How to read the result
- Amount in dispute is simply your estimate minus the carrier’s, both at replacement cost.
- Projected award assumes the panel recovers the share of that gap you set with the slider.
- Your appraisal costs combine your appraiser’s fee with half the umpire’s fee, if you include it.
- Break-even recovery is the smallest share of the gap the award must recover before you come out ahead.
Why documentation matters
Awards rarely match either side’s opening number. Line items backed by measurements, photographs and current pricing tend to survive; lump sums and guesses tend not to. The documentation selector moves the slider to a reasonable starting point, but test several values. If appraisal only makes sense at 90%, the case is fragile. If it still works at 35%, it is much sturdier.
What it leaves out
Deductibles, depreciation holdback and policy limits affect what you are paid, not the size of the disagreement. For those, use the depreciation recovery calculator and the percentage deductible calculator. All figures here are illustrative.
Questions about this tool
Is the projected award a prediction?
No. It is a scenario you choose. Real awards depend on the evidence, the appraisers, the umpire and your policy.
Why does a percentage fee change the break-even point?
A percentage fee grows with the recovery, so it never wipes out the whole gain by itself. The umpire share is then the main fixed cost to overcome.