How to use the estimator
Enter the insurer’s replacement cost value (RCV) estimate and your own estimate, whether that is a contractor bid or an independent line-item estimate. The difference between them is the disputed amount. Then move the slider to guess where an award might land inside that gap: 0% means the award matches the carrier’s number, 100% means it matches yours. Finally, enter your appraiser’s fee as a flat dollar figure or as a percentage of the increase, and tick the umpire box if you want to include your half of an umpire’s fee.
The math in plain words
The projected award is the carrier’s estimate plus your chosen share of the gap. The gross increase is the projected award minus the carrier’s estimate. Costs are your appraiser’s fee plus, if selected, half the umpire’s fee, since most policies have each side pay its own appraiser and split the umpire. The net increase is the gross increase minus those costs.
The break-even landing % is the most useful number on the page. It is the smallest share of the gap the award must reach before your costs are covered. If break-even is 15%, the award only has to move a little toward your number for appraisal to pay for itself. If it is 70%, you need a strong, well-documented estimate to come out ahead.
An illustrative example
Illustrative figures only: the carrier estimates $18,000 and your contractor estimates $30,000, a $12,000 gap. With a $2,500 flat appraiser fee and a $1,000 share of the umpire, costs are $3,500, so break-even is about 29% of the gap. An award landing halfway would produce a $6,000 gross increase and a $2,500 net increase.
What the result does and doesn’t mean
The slider is your assumption, not a prediction. No calculator can tell you how a panel will weigh the evidence, and the result is not a promise of any outcome. It also ignores deductibles, depreciation holdback and prior payments, which change what actually reaches you. Use the RCV & ACV holdback calculator for that side of the picture.
Kentucky context
Appraisal under a Kentucky property policy settles the amount of loss, not coverage. If the insurer has denied the claim or says an exclusion applies, the payoff math here may not matter, and a Kentucky attorney is the right first call. If the dispute really is about price, a second set of eyes on the carrier’s estimate often tightens your number before you commit. Our second-look estimate review is built for exactly that step.
Questions about the appraisal payoff estimator
What does the break-even landing percentage tell me?
It is the minimum share of the gap between the two estimates that the award has to reach before your appraisal costs are paid back. Below that point, appraisal would cost more than it adds.
Does the estimator know how appraisal panels usually rule?
No. The landing slider is your own assumption. The tool does arithmetic on the figures you enter and does not predict any outcome.
Is my claim information saved anywhere?
No. The calculation runs entirely in your browser, and nothing you type is sent to us or stored.