At a glance
- Name an appraiser
- The policy form (most homeowners forms use 20 days).
- Choose an umpire
- If the two appraisers cannot agree within 15 days, either party may ask a judge of a court of record in the county where the property sits to choose the umpire.
- If they cannot agree
- The district court (or the federal court if the case has been removed), on request. Courts weigh experience with the type of loss, absence of bias, and proximity.
- Suit deadline paused?
- No. Demanding appraisal does not pause the deadline to sue under the policy. Note that deadline before you demand appraisal.
- Licensing
- No license. The policy standard of impartiality is enforced: a federal court in Kansas disqualified a non-impartial appraiser in 2024.
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 Kansas 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. Demanding appraisal does not pause the deadline to sue under the policy. Note that deadline before you demand appraisal.
What the panel decides
Amount of loss per the policy wording. No Kansas appellate decision on causation or scope has been located.
Everywhere, including Kansas, 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
No license. The policy standard of impartiality is enforced: a federal court in Kansas disqualified a non-impartial appraiser in 2024.
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
Uncertain. Friday v. Trinity Universal of Kansas, 262 Kan. 347 (1997), held a fire policy appraisal clause was a form of arbitration prohibited by the former K.S.A. 5-401. That statute was repealed on July 1, 2018 when Kansas adopted the Revised Uniform Arbitration Act, which contains no insurance carve-out. Awards are now generally treated as binding on the amount, but a Kansas appellate decision confirming that is still awaited.
Points particular to Kansas
A 2024 bill to restore the pre-2018 bar on binding appraisal (HB 2593) did not pass.
Kansas has a valued-policy law (K.S.A. 40-905) for total losses by fire, which sets the amount at the policy limit and leaves little for appraisal.
Common losses in Kansas
The disputes we see most often in Kansas arise from:
- Hail
- Tornado and wind
- Wildfire
- Freeze and burst pipes
Flood is insured separately, usually through the National Flood Insurance Program, under federal rules rather than Kansas's. Its appraisal clause settles price only, and its deadlines are its own. How a flood claim works
Authorities
- Friday v. Trinity Universal of Kansas, 262 Kan. 347 (1997)
- K.S.A. 5-423 et seq. (Revised Uniform Arbitration Act)
- K.S.A. 40-905
- The general guide to insurance appraisal
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 Kansas
Does my Kansas homeowners policy have an appraisal clause?
Almost certainly.
Kansas does not require the clause by statute, but nearly every homeowners and commercial property form sold in the state includes one. Look in the policy's conditions section, usually under the heading Appraisal.
How long do we have to name an appraiser in Kansas?
The policy form (most homeowners forms use 20 days).
Who chooses the umpire in Kansas if the appraisers cannot agree?
The district court (or the federal court if the case has been removed), on request.
Courts weigh experience with the type of loss, absence of bias, and proximity.
Can the appraisers decide whether my loss is covered in Kansas?
Amount of loss per the policy wording.
No Kansas appellate decision on causation or scope has been located.
Does demanding appraisal pause the deadline to sue in Kansas?
No. Demanding appraisal does not pause the deadline to sue under the policy.
Note that deadline before you demand appraisal.
Do appraisers need a license in Kansas?
No license.
The policy standard of impartiality is enforced: a federal court in Kansas disqualified a non-impartial appraiser in 2024.
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