Public Adjusters, Attorneys & Independent Rebuild Valuations: How They Actually Fit Together

When your home has been badly damaged or destroyed, you're suddenly thrown into a world you never wanted to learn about:

• Carrier estimates
• Coverage limits
• "Industry-standard" pricing software
• Public adjusters
• Attorneys
• Confusing documents and deadlines

In many neighbourhoods right now, WhatsApp threads are full of:

• "Which public adjuster are you using?"
• "Did anyone have a good experience with [Name]?"
• "Do I need an attorney yet?"

It's completely understandable. The numbers are big, the stakes are high, and you don't get a second chance to handle your claim.

This article is meant to give you a clear, practical overview of:

• What public adjusters do
• What attorneys do
• What an independent rebuild valuation is
• How a service like ClaimArchitect fits into the picture

…and how these pieces can work together, rather than feeling like an either/or decision.

1. What a Public Adjuster Actually Does

A public adjuster is a licensed professional who:

• Represents you, the policyholder,
• Helps you document your loss,
• Prepares and presents claims to the insurance company,
• And negotiates with the carrier on your behalf.

In simple terms:
A public adjuster is a claims representative for the homeowner, not the insurance company.

How they're typically paid

Most public adjusters charge a percentage of the total insurance recovery, often in the range of 8–15%.

That means:

• If your total payout ends up being $2,000,000 and the fee is 10%,
• The fee would be $200,000.

This can feel very expensive, but some homeowners choose it because:

• They don't want to deal with the carrier themselves
• They feel the claim is complex or contentious
• They want someone whose full-time job is dealing with claims

What they're good at

Public adjusters can help with:

• Organizing and presenting documentation
• Navigating the insurance company's processes
• Handling a lot of the back-and-forth so you don't have to
• Negotiating for higher payments based on policy language and loss documentation

What they don't do

Most public adjusters are not:

• Architects
• Builders
• Structural engineers

They often lean on:

• The carrier's own estimate
• Their own experience with similar cases
• Contractors' ballpark quotes
• Supplements and revisions over time

This can absolutely add value—but it's still often missing one thing:

A fully architected, room-by-room, line-by-line rebuild valuation that shows what it really costs to rebuild your specific home.

That's where independent valuation services come in.

2. Where Attorneys Fit In

Attorneys come into the picture when:

• There are disputes about coverage
• There are questions of bad faith
• Settlement negotiations have broken down
• Litigation or the threat of litigation is on the table

An attorney's job is to:

• Interpret the policy as a legal contract
• Advise you on your rights and options
• Negotiate or litigate on your behalf

They typically charge:

• Hourly rates,
• Contingency fees (a percentage of recovery),
• Or a combination, depending on the firm and case.

Attorneys can be invaluable when:

• There are serious disputes over coverage
• You believe the carrier is acting unreasonably
• You need someone to stand between you and the carrier legally

But attorneys face a similar issue to public adjusters:

They still need evidence for what it really costs to rebuild your home.

They may bring in:

• Experts
• Contractors
• Appraisers

An independent rebuild valuation can be one of the tools they use to show that the carrier's numbers are not sufficient.

3. The Quiet Problem: "Official" Estimates vs Real Rebuild Costs

Behind most rebuild estimates, there is:

• A carrier-focused pricing system,
• Built to standardize payouts,
• Using regional averages and built-in assumptions.

On paper, it looks scientific and neutral.

In practice, many homeowners and builders see the same pattern:

• Line items missing entirely
• Unit costs that don't match real bids
• Post-disaster price spikes not fully reflected
• Complex custom homes treated as if they were more generic

The result is what many call "the claims gap":

The difference between what the carrier's estimate says your home costs to rebuild, and what it would actually cost to rebuild your home as it really was.

This is not always obvious from the first glance at a 40–60 page estimate. But when you've:

• Talked to builders
• Looked at current construction bids
• Tried to actually price out your finishes, systems, and labour in today's market

…it becomes very clear that there can be a large gap.

4. What Is an Independent Rebuild Valuation?

An independent rebuild valuation (what ClaimArchitect provides) is focused on one thing:

Answering, as accurately as possible, "What would it cost to rebuild this home as it was?"

It is not a claim negotiation service.
It is not legal representation.
It is not a substitute for a public adjuster or attorney.

