How to appoint an insurance surveyor or loss adjuster
A working checklist for claims handlers, brokers, insurers and lawyers: choose the right specialist, give a clear brief and agree the appointment before work begins.
1. Match the specialist to the assignment
Use these examples to form a shortlist, then ask each provider to confirm its actual experience and scope. Titles and permitted activities vary between countries.
| What you need | Provider to consider | What to confirm |
|---|---|---|
| Cargo, vessel or marine equipment damage | Marine surveyor | Experience with the cargo, vessel or machinery concerned; access to the port or site. |
| Vehicle damage and repair assessment | Motor assessor | Vehicle type, repair assessment capability and local attendance. |
| Property loss assessment or coordination of a claim investigation | Loss adjuster | Relevant class of loss and the precise remit given by the instructing party. |
| Fire origin, machinery failure or another technical cause | Forensic investigator or engineer | The technical discipline needed and arrangements for testing and evidence. |
| Business interruption or other financial loss | Forensic accountant | Experience with the business, records available and the calculation required. |
If litigation or expert testimony is contemplated, ask your legal adviser to define the expert’s role and applicable requirements. A directory category does not establish expert-witness suitability.
2. Check suitability before sharing the full file
- Relevant experience: ask who will actually undertake the work and for examples of comparable assignments that can be discussed without breaching confidentiality.
- Credentials: confirm any qualifications, registrations or local licences needed for the assignment through the relevant issuing body.
- Conflicts: provide the parties needed for a conflict check and obtain the provider’s response before sending substantive confidential material.
- Availability: confirm attendance time, travel arrangements, language needs and access requirements. A nearby listed office does not guarantee immediate attendance.
- Responsibility: identify the lead professional, any subcontractors and who will review and sign the report.
For CILA members, the CILA Guide to Professional Conduct addresses conflicts and confidentiality. Membership requirements do not automatically apply to every provider in this directory.
3. Give a brief that can be acted on
Set out the known facts separately from assumptions. Include the incident date, asset or site, reported damage, relevant parties, contact details and the questions the specialist should answer.
“Inspect the reported water damage to the consignment at [location], record its condition and extent with photographs, identify information needed to investigate the cause, and provide initial findings by [date and timezone]. Obtain approval before sampling, destructive testing or additional specialist work.”
List available documents rather than sending the whole claim file immediately. Depending on the assignment, these might include photographs, inventories, repair estimates, transport documents, maintenance records or financial schedules. Agree secure delivery and authorised recipients for sensitive information.
Explain site hazards and access arrangements. Ask how relevant evidence will be documented and retained, and who can approve testing, movement, repair or disposal. The appointment brief is not a substitute for emergency procedures or site safety controls.
4. Agree scope, cost and authority in writing
- Client and payment: name the instructing entity, the fee-paying party and the person authorised to approve the work. Do not assume an insurer will reimburse an independently arranged appointment.
- Deliverables: define the inspection or investigation, exclusions, report format, intended users and any limits on reliance.
- Fees: agree a fixed fee or rate basis, estimate or budget, currency, taxes, travel, laboratory charges and other expenses.
- Changes: identify the approval process for extra work, revised estimates and subcontractors.
- Timing: agree attendance, initial advice and final-report targets, with a timezone and a route for urgent findings.
- Authority: state whether the provider may only investigate and report, or has any separately agreed authority to negotiate, instruct repairs or take other action.
RICS guidance on setting up an initial client agreement discusses scope, conflicts and fee arrangements. Adapt the appointment to the provider’s role and applicable local requirements.
5. Close the loop after appointment
Obtain acceptance of the agreed instruction. Confirm the attendance contact, next update and any missing information. When the report arrives, check that it answers the agreed questions, identifies limitations and distinguishes findings from matters requiring further investigation.
If more work is needed, agree the revised scope and cost before proceeding. Keep the instruction, acceptance, changes and reports together in the claim record.
Copyable appointment enquiry
Replace the bracketed fields and adapt the scope. This first enquiry requests availability and terms; it does not itself authorise work.
Subject: Availability and proposed appointment — [service] — [location] — [reference] Dear [provider / contact], We are [organisation], acting for [client / instructing party]. Please confirm whether you can assist with the following assignment. Incident: [brief factual summary and date] Location and access: [site / asset location, access contact and restrictions] Parties for conflict checks: [relevant organisations and parties] Requested scope: [inspection, investigation, assessment or other defined task] Required outputs: [initial findings, photographs, report and supporting schedules] Timing: [attendance target and reporting deadlines, including timezone] Available documents: [list; agree a secure transfer method before sharing sensitive material] Please confirm: • Any actual or potential conflicts and whether you can accept the assignment. • The proposed lead professional, relevant experience and any necessary local credentials. • Availability, attendance arrangements and any subcontractors proposed. • Your scope, exclusions, fee basis, estimate, currency, taxes and expenses. • Who will receive the report and your terms for its use. Instructing / fee-paying entity: [name and billing details] Contact authorised to approve work and additional costs: [name / role] Work may begin only once we have agreed your terms and confirmed authority in writing. Please obtain approval before work outside the agreed scope or budget. Please acknowledge receipt and advise when you can respond. Kind regards, [Name / role] [Organisation] [Contact details]