A fire does not have to reach your property to damage it. Smoke moves through walls, attics, ductwork, and open doors. It leaves residue on surfaces and odor in soft materials, sometimes in rooms that look untouched at first glance.
Smoke Damage Public Adjuster is a Texas public adjusting firm focused on smoke and fire damage claims. We are operated by Rise Public Adjusting LLC, licensed by the Texas Department of Insurance (License #3356839), and we represent policyholders, not insurance companies.
This page explains what a Texas Smoke Damage Public Adjuster does, how we differ from the insurance company's adjuster, what we document, and where we work across the state.
What is a public adjuster?
A public adjuster is a licensed professional who represents the policyholder in a property insurance claim. According to the Texas Department of Insurance, you can hire a public insurance adjuster to negotiate with your insurance company to settle your claim, and public adjusters are licensed by TDI.
In practical terms, a public adjuster for smoke damage does the claim work many policyholders don't have the time or background to do themselves: inspecting and documenting the loss, reviewing the policy and the carrier's estimate, organizing contents and supporting records, preparing the claim, and communicating with the insurer.
A Smoke Damage Public Adjuster focuses on the specific problems smoke creates in a claim. Smoke damage is often less visible than fire damage, harder to measure, and easy to under-scope. Residue in HVAC systems, odor in insulation, and soot inside closed cabinets can all be missed during a short inspection.
Insurance company adjuster vs. public adjuster
Both types of adjusters work on the same claim, but they have different roles. Neither role is adversarial by definition. The difference is who each one works for.
| Insurance company adjuster | Public adjuster | |
|---|---|---|
| Works for | The insurance company | The policyholder |
| Hired by | The carrier (staff or independent) | You, through a written contract |
| Paid by | The carrier | You, under the contract terms |
| Main role | Investigate and evaluate the claim for the carrier | Document, prepare, and present the claim for the policyholder |
| Licensed in Texas | Yes | Yes, by TDI as a public adjuster |
| Prepares an estimate | Yes, for the carrier | Yes, as part of the claim presentation |
| Cost to policyholder | None directly | Fee set in a written contract |
Insurance company adjusters, whether staff or independent, evaluate the claim under the policy for the carrier. A public adjuster evaluates the same loss for you. Having your own documentation and claim presentation can help make sure the carrier is reviewing the full scope of the loss.
Licensed in Texas
Public adjusters in Texas are licensed by the Texas Department of Insurance. Smoke Damage Public Adjuster operates under Rise Public Adjusting LLC, TDI License #3356839.
TDI suggests that consumers call its Help Line at 800-252-3439 to confirm whether a public insurance adjuster is licensed and whether complaints or disciplinary actions are on record. We encourage you to check.
TDI also explains that, under Texas law, a public adjuster who works on your claim can't act as your contractor, can't practice law or provide legal advice, and can't keep you from talking with your insurance company. That lines up with how we work: we handle the claim, you choose your own contractors, and legal questions go to an attorney.
Public adjuster contracts and compensation are regulated in Texas. For more detail, see our Texas public adjuster rules page.
What we document on smoke and fire claims
Good documentation is the foundation of every claim we handle. As your Smoke Damage Public Adjuster, we look at the whole property, not just the room where the fire started.
Structure
Walls, ceilings, trim, cabinets, doors, flooring, and fixtures in every affected room, including areas far from the fire.
Soot and residue
Visible deposits, discoloration, and residue on surfaces, documented with photos and room-by-room notes.
Smoke odor
Which rooms and materials retain odor, and whether earlier cleaning addressed it.
HVAC systems
Registers, returns, and accessible components that can carry residue through the building.
Contents
Furniture, clothing, electronics, inventory, and stored items, listed with descriptions and condition.
Fire damage
Direct fire, heat, and related water damage from firefighting efforts.
We also review the policy, the carrier's estimate, correspondence, consultant reports, invoices, and any inventories already prepared. Our claim process page walks through each step.
Residential smoke damage claims
We work with homeowners, landlords, and renters with contents coverage across Texas. Residential smoke claims often involve:
- Kitchen fires that spread smoke through the house
- Attic or garage fires that send residue into living areas
- Smoke from a neighboring home or unit
- Wildfire smoke in homes near grassland or brush
- Large contents inventories, including clothing and soft goods
Many homeowners live in the property during the claim, or pay for temporary housing while they wait. Keeping receipts and a clear record from the start helps. See residential smoke damage claims.
