Insurance appraisal in Tennessee

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

A judge of a court of record in the county of the property, on request (policy form).

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 state license for property claim appraisers. The policy requires each appraiser to be competent and impartial (some forms say disinterested), which is why an appraiser paid by a share of the award is open to challenge.

The clock

Appraisal in Tennessee 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 only. Under Batts, appraisers may not decide whether the damage was caused by a covered peril; causation and coverage are reserved to the court.

Everywhere, including Tennessee, 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 state license for property claim appraisers. The policy requires each appraiser to be competent and impartial (some forms say disinterested), which is why an appraiser paid by a share of the award is open to challenge.

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

Appraisal is not binding arbitration in Tennessee, and an award may be reviewed in court, but on the amount of loss it is given substantial weight (Merrimack Mut. Fire Ins. Co. v. Batts, 59 S.W.3d 142 (Tenn. Ct. App. 2001)).

Points particular to Tennessee

Tennessee follows the common form without notable departures. The general guide to how appraisal works applies as written.

Common losses in Tennessee

The disputes we see most often in Tennessee arise from:

• Tornado and wind
• Hail
• Flood-adjacent water (flood is separate)
• Freeze and burst pipes

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

Authorities

• Merrimack Mut. Fire Ins. Co. v. Batts, 59 S.W.3d 142 (Tenn. Ct. App. 2001)
• 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 Tennessee

Nearby: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia