Hail on roofs, siding and gutters
I mark test squares, check the soft metals and count the hits, the way I document every hail damage claim, then write the scope slope by slope.
Indiana public adjuster for home and business property claims
I hold an Indiana public adjuster license as well as my Illinois one, so I can represent you on a property claim in Indiana: inspect the damage, read the policy, price the repair and negotiate with your insurer. Before any of that, Indiana asks us to sign a contract on a form its Department of Insurance has approved. This page shows you what that contract has to say.
Indiana public adjusterNo. 3556317Volodymyr Lukaniuk, Indiana Department of Insurance
Illinois public adjusterNo. 19461872Also a licensed roofing and general contractor and a HAAG certified inspector
Why an Indiana claim reaches a Chicago adjuster
Lake County, Indiana shares its western edge with Cook County, Illinois. Hammond sits right against that state line, and a hailstorm or a line of high wind moving east off the Chicago side does not stop at it. After a storm, the same roofs, siding and gutters are damaged on both sides, and the claims that follow are argued the same way.
What changes at the line is the rulebook for the adjuster. An Illinois license alone does not let anyone adjust your Indiana claim. My Indiana license does, and the work I do on the roof and on the estimate is the same work I do on the Illinois side.
Cook County, IllinoisMy office: 3052 N Long Ave #2, Chicago
Lake County, IndianaCovered by my Indiana license, like the rest of the state
Not to scale. The dashed line is the Illinois and Indiana state line.
The contract Indiana requires before I start
Since July 1, 2023, a contract between a public adjuster and an insured in Indiana must be in writing, prepared on a form filed with and approved by the insurance commissioner, and signed in duplicate. The Department of Insurance set this out in Bulletin 272 of December 6, 2023, together with a checklist of what every contract form has to contain.
The sheet on the right follows that checklist. When I bring you my contract, you should be able to put your finger on every numbered line. If a line is blank or missing on a contract someone else hands you, ask about it before you sign.
Two originals are signed. One stays with you, with the date and the time each of us signed written on it.
Public Adjuster Contract
The title has to be printed at the top of the first page
- The adjuster's full legal name, as the Department records it, and the number of the Indiana license.On mine: Volodymyr Lukaniuk, No. 3556317.
- The adjuster's home state business address, email and phone number.
- Your full name and the street address of the insured property.
- Your insurance company and policy number, if known.
- A description of the loss and where it happened, and of the services the adjuster will provide.
- The full fee. When it is a share of what the insurer pays, the exact percentage.
- Any expense to be paid back from the claim, each type with a dollar estimate, and a statement that no other expense is paid back unless you approve it first.
- A statement that the adjuster is fully bonded under Indiana law.
Insured, date and timePublic adjuster, date and time
Three things to check before you sign with anyone
These come from the Indiana Department of Insurance itself, so they apply to me and to any other adjuster who knocks on your door after a storm.
The license
Indiana public adjuster licenses run for one year and expire on December 31. Ask for the number and look it up, and make sure it is current for this year.
The bond
To be licensed, an Indiana public adjuster files proof of a $10,000 surety bond for the state, according to the Department's licensing requirements. The contract has to say the adjuster is bonded.
The form
The words "Public Adjuster Contract" at the top of page one, every line from the sheet above filled in, and two copies to sign.
What I do on an Indiana property claim
The same inspection, estimate and negotiation as on any claim I take, for homes and for commercial buildings. These are the losses Indiana owners usually call me about.
Wind and an old roof
When the insurer says the shingles failed from age, I separate storm damage from wear and price the decking and code items a first estimate tends to leave out. More on roof damage claims.
Water and fire inside the building
I trace where the water went or how far the smoke travelled, and as a licensed general contractor I price the tear-out and rebuild room by room.
An estimate far below the bids
I compare the insurer's line items with the damage and with real repair prices, and write the supplement. When only the amount is in dispute, I explain whether the appraisal clause fits your case.
Looking at the property and reading your policy costs you nothing. If you hire me, my fee is the exact percentage written in the approved contract, paid from the insurance payments on the claim.
Tell me where the property is and what happened
Give me the town, the date of the loss, and whether the insurer has already sent an adjuster or an estimate. I call back to set up a visit and to ask for the policy.
I speak English, Ukrainian and Russian.
+1 224-481-2095 volodymyr@staterestoration.usMonday to Friday 7 AM to 7 PM, Saturday and Sunday 9 AM to 5 PM
Questions from Indiana owners
Can an adjuster based in Chicago work my Indiana claim?
Yes, when he holds an Indiana public adjuster license. Mine is No. 3556317, issued by the Indiana Department of Insurance, and it sits next to my Illinois license, No. 19461872. Indiana law asks for that license, not for an office in Indiana.
Do I pay anything to have you look at the damage?
No. The first conversation, the visit to the property and the reading of your policy cost nothing. If you hire me, my share is written as an exact percentage in the approved contract, and it comes out of what the insurer pays on the claim.
I already reported the claim and got an estimate. Is it too late?
Usually not. Many owners call after the insurer's first estimate arrives. I compare that estimate with the damage on site, and where items are missing or underpriced I write a supplement. If you and the insurer agree the loss is covered but not on the amount, the appraisal clause may be the next step.
I am a licensed public adjuster working for policyholders, not an attorney. What your insurer pays depends on your policy wording, and nobody can promise a result in advance.