Appraisal Clause Demand Letter (Template)
A letter that demands appraisal under your auto policy's appraisal clause. Most US auto policies include one: you and the insurer each select an appraiser, the two appraisers select an umpire, and a decision agreed to by two of the three sets the amount, as your policy's clause provides.
What this template asks for
The letter asks for your contact details, your policy and claim numbers, the date of loss, the vehicle and its VIN, the insurer's name and address, the insurer's offer, your own figure for the vehicle's value, and the appraiser you have chosen.
This template is not a substitute for the advice of an attorney.
The form below is free to use. If you'd rather we do the appraisal itself: The Appointed Appraiser Service is $495. It includes the Appraisal Research, our appointment as your appraiser under the appraisal clause of your policy, if it has one, determining the amount of loss with your insurer's appraiser, and the appraisal award letter. At least $1,000 more than your insurer's offer, or your $495 fee is waived, once we accept your consultation. We pre-authorize your card only after we accept your consultation, so there's no upfront payment.
What this involves, honestly
Most of the fields below are details from your policy, your offer letter and your vehicle. Two are hard work, and they're flagged: your own figure for the vehicle's value, and the appraiser you have chosen.
Fill it in
Saved automatically as you type. The preview below updates live. A couple of these fields are genuinely hard work — we've flagged them with what's actually involved.
[YOUR FULL NAME]Your full legal name as it appears on the policy.
[YOUR ADDRESS]Your mailing address (street, city, state, ZIP).
[YOUR EMAIL]An email you check regularly.
[YOUR PHONE]Best phone number for the carrier to reach you.
[POLICY NUMBER]Your auto policy number.
[CLAIM NUMBER]The claim number assigned by the insurer.
[DATE OF LOSS]Date the vehicle was damaged or totaled (MM/DD/YYYY).
[YEAR / MAKE / MODEL / TRIM]Vehicle year, make, model, and trim (e.g. 2020 Toyota Camry XLE).
[VIN]17-character VIN of the totaled vehicle.
[INSURER NAME]Insurer's legal name (e.g. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company).
[INSURER ADDRESS]Mailing address for the claim. Use the address shown on the offer letter.
[INSURER OFFER AMOUNT]The most recent dollar amount the insurer offered.
[YOUR COUNTER OFFER AMOUNT]Hard• 5-10 hours of researchThe amount you believe is fair, supported by your counter-valuation.
Defending a number at appraisal means 5+ comparable listings within ~100 miles, each normalized for trim, options, mileage, and condition, plus a line-by-line rebuttal of the carrier's adjustments. It is hours of careful work — doable, but not quick.
[YOUR APPRAISER NAME]Hard• Same day once we accept your consultation; 1-3 days if you're sourcing your ownThe competent and disinterested appraiser you have selected. Leave blank if you have not yet retained one.
Most policies require a competent, disinterested appraiser. Few policyholders have one in their network. Sourcing one yourself usually means contacting two or three independent appraisers, checking references, and confirming availability — that's where the 1-3 days comes from. If you'd rather skip that step, retaining SecondAppraisal can be same-day: once we accept your consultation, you can put our name in this field.
[TODAY'S DATE]Date you are sending this letter (MM/DD/YYYY).
Live preview
Loading…Anything still wrapped in [BRACKETS] you haven't filled in yet — that's how you can spot what's left.
[YOUR FULL NAME]
[YOUR ADDRESS]
Email: [YOUR EMAIL]
Phone: [YOUR PHONE]
[TODAY'S DATE]
[INSURER NAME]
[INSURER ADDRESS]
Re: Demand for Appraisal — Policy [POLICY NUMBER], Claim [CLAIM NUMBER]
Vehicle: [YEAR / MAKE / MODEL / TRIM] (VIN [VIN])
Date of loss: [DATE OF LOSS]
To Whom It May Concern,
Pursuant to the appraisal provision of the policy referenced above, I hereby
formally demand that the question of the actual cash value of the vehicle
described above be submitted to appraisal in accordance with the policy.
I have reviewed your most recent offer of $[INSURER OFFER AMOUNT] and the
supporting valuation report. After conducting my own analysis of comparable
vehicles in my local market and verifying the per-line adjustments in the
report you provided, I have determined that the fair actual cash value of
the vehicle is $[YOUR COUNTER OFFER AMOUNT]. We have been unable to reach
agreement at the adjuster level, and the policy's appraisal process is the
appropriate mechanism to resolve this disagreement.
I have selected [YOUR APPRAISER NAME] as my competent and disinterested
appraiser pursuant to the policy. Please provide me, in writing and within
the time period specified by the policy, the name and contact information
of your selected appraiser so that the two appraisers may proceed to select
a neutral umpire as the policy contemplates.
Please confirm in writing within ten (10) business days that you have
received this demand and will participate in the appraisal as required by
the policy.
I look forward to a fair and timely resolution.
Sincerely,
[YOUR FULL NAME]
Policyholder
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