Instead, it is a technical, construction-focused service that typically includes:

• Reconstructing your home digitally for valuation purposes (using plans, photos, and property data)
• Running detailed takeoffs (square footage, linear footage, surfaces, quantities, materials)
• Applying local construction pricing reflective of current conditions
• Having a licensed contractor review and sign off on the numbers
• Delivering a detailed rebuild valuation report

You can then choose to share that report with:

• Your contractor
• Your public adjuster
• Your attorney
• Or directly with your carrier, if you and your advisors decide that makes sense

What ClaimArchitect does (and doesn't do)

ClaimArchitect:

• Provides independent rebuild valuation and estimating services
• Focuses on the numbers and documentation of rebuild costs
• Delivers a detailed valuation report that you own and can choose to use with your advisors

ClaimArchitect does not:

• Adjust, manage, or settle insurance claims
• Act as a public adjusting firm, law firm, or insurance company
• Provide legal, tax, or financial advice
• Represent you before your insurer, courts, or regulators

If you need advice about coverage, rights, or negotiation strategy, you should speak with a qualified attorney, public adjuster, or other licensed professional.

5. Public Adjuster vs Independent Rebuild Valuation: It's Not Either/Or

In a lot of WhatsApp groups, the conversation sounds like:

"Should I get a public adjuster or should I do something else?"

But when you zoom out, the question isn't really "public adjuster vs valuation."

They actually sit in different roles:

In many cases, a homeowner might choose to:

• Hire a public adjuster or attorney and
• Use an independent rebuild valuation to give that professional strong documentation to work with.

In other cases, a homeowner might:

• Work directly with their contractor and attorney,
• And still want a third-party, architect-level valuation as part of their evidence.

The point is:
A valuation service like ClaimArchitect is a tool, not a replacement for any professional you might engage for legal or claim-handling advice.

6. When Might You Consider an Independent Rebuild Valuation?

Every situation is different, and you should always consult professionals who understand your specific case. That said, many homeowners start looking for an independent valuation when:

• The carrier's rebuild estimate feels too low for what they know about their home
• Contractors' bids are coming in much higher than the official estimate
• They're dealing with a high-value, custom home, not a basic tract build
• There is a large potential gap (hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars) between what's been offered and what rebuilding seems to cost
• They or their advisors want detailed, room-by-room documentation that they can bring into negotiations or, if needed, legal proceedings

In those scenarios, a valuation report can:

• Help you anchor the conversation around a clearly documented number
• Give your public adjuster or attorney stronger evidence
• Provide a technical basis for questioning a carrier's estimate

Again, the valuation itself is not a guarantee of any outcome with the carrier. It's a piece of evidence that you and your advisors can choose to deploy.

7. Questions to Ask Yourself Before Choosing a Path

When you're deciding what to do next, it can help to ask:

How big is the potential gap?
Are we talking about $25,000 of disagreement… or $500,000… or more?

How complex is my home?
Custom architecture, high-end finishes, unique systems, and hillside builds often don't fit neatly into generic estimate templates.

Do I have anyone on my side focused purely on the numbers?
Not the claim process, not legal strategy—just "What will it really cost to rebuild this house?"

Who will actually use the valuation?
Will it be:

• Just you, in conversations with your adjuster?
• Your public adjuster?
• Your attorney?
• Your contractor?

What mix of flat fees vs percentages am I comfortable with?
Some people prefer a flat fee for certain services (like a valuation) and percentages only where someone is truly representing them and sharing in the risk.

These are not either/or questions, and there is no one-size-fits-all answer. But they can help you decide whether adding an independent rebuild valuation into the mix makes sense.

8. How ClaimArchitect Fits In Practically

In practice, here's how a homeowner might use ClaimArchitect:

1. You provide your full policy, the carrier's estimate, and supporting documents
2. ClaimArchitect's team and systems reconstruct your home digitally, run takeoffs, and apply local construction pricing
3. A licensed contractor reviews and signs off on the valuation
4. You receive a detailed rebuild valuation report
5. You decide—with your own advisors—how and when to use that report:
   • With your contractor, to sanity-check their bids
   • With your public adjuster, as part of their claim presentation
   • With your attorney, as independent evidence in negotiation or litigation strategy
   • In conversations with your carrier, if directed by your professional advisors

Throughout, ClaimArchitect's role remains:

To provide an independent, builder-verified rebuild valuation, not to adjust, negotiate, or settle your claim and not to provide legal advice.

9. Final Thoughts: Get Clear on Roles, Then Build Your Team

When everything feels urgent and emotional, it's easy to lump all "claim help" into one bucket.

But there are different roles in this ecosystem:

• The carrier, with its own systems and estimates
• Public adjusters, who represent you in the claims process
• Attorneys, who advise and represent you legally
• Contractors, who actually build
• And independent valuation services like ClaimArchitect, which focus on the technical question: "What will it really cost to rebuild this home?"

You don't have to pick just one.
You can assemble a team, and a set of tools, that match:

• The size of your loss
• The complexity of your home
• Your appetite for risk
• The level of support you want

If you're looking at a rebuild estimate that doesn't feel like it matches reality, one of the most powerful things you can do is get better numbers from independent, construction-focused sources—and then work with your own advisors on how to use them.