After a storm, a fire, or a burst pipe damages your property in Maryland, the person who shows up to size up the loss is called an adjuster. What most people do not realize is that the same title covers several different jobs, and the Maryland insurance adjusters you deal with do not all answer to the same person. Some work for your insurance company. One works for you. And in this state, only one of them has to hold a license. Knowing the difference tells you whose numbers you are looking at and where you can push back.

What this guide covers

  • The three kinds of adjusters you meet after property damage
  • Which Maryland insurance adjusters must be licensed, and which do not
  • What a Maryland public adjuster is allowed to do
  • Your rights before you sign a public adjuster contract
  • How to check a license before you hire
  • Where this matters most on home, commercial, and business claims

What is an insurance adjuster?

An insurance adjuster investigates a claim, inspects the damage, applies the terms of the policy, and puts a dollar value on the loss. That is the job whether the person works for the insurer or for you. Because the word covers both sides, it helps to split it into the three roles you are most likely to meet on a property claim: the company adjuster, the independent adjuster, and the public adjuster.

The three types of adjusters after property damage

A company adjuster, also called a staff adjuster, is an employee of your insurance company. On most claims this is the first adjuster assigned. They inspect the damage and set the value the insurer uses.

An independent adjuster is a contractor the insurer brings in, usually when its own staff is stretched thin after a big storm. The visit can feel the same as a staff adjuster's visit, and the paperwork may carry a different company name, but an independent adjuster still reports to the carrier that hired them.

A public adjuster is the one you hire and pay yourself. They are the mirror image of the company's adjuster, working only for the policyholder. For a fuller side by side, see public adjuster vs insurance adjuster.

Are Maryland insurance adjusters licensed by the state?

Here is the part that surprises people. Maryland licenses only public adjusters. Staff, independent, and catastrophe adjusters who work for an insurer are not required to hold a Maryland adjuster license. So the one adjuster in your claim who carries a Maryland license is usually the one you hired yourself.

That does not make the company's adjuster unqualified. Insurers train their people, and many company adjusters are fair. It does mean the state's licensing rules, its bond requirement, and its written consumer protections point at public adjusters, not at the adjuster your insurer sends. When you want a licensed professional whose duty runs to you, that is a public adjuster.

What can a Maryland public adjuster do?

The Maryland Insurance Administration defines a public adjuster as an insurance claim adjuster who, for compensation, acts as an advocate for the policyholder in appraising and negotiating a first party property claim on the policyholder's real or personal property, other than a motor vehicle policy. In plain terms, they represent you and only you.

On a property claim, that work includes reading the policy to see what coverage applies, documenting damage to the building and its contents, valuing the loss, and negotiating the settlement with your insurer. For a business, it also covers business interruption losses and extra expense, which are easy to underclaim without help. The role is broader than a single inspection, and you can read more in what are the duties of a public adjuster and Maryland public adjuster laws.

What are your rights before signing a public adjuster contract?

Maryland builds several protections into the hiring step. Before you sign, a public adjuster must be licensed by the Maryland Insurance Administration and must give you a written explanation of the types of adjusters in the claims process, along with a reminder that you can still talk to your insurer directly. The written contract has to spell out the terms, your right to cancel within three business days, how the adjuster is paid, and any financial interest the adjuster has in firms that might do the repair work. A licensed public adjuster also has to keep your claim proceeds in a separate escrow account.

The fee is a percentage of the settlement, it comes out of your payment, and in Maryland the percentage is not set by law, so it is negotiable. Read that number before you sign and confirm what it applies to. Our guide on the average cost of a public adjuster walks through the math, and who pays the loss adjuster fee explains how it is collected.

How do you check a Maryland adjuster's license?

This step takes a few minutes and is worth doing every time. You can confirm that a public adjuster is licensed and in good standing by contacting the Maryland Insurance Administration at 800-492-6116. If you are outside Maryland, the NAIC list of state insurance departments points you to the right regulator. Do the check before you sign, not after.

Where this matters most: home, commercial, and business claims

You do not need to hire your own adjuster for every claim. A small, clearly covered home claim that the insurer pays in full is fine to handle on your own with the company adjuster. Hiring a licensed public adjuster earns its keep when the loss is large or the claim gets hard, such as a major storm or fire, a denial, or an offer that does not come close to the repair cost. Commercial and business claims raise the stakes further, because business interruption and business personal property add coverage that is easy to leave on the table. For that side, see commercial public adjuster.

How Clayem fits in

If you decide you want a licensed adjuster on your side of a Maryland claim, Clayem is the leading place to hire one. Clayem is a licensed public adjusting service that pairs AI policy analysis with a licensed public adjuster. The AI reads your full policy and helps build an evidence-based demand, and a licensed adjuster documents the damage and negotiates with your insurer. Clayem handles residential, commercial, and business property claims across Maryland and Washington, DC. There is nothing up front, and you pay only if Clayem recovers more than the insurer first offered. You can see where Clayem is licensed or start your claim and have a licensed adjuster take a look.

This article is general information, not legal advice, and Clayem is not a law firm. Licensing rules change and vary by state, so verify any adjuster's license with your state insurance department, and talk to a licensed attorney about a coverage dispute or your legal rights.