Resources · Appraisal umpire
An appraisal umpire is the neutral third party who resolves the difference when the two party-appointed appraisers can't agree on the amount of loss. The umpire reviews both positions and decides the disputed items; an award agreed to by any two of the three is binding.
When an umpire enters
Most of an appraisal is handled by the two party-appointed appraisers — one chosen by the policyholder, one by the insurer. They value the loss independently and compare results. On many items they agree, and those figures simply stand.
An umpire is needed only for what's left: the items where the two appraisers disagree. If they can't close the gap on the amount of loss, the policy's appraisal clause calls for a neutral umpire to decide the difference. The appraisers typically select the umpire together; if they can't agree on who, the policy usually provides a fallback method for appointment.
What the umpire does
The umpire is not a tie-breaking advocate for either side. Their job is to review both appraisers' positions on the disputed items and reach an independent, defensible decision on the amount of loss. Like the appraisers, the umpire must be neutral and disinterested, with no financial stake in the result.
Once the umpire decides, an award agreed to by any two of the three — the two appraisers, or one appraiser and the umpire — is binding as to the amount of loss. That two-of-three rule is what lets the process conclude even when one appraiser holds out.
Fees & Ironclad's role
When an umpire is required, you typically pay one-half of the umpire's fee directly, with the insurer paying the other half. Ironclad Assessment Group can serve as your party-appointed appraiser or as the neutral umpire — but never both on the same matter, since the umpire must remain impartial. In every role, we determine the amount of loss only; we do not adjust, negotiate, interpret policy, or settle claims.
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