How do you choose public adjuster software? A checklist

What should you decide before you look at any software?

Write down how a claim moves through your firm today, from first call to final check. Mark where things get lost: a missed follow-up, a deadline kept in someone's head, a carrier email nobody filed. Those are the gaps you are buying software to close.

Then count the people. Include adjusters, estimators, office staff and owners. Pricing and permissions both depend on who needs to log in.

Does it track deadlines for every claim?

Deadlines are the core job. A claim carries dates from the policy, the carrier and the law, and missing one can cost your client. In Florida, for example, notice is due within one year of the date of loss for a new claim and 18 months for a supplemental claim (s. 627.70132), and the insurer has set response times once it gets notice and proof of loss (s. 627.70131).

Check that you can set key dates per claim, get reminders ahead of them, and see everything due across the firm in one view. Ask whether deadlines come from a template you control, so your state's rules are not buried in a manual.

Does the claim file hold everything?

A claim file should hold the policy, contacts, estimates, photos, documents, notes, calls and money on one screen. If you have to open four tools to answer a client's question, the software has not helped.

• Can you upload photos and documents from a phone in the field?
• Does email from the carrier file itself to the right claim?
• Can you keep estimates by version and compare them?
• Is there a log of calls and notes with dates?
• Can you track payments, held-back depreciation and your fee?

How is it priced, and what will it cost at your size?

Pricing models differ. As of November 2026, one vendor lists plans by license count, another by number of users with a flat price for each band, and another per user with an optional AI add-on. Whatever the model, ask four questions.

• Is the price per person, per claim, or per band of users?
• Are all features on every plan, or are some locked to higher tiers?
• What does the AI cost, if there is any? Is it included or an add-on?
• What do outside people cost: clients, attorneys, contractors? Are they free?

Can you get your data in and out?

Moving in matters if you have claims in another system. Ask what file types the importer reads, whether it shows you what it will create before it writes anything, and whether the vendor will do the migration, and at what price.

Moving out matters more than people think. Ask how to export claims, contacts and documents, in what format, and whether there is a fee. Keep in mind that Florida requires a public adjuster to keep the written estimate on residential claims for five years (s. 626.854(12)), so you want to be able to get files out.

Who can see what?

Claim files hold policy numbers, loss details and contact information. Look for role-based access, so an estimator and an office assistant see what they need and no more, an audit log that records who changed what, and encryption of stored files. Ask what happens to a former employee's access the day they leave.

What does the client see?

Clients call to ask where the claim stands. A client portal answers that without a phone call. Check what the client can see, whether they can upload documents from a phone, and whether each client login costs you a seat. A portal that clients cannot use is not a portal.

If it has AI, how do you check the answers?

AI can summarize a policy, draft a follow-up and pull facts from an estimate. It can also be wrong. Look for answers that cite the page they came from, so you can check in seconds. Look for a rule that nothing is sent to a carrier or client without a person approving it. And ask how AI use is limited and billed, so a busy month does not surprise you.

A general chatbot does not have the claim's documents; a tool that reads them can cite pages. Test both by asking a question you already know the answer to.

How do you run a trial that tells you something?

Pick two or three real claims at different stages. Import or enter them. Then use the software for a week as you would normally work. Have one adjuster and one office person do it, not only the owner.

• Import a real export and note what needs fixing by hand.
• Set up deadlines on a claim and see whether the reminders arrive.
• File a carrier email and a photo set from a phone.
• Invite a client to the portal and watch them use it.
• Ask a policy question with AI and check the page cited.
• Export a claim and see what you get.
• Call support with a real question and time the answer.

What is the quick checklist?

Score each item yes or no for every product you try.

• Per-claim deadlines with reminders and a firm-wide view.
• One file per claim holding documents, photos, email, calls and money.
• Pricing you can predict at your headcount, and clarity on any per-claim fees.
• Every feature on the plan you are buying.
• Import from your current system, and export when you leave.
• Roles and an audit log.
• A client portal that does not cost a seat.
• AI that cites its sources and waits for approval.
• A trial that lets you use real claims.

Where does ClaimCompass fit?

ClaimCompass offers per-claim deadlines, one file per claim, per-person pricing with every feature on every tier, a free client portal, free migration, an export of your firm's data from Settings, and AI that cites the page it used. If you want to see how it compares with the tools you already know, the compare pages list what each vendor publishes, with sources and dates.

Frequently asked questions

What features should public adjuster software have?

Per-claim deadlines with reminders, one file per claim for documents, photos, email, calls and money, a client portal, roles and an audit log, import and export, and, if it has AI, answers that cite their sources and need approval before anything is sent.

Is per-claim pricing or per-user pricing better for a public adjusting firm?

Per-user pricing follows headcount, so it is easier to forecast. Per-claim pricing follows volume, which can suit a very small or seasonal firm. Ask every vendor which model it uses and what is included.

Sources

• Fla. Stat. s. 627.70132, Notice of property insurance claim
• Fla. Stat. s. 627.70131, Insurer's duty to acknowledge communications
• Fla. Stat. s. 626.854, Public adjuster defined; prohibitions
• ClaimWizard pricing page (plans by license count), read November 4, 2026
• PACMAN pricing page (plans by user count), read November 4, 2026
• Claim Titan pricing page (per-user pricing, optional AI add-on), read November 4, 2026