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
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.
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.
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.
Supplement
Additional claim documentation or estimate items submitted after an initial estimate when damage, scope, pricing, or repair needs were missed or changed.
Public adjuster
A licensed claim professional who represents the policyholder, not the insurance company, in documenting and presenting a property insurance claim.