Fees
Public Adjuster Fees: Nothing Up Front. Paid From What We Recover.
No retainer, no hourly bill, and no cost for the initial review.
Public adjuster fees in California are usually a percentage of the insurance settlement, not an hourly rate or a retainer. Blue Star works that way. No upfront cost. We’re paid a percentage of what we recover. The percentage is agreed in writing before we start, and in California our fee can never leave you with less than your insurer had already paid before you hired us.
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No upfront cost
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You always have final say on any settlement
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CA DOI License No. 6015234
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No upfront cost.
We’re paid a percentage
of what we recover.
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What Percent Does a Public Adjuster Take?
The percentage is agreed with you in writing before we start, and it depends on the size and complexity of the claim. We go through it at the free review, so you know the number before you sign anything.
California requires every public adjuster’s contract to state the percentage and the amount it applies to. You initial that line before you sign.
Ranges you’ll find online describe other firms’ contracts, not yours. Ask every adjuster you speak with for their number in writing. Then compare the contracts, line by line.
Cal. Ins. Code 15027(b)(12) and (f)(3)
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Why a percentage.
Our incentive is perfectly aligned with yours: the higher your recovery, the better for both of us.
After a loss, money is already tight. A percentage means you don’t write anyone a check to get the claim measured.
It also means we’re paid for what we prove, not for hours on a timesheet. Recoverable depreciation the carrier held back. Code upgrades under an ordinance or law endorsement. Each line item we document adds to your recovery, and our fee is a share of that number.
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Public Adjuster Fees in California: What the Law Says
These rules sit in the California Insurance Code. They bind every licensed public adjuster in the state, Blue Star included.
- 15027(a)
No signed contract, no work. A public adjuster can’t act on your claim until you sign a written contract on a form the Insurance Commissioner has approved.
- 15027(b)(12) and (f)(3)
The contract states the percentage and the amount it applies to. You initial the fee line.
- 15027(b)(7)
In California, our fee can never leave you with less than your insurer had already paid before you hired us.
- 15027(c)(1)
The fee is taken as a percentage of each insurance payment. It can’t all come out of the first check, and it can’t be collected on money the insurer owes but hasn’t paid yet.
- 15027.5
A public adjuster can’t collect fees beyond what the contract provides. Any compensation from someone connected to the claim, such as a contractor, an insurer or a vendor, has to be disclosed to you.
- 15027(b)(13) and (y)
You can cancel within three business days of signing and receiving the contract. Five calendar days in a declared catastrophic disaster area.
- Final say
You have final say on every settlement.
These are California’s rules. Other states set their own.
Check any public adjuster’s license before you sign. Ours is CA DOI License No. 6015234.
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Questions to Ask Any Public Adjuster About Fees
Ask us. Ask anyone else you’re considering. Get every answer in writing.
- What is your percentage, and what amount does it apply to?
- Does it apply to money my insurer paid before I hired you?
- Are there other charges, for experts, testing or travel?
- Is the fee taken from each check as it arrives?
- How long do I have to cancel, and how do I do it?
- What is your license number? Then look it up yourself.
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When we’ll tell you not to hire us.
If the carrier’s offer is already fair, or the loss is small enough that our fee would outweigh what we add, we’ll say so at the free review.
Schedule a Free Review
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Specialists, when the claim needs them.
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Industrial hygienists
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Engineers
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Accountants
Some losses can’t be proven by eye. Smoke residue in porous materials needs lab testing. A racked frame needs an engineer’s report. Lost business income is built from your books, often by a forensic accountant.
Smoke damage. Offered $17,000. Settled for about $1.1 million. An industrial hygienist proved combustion byproducts in the porous materials and doors.
Results reflect specific losses and policies. Past results don’t guarantee a similar outcome.
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Questions About Public Adjuster Fees
How are you paid?
No upfront cost. We’re paid a percentage of what we recover. The terms are set in writing before we start.
How much does a public adjuster cost in California?
There’s no upfront cost. A public adjuster in California is usually paid a percentage of the settlement, set in a written contract before any work starts. California law also protects what you’ve already received. Our fee can never leave you with less than your insurer had already paid before you hired us.
How much should a public adjuster charge?
A fair fee is one you agreed to in writing, based only on what the adjuster recovers for you. If the offer on the table is already fair, a good public adjuster will tell you so rather than take a fee for adding nothing.
What does the fee cover?
It covers all of our work, from reading the policy and measuring the loss to building the claim and negotiating the settlement. When the claim needs specialists, we bring them in.
Who pays the public adjuster, me or my insurance company?
You do, from the recovery. Your insurer pays the claim, and our percentage comes out of each payment under the contract you signed. The adjuster your insurer sends is paid by the insurer.
I already have an offer. Is it too late?
Usually not. We can reopen scope before you accept. In California, our fee can never leave you with less than your insurer had already paid before you hired us.
Can I cancel a public adjuster contract in California?
Yes. You can cancel within three business days of signing and receiving the contract, or five calendar days if the property is in a declared catastrophic disaster area.
Call Before the Carrier Sets the Narrative.
Your insurance company has an adjuster protecting their interests. You have the right to one too.
We represent the insured only.