Frequently asked questions

Absolutely. There is always a demand for quality adjusters due to weather, accidental or catastrophic events that occur across the country. Whether the demand is for a staff/employee or an independent adjuster, the need for insurance companies to have their claims handled will always be necessary.

There are no educational prerequisites required to become an adjuster. No college degree, no prior experience, no military experienced needed. To acquire a Texas Insurance Adjusters License for the state of Texas, all that is needed is: 1) Complete a certified pre-licensing course, 2) Take a certified approved exam, 3) File a notarized license application along with fingerprints and $50.00 fee to the Texas Department of Insurance. Additional fees may be associated with a notary and fingerprinting services.

Yes, it does. The exam will be administered on the 3rd day of our 3-day class. $400.00covers course material and your exam costs.

By working as an independent adjuster, how much you get paid depends largely on how hard you are willing to work. Independent adjusters are paid on a per claim basis. They are usually contracted out by a firm to work claims for an Insurance Company on a percentage basis per claim. On a typical hurricane claim, an independent adjuster can make an average of $400.00 per claim that they settle. An efficient and diligent adjuster should be able to “close” 3-5 claims per day. Thus enabling a good adjuster to easily make up to $1,000.00 per day, and after a few months of hard work, you can generate a six-figure income in no time. Some independent adjusters work on a daily rate basis. Daily rate pays on average $700.00 per day. The incentive is, the more you work, the more money you can make.
A staff /employee claims adjuster is a salaried employee with a starting salary ranging from $32,000 – $35,000 annually. Experienced salaried employee adjusters can usually make $50,000 – $75,000 annually.

It depends on which avenue you take in this profession. Independent adjusters typically work for an independent claims adjusting firm. These firms have ongoing contractual agreements with insurance companies across the country that allow them to contract out independent adjusters to handle claims when needed. Many major insurance companies do not have the staff/employee capability to handle the volume of claims that impact their organization, so they rely on independent firms to supply them with knowledgeable and availably independent adjusters year around. There are numerous independent claims adjusting firms, please do your research when choosing the firm of your choice.
A staff/employee claims adjuster works directly for the insurance company/carrier. Typically this is a salaried position with consistent work year around.

There are hundreds of independent claims adjusting firms across the nation in need of quality adjusters. A good starting point is to research the National Association of Independent Insurance Adjusters (NAIIA) at www.naiia.com. This site has a list of hundreds of firms in need of independent adjusters. Also see our links page for various firms.

This is strongly encouraged. Even the most experienced adjusters with years of claim handling under their belts can always benefit from additional training. Trends and expectations are changing constantly in the world of claim handling. Estimating software, computer skills, and claim handling tactics are evolving and improving every day. Insurance companies like the fact that their adjusters are up to date and ready for work. Take advantage of classes involving Xactimate training and opportunities for continuing education courses (C.E. hours) as they arise.

C.E. credits are hours a licensed adjuster needs to take as required by the Texas Department of Insurance. Remember, you must have your license in order to get credit for taking any C.E. courses. A total of 30 C.E. credits must be obtained every 2 years to maintain your insurance adjusters license. These courses are usually offered online or can be taken physically in a classroom setting. You will learn more about this in the Texas All-Lines Adjuster Licensing Course.

To the best of our knowledge, the states that do not require an adjuster's license to handle claims are Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Massachusetts, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Tennessee, Virginia, and Wisconsin. You should always do your own research by contacting the respective States’ Department of Insurance to ensure that you have the most up to date information regarding this. It is highly recommended that you obtain a license to handle claims so you will not limit yourself to only these states for possible work.

By having a Texas All-Lines Adjuster License, this enables you to be very marketable and mobile in regards to handling claims in states that require licenses, and those that do not require licenses. Here is a list of states where this license is reciprocal and the state requires a license to handle claims ( the list of reciprocal states ).

License reciprocity is an agreement between states that will allow you to obtain additional adjuster licenses based on an existing license you already have from another state. This means that once you obtain your Texas All-Lines License, you may apply to obtain licenses in other states that are reciprocal with Texas. And in most cases, without having to take another pre-licensing exam.

There are a wide variety of supplies needed to be successful as an adjuster. Depending on the assignment, this list could change.
Hand-held tape measurer (at least 30 ft), rolling tape measurer, laser tape measurer, roof crayons or “sidewalk chalk” (in varying colors depending on color of shingles), 1 or 2 story ladder, roof climbing shoes that provide grip and stability, utility belt/bag, cargo pants, head covering, sunscreen, binoculars, digital camera, gloves, utility knife (for cutting carpet samples), hammer and large screwdriver or crowbar(for prying up wood floor samples), flashlight.