The percentage
A public adjuster is usually paid a percentage of what the insurer pays on the claim, written into a signed contract. The policyholder pays the fee, not the insurance company.
Free public adjuster fee calculator
Know the fee, and what the policyholder keeps.
Enter the settlement, what the carrier paid or offered before the public adjuster was hired, and the fee percentage. See the fee both ways and check it against state caps, each with its citation.
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states with source-cited fee rules
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AdjusterDesk publishes this calculator for public adjusters and policyholders. State rules covered: California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, New York, Texas. Not legal advice.
Your result
Public adjuster fee
$25,000
10% of $250,000 (full settlement)
Net to the policyholder
$225,000
Settlement minus the fee, before the deductible, mortgage payees, or other deductions.
Full settlement vs. new money
The same percentage can mean a very different fee.
The carrier had paid or offered $150,000 before the public adjuster was hired, so the increase the public adjuster obtained is $100,000. Many contracts, and some states, limit the fee to that increase.
| Fee charged on | Amount the % applies to | Fee | Net to policyholder |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full settlement | $250,000 | $25,000 | $225,000 |
| New money only | $100,000 | $10,000 | $240,000 |
Charging the fee on the full settlement costs the policyholder $15,000 more than charging it on new money only.
This is not legal advice.
The calculator does simple arithmetic and shows the limits we verified as of October 20, 2026. Fee rules have exceptions (for example, policy-limit payments, deductibles, living expenses, and reopened claims) and they change. Check the current law in your state, read the contract, and talk to a licensed attorney or your state insurance department if you are unsure.
For public adjuster firms
Keep the fee with the claim it belongs to.
In AdjusterDesk, a claim can hold the agreed fee percentage, a negotiation log of carrier offers and your counters, and a fee statement you can email to the client, with invoiced and collected status tracked.
No credit card required. Use fictional data while you try it.
How public adjuster fees work
A percentage, a base, and the rules that limit both.
The base
The contract says what the percentage applies to. On the full settlement, money the carrier paid or offered before the adjuster was hired is included. On new money only, the fee applies just to the increase the adjuster obtained.
The limits
Some states cap the percentage, sometimes lower after a declared emergency or catastrophe, and some exclude money paid before the contract. A contract can set a lower fee or a narrower base than the law allows.
Example: the carrier offered $150,000, a public adjuster was hired at 10%, and the claim settled for $250,000. On the full settlement the fee is $25,000 and the policyholder nets $225,000. On new money only, the fee is 10% of $100,000, or $10,000, and the policyholder nets $240,000.
Common questions
Public adjuster fees, answered with sources.
How much do public adjusters charge?
Most public adjusters charge a percentage of the claim payments, set in a written contract. Some states cap that percentage. Of the states this page covers, Texas caps the fee at 10%, New York at 12.5%, Georgia at 33.3%, and Florida at 20%, or 10% for claims made in the year after a declared state of emergency. Illinois caps fees on personal-residence claims at 10%.
Is the fee charged on the whole settlement or only on the increase?
It depends on the contract and the state. Florida allows zero percent on coverage the insurer paid or agreed in writing to pay before the contract was signed. New York's Department of Financial Services says the 12.5% maximum is calculated only on money paid after the public adjuster was hired. California does not allow the fee to leave the policyholder with less than the insurer paid before the contract. The Texas Department of Insurance says a Texas fee can be based on the total settlement.
What happens if the insurer pays the policy limit right away?
In Texas and Georgia, a public adjuster may not take a percentage fee when the insurer pays or commits in writing to pay the policy limit within 72 hours after the loss is reported; the adjuster is limited to reasonable pay for time and expenses. In Florida, the cap is 1% on a coverage part when the insurer pays or commits to pay that part's limit within 14 days after the loss or 10 days after the contract, whichever is later.
Why isn't my state listed?
A state appears only after we verified its fee limit from the statute or the state insurance department's own site. We left out states we could not verify that way rather than guess. If your state is missing, check its insurance department or read the public adjuster statute directly.
Is the result legal advice?
No. The calculator does arithmetic and shows the limits we verified as of October 20, 2026. Fee laws have exceptions and change over time. Check the current law, read the contract, and ask a licensed attorney or your state insurance department if you are unsure.
Is anything I enter saved?
No. The calculator runs in your browser and does not send or store the amounts you enter.