Step 1: Pin down the disagreement
Before anything formal happens, write down exactly what you disagree with: which items are missing, which measurements are short, which prices are low, and what your contractor’s number is. Send it to the carrier with photos. A documented supplement request closes a lot of gaps on its own, and it gives you a record if it doesn’t.
Step 2: Read the appraisal condition
Find the paragraph titled “Appraisal” in the conditions section of your policy. Note who can demand it, how many days each side has to name an appraiser, how the umpire is chosen, and whether anything else — like a sworn proof of loss — must come first. Find the “Suit Against Us” condition too.
Step 3: Send a written demand
Either side may demand appraisal. The demand should identify the policy and claim, say that you disagree on the amount of loss, invoke the appraisal provision and name your appraiser or commit to naming one within the policy’s window. Send it in a way you can prove, such as certified mail plus email.
Step 4: Both appraisers are named
Each side picks a competent, independent appraiser. Yours inspects the property, measures everything and builds a line-item estimate. The carrier’s appraiser does the same. They exchange estimates and begin comparing.
Step 5: The umpire is selected
The two appraisers agree on a neutral umpire, ideally early so one is ready if needed. If they can’t agree within the policy’s time limit, either side can usually ask a court of record in the county where the property is — in Wyoming, typically the district court — to appoint one.
Step 6: The appraisers work it out
This is where most of the money moves. The appraisers walk the property together, compare quantities and prices, and agree on every item they can. Many Wyoming appraisals end here with both appraisers signing an agreed award.
Step 7: The umpire decides what’s left
Each appraiser submits a written position on the remaining items with photos, measurements and pricing support. The umpire may visit the property or meet with both appraisers, then decides each item.
Step 8: The award is signed and paid
An award signed by any two of the three sets the amount of loss. A good award separates replacement cost, depreciation and actual cash value by coverage. The carrier then pays under the policy terms, less the deductible and prior payments, with recoverable depreciation released when repairs are done.
What appraisal can’t do
- Decide whether a loss is covered — that’s a coverage question.
- Award interest, attorney’s fees or bad-faith damages.
- Pay more than your policy limits.
- Automatically pause your policy’s deadline to file suit.
Wyoming context
Property insurers in Wyoming are regulated by the Wyoming Department of Insurance in Cheyenne, which accepts consumer complaints about claim handling. Wyoming’s insurance code in Title 26 of the Wyoming Statutes includes rules on unfair claim settlement practices and a provision that can allow attorney’s fees and interest when an insurer unreasonably delays payment after proof of loss; Wyoming courts also recognize a common-law claim for first-party bad faith. Those are legal remedies outside appraisal, and the details matter — talk to a Wyoming-licensed attorney if you think they apply. Unlike many coastal states, Wyoming does not run a FAIR plan or state wind pool, so properties that are hard to insure are usually placed in the surplus lines market, where policy forms can differ more from standard wording.