Insurance appraisal
A policy process used to resolve a dispute over the amount of a covered property loss. Appraisal is usually about valuation, not every legal coverage issue.
Ohio Insurance Claim Glossary
Appraisal, Fire, Wind, Hail, and Underpaid Claim Terms
Clear definitions for property insurance claim terms Ohio policyholders run into when a fire, smoke, wind, hail, roof, siding, appraisal, or underpaid estimate dispute gets complicated.
Appraisal Terms
Insurance Appraisal and Amount-of-Loss Terms
Appraisal clause
The policy language that explains when appraisal may be invoked, how appraisers and an umpire are selected, and what valuation disputes the process may address.
Appraisal award
The written valuation outcome from an appraisal process. The effect of an award depends on policy language, the disputed items, and any unresolved coverage issues.
Amount of loss
The disputed value of covered damage, including repair scope, pricing, quantities, labor, materials, matching, contents, mitigation, and rebuild costs depending on the claim facts.
Appraiser
A party-selected valuation professional who reviews the damage, estimates, documentation, and disputed items in an appraisal process.
Umpire
A neutral decision-maker who may resolve disputed valuation items if the two appraisers cannot agree during the appraisal process.
Public adjuster vs appraisal
A decision question about whether the claim needs policyholder-side documentation and advocacy, an amount-of-loss appraisal process, or attorney review.
Scope of damage
The list of damaged items, rooms, roof slopes, siding elevations, contents, or repair operations included in the estimate.
Actual cash value
A claim valuation often calculated as replacement cost less depreciation, depending on policy language and claim facts.
Replacement cost value
The estimated cost to repair or replace covered damaged property with like kind and quality, subject to policy terms.
Fire Claim Terms
Fire and Smoke Damage Claim Terms
Fire damage
Direct heat, flame, charring, structural, electrical, and building-material damage caused by a fire event.
Smoke damage
Residue, staining, odor, contamination, or material impact caused when smoke travels beyond the visible burn area.
Soot
Fine residue from combustion that can settle on surfaces, move through HVAC systems, and affect contents or finishes.
Contents claim
The part of a property insurance claim involving personal property, inventory, furniture, equipment, clothing, and other damaged items.
Additional living expense
Potential policy benefits for reasonable extra living costs when a covered loss makes the property unfit to occupy.
Mitigation
Emergency work such as board-up, cleaning, drying, odor control, temporary protection, or other steps intended to prevent further damage.
Storm Claim Terms
Wind, Hail, Roof, and Siding Claim Terms
Wind damage
Property damage caused by wind pressure, uplift, flying debris, or storm movement affecting roof, siding, exterior, or interior components.
Hail damage
Impact damage from hailstones that can affect shingles, siding, gutters, vents, windows, soft metals, and exterior materials.
Storm-created opening
A storm-caused gap or opening that may allow water into the building and connect exterior wind or hail damage to interior damage.
Matching
A dispute over whether repaired or replaced roofing, siding, flooring, cabinets, or finishes will reasonably match what remains.
Discontinued materials
Roofing, siding, flooring, or finish materials that may no longer be available, creating disputes over matching, repairability, and replacement scope.
Below-deductible estimate
A carrier estimate that values the covered damage below the deductible. These estimates should be checked for missing scope, pricing, and damage documentation before being treated as final.
Repairability
Whether damaged materials can reasonably be repaired, or whether replacement is needed to restore the covered loss.
Cosmetic damage
Damage an insurer may describe as appearance-only. Hail and exterior claims may still need review depending on policy language, material performance, and repair scope.
Wear and tear denial
A carrier position that attributes observed roof, siding, or exterior damage to age, deterioration, installation, or maintenance instead of a storm event.
Claim Review Terms
Underpaid, Delayed, and Denied Claim Terms
Underpaid claim
A claim where the insurance payment or estimate does not appear to reflect the full covered damage, scope, pricing, or documented repair needs.
Denied claim
A claim where the insurance company has refused payment for some or all of the loss. Denials may involve coverage, exclusions, causation, documentation, or timing issues.
Delayed claim
A claim that remains unresolved or unpaid longer than expected. Delays can occur because of missing documents, inspections, coverage review, estimate disputes, or carrier handling issues.
Carrier estimate
The insurance company estimate for covered damage. It should be compared against actual damage, contractor information, photos, invoices, and policy terms.
Contractor estimate
A repair estimate from a contractor or trade professional. In an insurance claim, it should be compared against the carrier estimate, covered damage, policy terms, supplement status, and payment math.
Insurance estimate review
A policyholder-side review of the carrier estimate for missing scope, pricing, depreciation, supplement, fire, wind, hail, roof, siding, and appraisal-fit issues.
Claim documentation review
A review of the claim file to identify missing photos, estimates, reports, payment letters, timelines, disputed scope, pricing gaps, and appraisal-fit issues.
Line-item estimate
An estimate organized by individual repair operations, quantities, unit prices, materials, labor, taxes, overhead, and other claim valuation details.
Supplement
Additional claim documentation or estimate items submitted after an initial estimate when damage, scope, pricing, or repair needs were missed or changed.
Insurance supplement review
A policyholder-side review of supplement documents, contractor estimates, photos, invoices, payment letters, depreciation, and disputed line items after an initial carrier estimate.
Insurance claim payment review
A review of claim checks, payment letters, depreciation, deductibles, releases, supplements, and final-payment language before treating a claim payment as complete.
Recoverable depreciation
Money the carrier may hold back until qualifying repairs are completed and documented under the policy, depending on replacement cost terms and payment conditions.
Proof of loss
A formal claim document that may identify the policyholder, property, date of loss, claimed amount, and supporting facts. It should be handled carefully when requested.
Public adjuster
A licensed claim professional who represents the policyholder, not the insurance company, in documenting and presenting a property insurance claim.