A New Reality in Property Claims

A Shifting Landscape: Fewer Events, More Disputes

Across the property insurance world, a quiet shift is underway. Many markets have experienced fewer major weather events, particularly in 2025, yet the level of conflict inside everyday property claims continues to rise. The result is a strange paradox: claim counts may be lower, but disagreements per claim are higher than ever.

From our work throughout the Tri-State region (Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana) and Florida, the pressure points have become remarkably consistent—regardless of carrier, policy type, or loss size.

Where Property Claims Are Breaking Down

Most contested property claims now center on five recurring issues:

1. Scope of Damage – room-of-origin limitations, hidden moisture migration, and the ongoing roof repair vs. replace debate.
2. Causation – sudden vs. long-term conditions, wear-and-tear exclusions, and competing forensic opinions.
3. Pricing Methodology – Xactimate line-item disputes, labor minimums, overhead & profit, and code compliance.
4. Matching & Aesthetics – flooring continuity, siding dye lots, roofing elevations, and reasonable uniform appearance.
5. Mitigation Standards – equipment justification, drying protocols, mold prevention, and emergency measures.

These are not abstract legal questions—they are construction questions being argued inside insurance files.

The Growing Influence of TPAs

Third-party administrators now sit at the center of many disagreements. Field adjusters and contractors often reach similar conclusions, only to see scopes rewritten through desk reviews or standardized templates. The result is a widening gap between:

• What the building actually requires
• What the estimate ultimately allows

This dynamic has fueled a steady rise in appraisal demands, expert reports, and litigation support needs—particularly from professionals who understand how repairs are truly performed in the field.

Carrier Strategy Is Changing

We are seeing more partial denials instead of full denials, increased reliance on forensic consultants, and a strong push toward “repair not replace.” Labor depreciation, ACV settlements, and narrow interpretations of code upgrades have become common battlegrounds.

At the same time, attorneys and public adjusters are asking for practical, buildable scopes that can withstand scrutiny—documents rooted in means, methods, and recognized standards like IICRC and local building codes.

What Decision-Makers Now Need

Whether you represent a carrier, an insured, or serve as a neutral professional, the files that resolve fastest share common traits:

• Clear, construction-based scopes
• Photos and measurements tied to logic
• Pricing grounded in real-world execution
• Explanation of how work would actually be performed

Property claims are no longer won with generic estimates—they are won with credible construction reasoning translated into the language of insurance.

At All Claims Consulting, that intersection is where we work every day—supporting carriers, attorneys, and public adjusters across the Tri-State and Florida with practical, defensible perspectives on what it really takes to restore a property.

If you have a question regarding a case or situation please don’t hesitate to reach out to our team at All Claims Consulting.