Insurance appraisal in Iowa: how the appraisal clause works

At a glance

Name an appraiser: Twenty days after the written demand, choosing from the Insurance Division's list of licensed appraisers (§ 522F.14).
Choose an umpire: Fifteen days to agree on a licensed umpire from the Division's list. Objections to an umpire are due within five business days.
If they cannot agree: If the appraisers cannot agree, the Insurance Division selects an umpire at random from its list. A court defers to that selection absent good cause.
Suit deadline paused?: No tolling. Iowa courts have upheld two-year policy suit clauses; the standard fire policy form uses twelve months.
Licensing: Appraisers and umpires must be licensed by the Iowa Insurance Division (three years' relevant experience), sign a written attestation of disinterest, and may not be paid on an outcome-based fee (§§ 522F.6, 522F.11). An adjuster may not serve as appraiser or umpire on a claim they adjusted. Acting without a license is a felony.

The clock

Day 0 Written demand Either party. Certified mail.
By day 20 Appraisers named 20 days for each side
By day 35 Umpire chosen 15 days, or a judge appoints
On site Inspection Both estimates, line by line
The award Award signed Any two of three
After filing Payment Commonly within 60 days

Day 0 Written demand Either party. Certified mail.
By day 20 Appraisers named 20 days for each side
By day 35 Umpire chosen 15 days, or a judge appoints
On site Inspection Both estimates, line by line
The award Award signed Any two of three
After filing Payment Commonly within 60 days

Appraisal in Iowa begins with a written demand from one party to the other. The deadlines in the table above run from that demand: first the period to name an appraiser, then the period for the two appraisers to agree on an umpire. Send the demand by certified mail with return receipt, and keep a copy with the policy.

Once the panel is complete, the appraisers inspect the property, prepare their estimates and work through the differences line by line. Only what they cannot settle goes to the umpire.

On the deadline to sue: No tolling. Iowa courts have upheld two-year policy suit clauses; the standard fire policy form uses twelve months.

What the panel decides

Amount of loss, including the causation questions bound up in it. In Walnut Creek Townhome Ass'n v. Depositors Ins. Co. (Iowa 2018) the Iowa Supreme Court held appraisers necessarily decide how much of the damage was caused by the covered event. Coverage stays with the court.

Everywhere, including Iowa, the panel leaves alone whether the policy covers the loss, how the policy language is read, and whether the carrier acted in bad faith. Those are for the courts. An award that strays into them is the one most likely to be set aside.

Who may serve

Appraisers and umpires must be licensed by the Iowa Insurance Division (three years' relevant experience), sign a written attestation of disinterest, and may not be paid on an outcome-based fee (§§ 522F.6, 522F.11). An adjuster may not serve as appraiser or umpire on a claim they adjusted. Acting without a license is a felony.

Whatever the statute says, the policy standard is the one that decides most challenges: an appraiser must be competent and impartial, or in some forms disinterested. The contractor who will do the work, a public adjuster paid a share of the claim, or anyone employed by a party does not meet it. We are paid a flat fee for that reason.

The award

The award is binding and the carrier must pay it within sixty calendar days (§ 522F.16). A carrier may move to vacate for good cause within thirty days. Courts otherwise set awards aside only for fraud, mistake or misfeasance.

Points particular to Iowa

Under § 522F.14 the appraisers must submit their figures within forty-five days, and an umpire's award is due within forty-five days after that.

Chapter 522F was enacted by SF 619 (signed April 22, 2025). Iowa Insurance Division Bulletin 25-04 explains the transition for people already acting as appraisers and umpires. Crop-hail policies are exempt.

Ocean Side appraisers who serve on Iowa claims hold the Iowa appraiser license the statute requires.

Common losses in Iowa

The disputes we see most often in Iowa arise from:

Hail and wind
Derecho and tornado
Freeze and burst pipes

Flood is insured separately, usually through the National Flood Insurance Program, under federal rules rather than Iowa's. Its appraisal clause settles price only, and its deadlines are its own. How a flood claim works

Authorities

Statutes, regulations and case law change. This page was reviewed against official sources in October 2026 and describes the general rule; it is not legal advice about your claim.

Questions about appraisal in Iowa

Does my Iowa homeowners policy have an appraisal clause?

Almost certainly.

In Iowa the appraisal clause is written into state law (Iowa Code § 515.109 (standard fire policy); Iowa Code ch. 522F (appraisers, umpires and the appraisal process)), so fire and homeowners policies must include it. You will find it under the policy's conditions, usually under the heading Appraisal.

How long do we have to name an appraiser in Iowa?

Twenty days after the written demand, choosing from the Insurance Division's list of licensed appraisers (§ 522F.14).

Who chooses the umpire in Iowa if the appraisers cannot agree?

If the appraisers cannot agree, the Insurance Division selects an umpire at random from its list.

A court defers to that selection absent good cause.

Can the appraisers decide whether my loss is covered in Iowa?

Amount of loss, including the causation questions bound up in it.

In Walnut Creek Townhome Ass'n v. Depositors Ins. Co. (Iowa 2018) the Iowa Supreme Court held appraisers necessarily decide how much of the damage was caused by the covered event. Coverage stays with the court.

Does demanding appraisal pause the deadline to sue in Iowa?

No tolling.

Iowa courts have upheld two-year policy suit clauses; the standard fire policy form uses twelve months.

Do appraisers need a license in Iowa?

Nearby: Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin