Hiring a public adjuster is a serious decision. You're giving someone authority to negotiate on your behalf and agreeing to pay them a percentage of your settlement. Before you sign any contract, ask these questions. A legitimate North Carolina public adjuster will answer all of them without hesitation.

1. Are you licensed as a public adjuster in North Carolina?

This is the threshold question. Under NC General Statutes Chapter 58, Article 33A, anyone acting as a public adjuster in North Carolina must hold a public adjuster license issued by the North Carolina Department of Insurance. That applies to both individual adjusters and any business entity operating as a public adjusting firm.

Ask for the adjuster's license number and verify it directly at the NC Department of Insurance licensee lookup. Don't take a screenshot or business card at face value — verify the license is active, in good standing, and issued in the correct line of authority.

What to watch for: Out-of-state adjusters working NC claims without an NC license, "claim consultants" or "claim specialists" who aren't actually licensed as public adjusters, and anyone who bristles at the question.

2. Are you bonded, and what is your bond number?

North Carolina requires public adjusters to maintain a surety bond as a condition of licensure. The bond protects you, the policyholder, if the adjuster mishandles claim funds or otherwise breaches their duties.

A legitimate adjuster will give you their bond number immediately. Mantis Claims Group operates under NC License #21778092 and Bond No. 101008840 — and we publish both on every page of our website for that reason.

3. What is your fee, and how is it calculated?

NC public adjusters typically work on contingency — a percentage of what you recover. The exact percentage should be stated clearly in writing before you sign. Ask:

What percentage will I pay, and is it a flat rate or a sliding scale based on claim size?
Is the fee calculated on the total settlement, on the increase over the insurance company's initial offer, or on money already paid before I hired you?
Are there any other charges — hourly fees, expense reimbursements, administrative costs?
If the claim is denied entirely, do I owe anything?

For a deeper breakdown of how fees and ROI work on NC claims, see our guide on NC public adjuster fees and return on investment.

4. Will I get a written contract, and what does it contain?

North Carolina law requires public adjuster contracts to be in writing and to include specific terms — including services to be provided, the compensation arrangement, and a cancellation clause giving the insured the right to rescind within a statutory window.

Before you sign, read the contract carefully and ask about anything that isn't clear. Specifically confirm:

The scope of services — exactly what the adjuster will and won't do
The term of the agreement — does it cover this claim only, or anything related?
Your right to cancel and how to exercise it
How disputes are handled
Whether the contract assigns any of your policy rights — it shouldn't

If an adjuster pushes a verbal agreement or a handshake deal, walk away. A written contract isn't a formality — it's the law.

5. Who will personally handle my claim?

This is the question most policyholders forget to ask, and it's often the most important. Some firms use high-profile names for sales and hand files off to junior staff or subcontractors.

Ask directly: Will the person I'm speaking with be the person who inspects the damage, drafts the estimate, communicates with the carrier, and negotiates the settlement? If not, who will, and what is their license number and experience?

At Mantis Claims Group, the licensed public adjuster you speak with is the one who handles your file start to finish. That's the standard you should expect.

6. What's your experience with claims like mine?

Commercial fire damage, institutional property loss, multifamily water intrusion, hurricane wind-vs-flood disputes, and denied or underpaid claims each require different expertise. Ask the adjuster to describe specific experience with claims similar to yours in type, size, and complexity.

Follow-up questions:

How many claims of this type have you handled in NC?
What was your typical outcome — settlement range, time to resolution?
Can you describe a claim that didn't go well, and what you learned from it?

The last question is diagnostic. An experienced adjuster has had claims that didn't go the way they wanted. An evasive answer is a flag.

7. Do you have a permanent North Carolina business address?

NC DOI's consumer guidance is blunt on this point: before you hire a public adjuster — especially after a major disaster — confirm the adjuster has a permanent business address in the state. "Storm chasers" who roll in after hurricanes with a P.O. box and a disposable phone number are exactly what the warning is about.

Ask for the street address of the office and confirm it exists. A legitimate NC adjuster has roots in the state.

8. Who do you owe loyalty to?

The legal answer is clear under NC General Statutes § 58-33A-80(a): a public adjuster owes loyalty to the insured alone. Not to the insurance company. Not to a contractor, roofer, or restoration firm that referred you.

Ask the adjuster to state this plainly and ask whether they receive any referral compensation, kickbacks, or side agreements from contractors, attorneys, or vendors connected to your claim. The honest answer is no, and any "yes" deserves a hard look.

9. Can I speak with recent clients or see case outcomes?

A legitimate adjuster with a track record should be able to point you to reference clients, verified case outcomes, or published results. Ask for references for claims similar to yours, and actually call them.

Be skeptical of adjusters whose website is full of anonymized "$500,000 settlement" claims with no corroboration. Real case outcomes can be discussed in detail when privacy allows.

10. What's your communication cadence during the claim?

Claims can take months. Silence during that window is one of the most common complaints policyholders have about any kind of representation. Ask upfront:

How often will you update me?
What's the best way to reach you — phone, text, email — and what's your response time?
Who's my backup contact if you're unavailable?
Will I see copies of all correspondence with the carrier?

Set the expectation at the start, in writing if possible.

Quick Pre-Hire Checklist

✅ NC public adjuster license, verified at NC DOI
✅ Active surety bond, bond number provided
✅ Permanent NC business address
✅ Written contract with clear fee structure
✅ Identified person who will personally handle the file
✅ Relevant experience with your claim type
✅ References or verifiable case outcomes
✅ No undisclosed referral arrangements with contractors or vendors
✅ Stated communication cadence

Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Public Adjuster in North Carolina