format adjusters use — is genuinely valuable on a claim. It is frequently what settles a scope dispute.
What we cannot do: negotiate your settlement, interpret your policy for you, or represent you against your carrier. Those are licensed activities in New York, and a contractor doing them without the licence is not helping you.
There is a real line between advocating for the work that needs doing and representing you on the claim. We stay on our side of it.
The public adjuster
What they do: represent you — not the insurer — in the claim. They assess damage, prepare and present the claim, and negotiate the settlement on your behalf. They are licensed by New York State for exactly this.
How they are paid: typically a percentage of the settlement, which aligns their interest with yours and also means they cost you money on a claim that would have settled fairly anyway.
When they earn it: large or complex losses, a denial you believe is wrong, a settlement offer far below the real cost, a claim that has stalled, or a situation where you simply do not have the time or the stomach to manage it.
When they may not: a straightforward loss with a cooperative adjuster and a well-documented file. Paying a percentage of a settlement that was never in doubt is a poor trade.
The attorney
When you need one: a denial you intend to challenge formally, bad-faith conduct, a coverage dispute turning on policy interpretation, or litigation.
An attorney does things neither of the others can — formal legal opinions on policy language, and representation in court.
It is the most expensive route and the right one when the dispute is genuinely legal rather than factual.
How to tell which you need
Contractor alone — the loss is covered, the adjuster is engaging, the disagreement is about scope, and documentation is likely to resolve it.
Add a public adjuster — the loss is large, the gap between offer and reality is substantial and has survived a reinspection, or the claim has stalled with no progress.
Add an attorney — there is a denial you intend to challenge, or the carrier's conduct itself is the problem.
We will tell you when we think you have crossed from the first into the second. That is not a referral arrangement, it is just the point at which we stop being the right tool.
Two things to refuse outright
Anyone offering to waive or absorb your deductible. It is insurance fraud. It makes you a participant rather than a beneficiary, and it is a criminal exposure, not a discount.
Anyone offering to "handle your whole claim" who is a contractor. Either they are describing documentation, in which case say so plainly, or they are describing unlicensed representation. Ask which.
Also treat post-storm door-knocking with caution. Legitimate contractors exist and some canvass after events, but so does everyone else, and the pressure to sign something on a doorstep after a disaster is exactly the environment bad actors work in. Nothing needs signing today.
Questions, answered
Is a public adjuster worth the fee?
On a large or contested claim, frequently yes — a percentage of a materially better settlement beats a smaller one in full. On a straightforward, well-documented claim that was going to settle fairly, you are paying a percentage of a result you would have had anyway.
Can my contractor negotiate with my insurer?
We can provide documentation, a line-item scope and readings, and discuss the work with an adjuster. We cannot negotiate your settlement or advise you on policy interpretation — those are licensed activities in New York and a contractor doing them is acting outside their licence.
Someone offered to cover my deductible. Is that allowed?
No. It is insurance fraud and it implicates you, not just them. Anyone offering it is telling you how they operate generally, which is worth knowing before you let them into the house.
Do I have to use my insurer's preferred contractor?
No. In New York you choose your own; a preferred vendor is a recommendation. Those programmes can be convenient, though the contractor has an ongoing commercial relationship with the carrier. A second written scope costs nothing and changes the conversation.
If you need help now
Water Extraction
Truck-mounted and portable extraction — the phase that decides what the rest costs.
Extraction →Flooded Basement
Below-grade pump-out, drying and honest cause-finding.
Basements →Insurance Claim Support
Documentation from hour one and direct billing to your carrier.
Claims →Service Area
All of Nassau and Suffolk, with response times quoted by zone.
Coverage →Serving Nassau and Suffolk
Dispatching from 30 Lynch St in Huntington Station. Response times are honest by zone — 45 to 60 minutes across the core townships, longer as you head east.
Claim not going the way it should?
We will give you a documented scope and tell you honestly when you have reached the point of needing someone licensed to represent you.
- 24/7 emergency line516-905-5970
- Service address30 Lynch St, Huntington Station, NY 11746
- HoursOpen 24 hours — every day of the year
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