Insurance Appraisal & Umpire Services — Colorado
Marshall Services LLC provides independent, impartial insurance appraisal and umpire services for property damage claims throughout Colorado. IAUA CPAU-certified appraiser Marshall Smith uses Xactimate estimating software, FAA Part 107 drone inspections, and construction expertise to resolve disputes over hail, wind, wildfire, smoke, fire, and snow/ice damage for residential and commercial properties. We serve policyholders, insurance carriers, contractors, public adjusters, and attorneys statewide — including Denver, Colorado Springs, Aurora, Fort Collins, and Boulder. Additional services include expert witness testimony for property insurance litigation and loss consulting to help property owners document and present their claims. Service areas: Colorado, Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and California.
Colorado's Storm Calendar and How Those Losses Get Argued
The Front Range corridor from Fort Collins through Denver, Aurora, and Colorado Springs sits inside one of the most active hail zones in the country. Damaging hail concentrates from April through September, with the heaviest activity typically in May and June, and it is the single most common driver of property appraisal in this state. Because Colorado hail often falls with high wind, disputes frequently turn on separating true impact damage from mechanical wear, foot traffic, or manufacturing defects on aging roofs — a distinction that shapes whether a roof is repaired or replaced.
Wind losses here are their own category. Downslope and Chinook windstorms off the foothills can gust well beyond typical thunderstorm speeds, lifting shingles and damaging soft metals, fascia, and fencing without any hail present. Winter brings a different set of problems: snow load on low-slope commercial roofs, ice damming at eaves, and freeze-thaw cycles that open flashing and drive water intrusion weeks after the visible storm has passed. Wildfire and the smoke and soot losses that travel far beyond the burn perimeter — as the region has learned in recent years — add a further layer, where the scope of interior contamination is often the disputed question rather than the fire damage itself.
What Happens, and in What Order
Appraisal in Colorado follows the policy's appraisal clause, not a court docket. Once the clause is invoked in writing, each side names a competent, independent appraiser, and those two appraisers select a neutral umpire. From there the sequence is inspection, scope, valuation, and — only where the two appraisers cannot agree — a decision by the umpire on the items still in dispute.
The documents that carry the most weight are the ones assembled before the inspection: the policy declarations and endorsements, the carrier's estimate and any engineering report, dated photographs, and the date of loss tied to verifiable weather data for that specific address. A Xactimate estimate built to local pricing, supported by FAA Part 107 drone imagery of roof slopes that are unsafe or impractical to walk, gives the two appraisers a common factual record to work from. Realistically, a residential appraisal moves in weeks rather than months once both appraisers are engaged; commercial and multi-family files with multiple structures take longer because scope is larger, not because the process changes.
A Recurring Hail Pattern — and What Resolved It
Across recent hail files in high-frequency hail regions, one pattern repeats often enough to be worth naming: two competent inspectors look at the same roof and reach materially different conclusions about whether the damage is storm-related and whether it is repairable or requires replacement. In these matters the difference was consistently narrowed the same way — comprehensive, date-stamped photographic evidence of representative test squares cross-referenced against meteorological records confirming hail size and timing at that location. When the physical evidence and the weather data tell a consistent story, the appraisal panel has an objective basis to agree, and the umpire's involvement often becomes unnecessary. That approach applies directly to Colorado's Front Range hail claims.
Questions Colorado Property Owners Ask Most
Why do two assessments of the same damage differ so much? Usually because they rest on different scopes, different pricing databases, or different readings of hail versus wear. Appraisal exists precisely to resolve that kind of honest disagreement over amount of loss.
What documentation actually supports my claim? Dated photographs of each elevation and slope, the carrier's own estimate, the policy, and weather data confirming the loss date. Non-hail losses — wind, snow, smoke — additionally benefit from structural or scope assessments that establish cause.
Does appraisal decide whether something is covered? No. Appraisal determines the amount of loss. Coverage questions remain with the carrier and, where needed, with counsel. For those larger disputes, expert witness testimony and loss consulting are available alongside appraisal and umpire work.
To discuss a Colorado property loss, call 972-322-0752.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an insurance appraisal in Colorado?
An insurance appraisal is a binding process found in most Colorado property insurance policies. When the policyholder and insurer disagree on the amount of a covered loss, either party can invoke the appraisal clause. Each side selects an independent appraiser, and if those two cannot agree, a neutral umpire makes the final determination. It resolves disputes over the amount of loss — not whether the damage is covered.
Can the appraisal process help with hail and wildfire claims?
Yes. Colorado's Front Range is one of the most hail-prone regions in the country, and wildfire losses can be catastrophic and complex. Both hail and wildfire claims are frequently disputed. When coverage is established but the valuation is in dispute, the appraisal process provides a structured, impartial way to determine the accurate amount of loss.
How are large wildfire claims handled in appraisal?
Wildfire losses often involve total or near-total structure loss, smoke and soot damage to surviving structures, and significant disagreements over replacement cost and depreciation. Marshall Services documents the full scope of the loss with Xactimate and detailed inspections so the amount of loss is supported and defensible — whether serving as a party appraiser or neutral umpire.
How long does the appraisal process take?
Most insurance appraisals are resolved within 90 to 120 days from the date the demand letter is sent. After a major hailstorm or wildfire event, timelines can vary with claim volume and the responsiveness of both parties, but appraisal remains far faster than litigation.
What types of property damage does Marshall Services appraise in Colorado?
We appraise all types of covered property damage including hail, wind, wildfire and smoke, fire, snow and ice, and water intrusion losses — for both residential and commercial properties across Colorado.
Is the insurance appraisal decision binding?
Yes. Under most insurance policies, the appraisal award is binding on both parties regarding the amount of loss. Once two of the three parties (the policyholder's appraiser, the insurer's appraiser, and the umpire) agree on a figure, that amount becomes the final determination.