24 separate billion-dollar disasters struck US in 2024. This year ranks as the second most on record.
The total damage assessments of Helene and Milton are still underway. Both hurricanes caused widespread destruction in Florida and across the Southeast U.S. The claims and cleanup will continue for months, if not years.
Remember: insurance claims don’t stop. We are just entering winter storm season and tornado season is only 4 months away.
2024 will go down as the second most active year for billion-dollar storms, beaten out only by 2023’s 28 storms. In addition to the two massive hurricanes, it was an especially active tornado season. More than 1,100 tornadoes were reported through May, nearly twice the 30-year average and behind only 2011. Experts expect the extreme weather patterns to continue, causing more damage in a greater geographical area than ever before. Combine that with housing expansion and the rising costs of everything from goods to labor, and we can certainly expect the number of billion-dollar storms to continue to increase.
Everyone involved, from insurance companies to risk assessors to climatologists and FEMA is studying this year. Why didn’t we have the number and severity of hurricanes initially predicted? What is missing from the flood assessment maps that has resulted in such a discrepancy between those affected and those who need that type of insurance? What needs to be done to ensure that people, businesses, and communities are better prepared in the future?
Bottom line: insurance claims do not stop. Not for a season or a year or due to political changes. And as long as there are insurance claims, there will be a need for insurance adjusters. Being licensed and prepped to help when and where adjusters are needed is the best way to start your career in claims. Take the time now to get your license, learn Xactimate, and start applying to rosters so you’re ready. Scroll down for a step-by-step guide.
Getting licensed and learning Xactimate are your first essential steps toward getting into the field as an adjuster. Get started below or learn more at our free Intro to Claims Adjusting webinar.
If you live in a state that licenses adjusters, you'll need your home state's license first. If not, you should start with Florida's nonresident Designated Home State (DHS) license.
Adjusters need to know how to use this software, period. Our live online course, led by an Xactimate Certified Trainer, will prep you to write your first claim. Approved for CE in most licensing states.
Start by applying to as many independent adjusting firms as you can – click below for a long list of firms. Then follow up. Then follow up again. Then follow... get the idea?
Yes! While there are 16 states that still do not license claims adjusters, the majority of states do. Employers, either insurance carriers or Independent Adjusting Firms, need adjusters who can work a multitude of claims in a variety of areas. You will give yourself the best chance for employment by obtaining your home state, or ‘designated home state’ license, and then getting reciprocal licenses so you can work in other states as well.
If you live in a non-licensing state, you should obtain a “Designated Home State” or DHS license. A DHS license basically works just like having your home state license and is vital if you want to work any claims outside of your non-licensing state. If you live in Kansas for example, you can adjust claims there without a license, but you can’t go work claims in Florida or Texas.
While a host of different states offer a DHS license, we recommend obtaining the Florida 70-20 Nonresident DHS license. It offers great reciprocity and Florida has the quickest application turnaround time in the country.
States that do not currently license adjusters: Colorado, District of Columbia, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Massachusetts, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Virginia, and Wisconsin.
Reciprocity, or reciprocal licensing privileges, allows a licensed adjuster to obtain another state’s license without having to pass that specific state’s exam. Thank goodness, right? Once you have your home state or DHS license, you can apply for other state licenses through reciprocity.
It’s not automatic – you will need to complete the required paperwork and submit the licensing fees, but most licensing states are now reciprocal with each other, as long as your home state or DHS license holds the lines of authority that you are requesting from the new state. For example, if you hold a P&C Adjuster License, you are only qualified for a P&C reciprocal license in another state. You cannot obtain a reciprocal All-Lines license if your home state or DHS license is for P&C, because it covers fewer lines of authority.
There are some additional caveats – New York, California and Hawaii do not reciprocate with any other state for example. You can read more about the importance of reciprocity here – Reciprocity: The Truth About Licensing Agreements.
It’s also important to note that reciprocity doesn’t always go both ways. For example, New York doesn’t offer reciprocal licenses to licensed adjusters from any other state. However, there are plenty of states that will offer licensed New York adjusters a reciprocal license.
To learn what states will offer you a reciprocal license, visit our reciprocity map and click on your state.
Just because your home state is reciprocal with another does not mean you can just hop across state lines and begin working claims. You need to apply for the reciprocal license and pay the state’s fees. Obtaining reciprocal licenses will cost you anywhere from $55 – $175 per state for the application fees, plus the time it takes to complete all the necessary paperwork; usually about a day or two. Most states’ applications can be completed and submitted online from either NIPR or Sircon.
When the governor of a state declares an emergency after a big catastrophe, the state’s insurance department can issue emergency licenses to out-of-state adjusters. An emergency adjuster license is temporary, good for 3 to 6 months, and can be extended as needed.
These licenses are important after a disaster, as they allow the state to license out-of-state adjusters more quickly than usual.
But, emergency licenses are typically issued only to adjusters who are already licensed in a different state, and they also present another challenge – you must be sponsored by an employer to be approved. While that doesn’t usually affect veteran adjusters, it can be an obstacle for brand new adjusters who are looking to break into the industry, especially if you don’t already have a working relationship with an insurer, IA firm, or restoration company.
It isn’t unheard of for newly licensed rookies to get an emergency license, but given a choice, employers are almost always going to choose an adjuster who holds a permanent license in the state where the claims are, over an emergency-licensed adjuster.
Yes, and getting flood-claim certified by NFIP will make you stand out as an adjuster. Hurricanes generate a lot of flood claims and after a major catastrophe like Helene, the supply of flood-certified adjusters is always lower than needed. Learn more here.
Xactimate, created by Verisk, is the industry’s most popular claims adjusting software. Adjusters no longer have to write claims by hand, reference pricing books, and use calculators to perform a complete estimate. The Xactimate platform has automated most of those tasks, enabling the adjuster to perform inspections and adjustments much faster.
The software was designed specifically for construction professionals, restoration specialists, and claims adjusters. Xactimate helps adjusters:
See a complete list of features at Xactimate.com
We’ve trained tens of thousands of adjusters over the last decade, and it’s become clear that proficiency in Xactimate is the single most important technical skill a new adjuster must acquire. In fact, “are you familiar with Xactimate?” is one of the most frequently asked questions in interviews and on applications. Knowing your way around the software not only sets you ahead of the curve in the employment line, it means you can get to work adjusting claims immediately once you’re deployed. You’ll be able to work through inspections and adjustments faster and with more accuracy, which is truly money in your pocket.
Our Xactimate course is taught by a Certified Xactimate Trainer who has been a working insurance adjuster for years. The material was developed by adjusters, for adjusters, so you’ll learn how to use the software in ways that apply to your career.
A series of devastating and deadly fires in and around Los Angeles area continue to burn through the week of January 6th. A break may occur during starting on the 10th but high winds are expected to return the following week.
Fire authorities say more than 5,300 structures have been destroyed by the Palisades blaze, while more than 5,000 structures have been destroyed by the Eaton Fire. In a preliminary estimate, private forecaster Accuweather said it expected overall losses of between $135b-$150b as these areas are home to some of the most expensive properties in the US.
While California is no stranger to wildfires, the strength, speed, and location of this event is unprecedented.
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