Retail & restaurants
Stores, strip centers, restaurants and food businesses — including equipment and inventory.
Commercial property claims
When your business is damaged, every day closed costs money
We represent business owners, landlords, churches and associations — not the insurance company. We document the building, the contents and the income you lost, and handle the claim so you can keep running your business.
Properties we work with
From the corner store to the apartment building
Commercial claims come in every size. If the property is insured under a commercial or business policy, we can review it.
Offices & medical offices
Professional offices and suites, owned or leased.
Warehouses & shops
Warehouses, workshops, auto shops and light industrial buildings.
Apartments & rentals
Multifamily buildings and rental properties owned as an investment.
Hotels & motels
Guest rooms, common areas and the income lost while rooms are out of service.
Churches
Sanctuaries, fellowship halls and ministry buildings.
Condos & HOAs
Associations and their common elements, working with the board and management.
Mixed-use
Buildings with businesses below and residences above.
What a commercial claim can include
A business claim is several claims in one
A homeowner's claim is mostly about the house. A commercial claim can involve several separate coverages, each with its own limit and rules. Depending on your policy, it may include:
- Building — the structure, roof, systems and permanently installed fixtures.
- Business personal property — equipment, furniture, computers, inventory and supplies.
- Business income (business interruption) — the net income you lose and continuing expenses, like payroll and rent, while the property is being restored.
- Extra expense — reasonable added costs to keep operating, like a temporary location or rented equipment.
- Tenant improvements — build-outs a tenant paid for, which are often insured by the tenant, not the landlord.
- Ordinance or law — extra cost to rebuild to current building codes.
- Debris removal, spoilage and other additional coverages with their own limits.
Insurance companies don't always bring up every coverage that could apply. We read the whole policy — including the endorsements — and make sure each part of the loss is presented under the right coverage.
Policy terms that decide commercial claims
Commercial policies have conditions that rarely appear in homeowner policies. These are the ones we explain to every business owner:
Coinsurance
Many commercial policies require you to insure the property for a minimum percentage of its value — often 80% or 90%. If you're insured for less, the payment can be reduced in proportion.
Example: a building worth $1,000,000 with an 80% coinsurance clause should be insured for at least $800,000. If it's insured for $600,000, that's 75% of the requirement — so a $100,000 covered loss might be paid at $75,000, before the deductible. We check whether coinsurance applies and whether the insurance company's valuation is correct.
Wind and hurricane deductibles
Commercial wind or hurricane deductibles are often a percentage of the insured value, and may apply per building or per location. On a large property, that can be a significant number. We show you how it's calculated on your claim.
Replacement cost vs. actual cash value
Replacement cost pays to repair or replace without deducting for age; actual cash value subtracts depreciation. Some policies pay actual cash value first and the rest after repairs are completed, within a time limit. Knowing which one applies changes how you plan repairs.
Business income waiting period and period of restoration
Business income coverage usually starts after a waiting period and lasts for the time reasonably needed to repair the property — the “period of restoration” — subject to the policy's limits. How that period is measured matters, and we help document it.
Sublimits, vacancy and protective safeguards
Some coverages have lower limits inside the main limit. Some policies reduce coverage if a building was vacant for a period of time, or require systems like alarms or sprinklers to be maintained. We look for these conditions early, before they become a surprise.
Business income
Lost income needs proof, not estimates
The business income part of a claim is built on numbers. We work with you — and with your accountant or bookkeeper — to put together what the insurance company will ask for:
- Profit and loss statements, before and after the loss
- Tax returns and sales records for prior periods
- Payroll records and ongoing expenses like rent and loan payments
- Receipts for extra expenses to stay open or reopen faster
- Seasonal patterns that explain what you would have earned
The better the records, the clearer the claim. If records are incomplete, we help you rebuild them from bank statements and other sources.
Right after the loss
Protect the property and the business
- Make it safe for employees and customers.
- Prevent more damage — tarps, water extraction, board-up. Keep invoices.
- Document everything — photos, video, damaged inventory and equipment, before anything is thrown out.
- Report the claim to your insurance company or agent and write down the claim number.
- Track every cost and every day the business is closed or limited.
- Call us before signing a settlement or a release you don't fully understand.
Do you rent your space? The landlord's policy usually covers the building. Your own business policy usually covers your equipment, inventory, improvements you paid for, and your lost income. Both claims can exist at the same time — we help you sort out which damage belongs to which policy.
How it works for businesses
A clear process, built around your operation
Free review of the loss and the policy
We review what happened and read your commercial policy — the declarations, the coverage forms and the endorsements.
Inspection on your schedule
We inspect the building, systems, equipment and inventory, working around your hours so you can keep serving customers where possible.
Documentation by coverage
Building, contents, business income and extra expense are documented separately, the way the insurance company evaluates them.
Presentation and negotiation
We present the claim, attend re-inspections, answer the insurance company's requests and push back firmly where we disagree.
Resolution, explained
We walk you through every payment and what it covers. Our fee is agreed in writing before you sign.
Commercial claim questions
Does my policy cover the income I lost while we were closed?
Only if your policy includes business income coverage and the closure was caused by covered physical damage. Many business owner policies include it; some don't. We check your declarations page and coverage forms.
I rent my space. Can I still file a claim?
Yes, under your own business policy — usually for your equipment, inventory, improvements you paid for and your lost income. The building itself is usually the landlord's claim.
Do you work with condo and HOA associations?
Yes. We work with the board and the management company on claims involving the association's buildings and common elements. Individual unit owners may have their own separate claim under their unit policy.
Can the business stay open during the claim?
Often, yes. We schedule inspections around your operation. Keeping records of reduced sales and extra costs during that time is important for the claim.
What types of damage do you handle on commercial property?
Hurricane and wind, roof leaks, water and plumbing, fire and smoke, and other sudden and accidental damage. See roof & hurricane, water and fire & smoke.
How much does it cost?
The initial review is free. If you hire us, our fee is a percentage of what the insurance company pays on the claim, agreed in writing before you sign and within Florida's public adjuster fee limits (Fla. Stat. § 626.854).
Coverage, limits, deductibles, coinsurance and outcomes depend on each policy and the facts of the loss. The examples on this page are for illustration only. We do not guarantee amounts or results.