Commercial smoke damage claims
Businesses face a different set of issues. A commercial smoke claim may involve inventory, equipment, tenant improvements, shared building systems, and business interruption, depending on the policy.
We work with owners of offices, retail spaces, restaurants, warehouses, multifamily properties, churches, and other commercial buildings. Commercial claims often need more coordination between the building owner, tenants, property managers, and multiple policies. See commercial smoke damage claims.
Statewide coverage across Texas
We serve policyholders throughout Texas. Smoke and fire losses happen in every part of the state, and the circumstances around them vary by region. Visit our Texas service area page for city-specific information.
Gulf Coast
The Houston area and the broader Gulf Coast include dense neighborhoods, large apartment communities, and major industrial and petrochemical corridors. Industrial fires near residential areas can raise questions about smoke that traveled some distance. See Houston.
Dallas–Fort Worth
The Metroplex has a large number of multifamily properties, commercial buildings, and growing suburbs. In apartments and condos, smoke from one unit can affect neighbors through shared walls, hallways, and attics. See Dallas.
Central Texas
Austin and the surrounding Hill Country combine fast-growing urban areas with wooded, brushy land at the edges of development. Both structure fires and wildland fire smoke can lead to claims. See Austin.
South Texas and the Rio Grande Valley
San Antonio, Corpus Christi, Laredo, and the Valley include a mix of older homes, newer construction, and commercial properties. See San Antonio.
West Texas
El Paso, Midland, Odessa, and the surrounding region include open rangeland where grass and brush fires can move toward homes and structures. See El Paso.
Panhandle
Lubbock, Amarillo, and the Panhandle include large areas of grassland where the wildland-urban interface is a real consideration for property owners. See Lubbock.
East Texas
Tyler, Longview, Beaumont, and the Piney Woods include heavily wooded areas, rural properties, and industrial facilities near the coast. Rural homes may have longer fire response times and more extensive smoke exposure.
For recent fire activity around the state, see Texas fire and smoke events.
Texas fire and smoke contexts
Texas is large and varied, and the way smoke damage happens differs from place to place. Without getting into numbers, a few patterns come up regularly.
Wildland-urban interface. In West Texas, the Panhandle, and parts of Central Texas, homes and businesses sit close to grassland and brush. When those areas burn, smoke can reach properties that were never touched by flames. These claims often turn on documentation, because damage may be spread thin across the whole structure.
Industrial corridors. Along the Gulf Coast and in other industrial areas, fires at plants or storage facilities can send smoke into nearby neighborhoods. Policyholders may have questions about residue, odor, and what the policy provides for this kind of event.
Dense multifamily housing. In Houston, Dallas, Austin, San Antonio, and other metros, a fire in one apartment or condo unit can affect many others. Owners, tenants, and associations may each have separate policies covering different parts of the loss.
Older and rural properties. Older homes and rural properties may have construction features that let smoke travel through attics and wall cavities. Longer response times in rural areas can also mean more smoke exposure.
Every one of these situations depends on the policy and the facts. That is why we start by reading the policy and documenting what is actually there.
When to call a public adjuster for smoke damage
There is no single right time. People contact a Smoke Damage Public Adjuster at different points:
- Right after the fire, to help document the loss before cleaning starts and before the carrier inspection
- After the first estimate, when it does not seem to reflect the damage. See underpaid smoke damage claims.
- After a denial, to review the basis and the documentation. See denied smoke damage claims.
- When the claim has stalled. See delayed smoke damage claims.
- When the contents inventory feels overwhelming
Earlier involvement can make documentation easier, but we also review claims that are already well underway. Texas law and your policy set timelines for parts of the claim process; check your policy and TDI resources, and ask an attorney if you have questions about legal deadlines.
What we don't do
We are not a restoration company or contractor. As a Texas Smoke Damage Public Adjuster, we don't:
- Clean, deodorize, or remediate smoke damage
- Perform demolition, repairs, or rebuilding
- Service or repair HVAC systems
- Give legal advice
- Promise a specific outcome or settlement amount
You choose your own contractors. If your claim involves legal questions, an attorney can advise on your legal rights.
How fees work
Our fee is typically a contingency fee tied to the claim payment. The fee and terms are set in a written contract that you review before signing, and Texas regulates public adjuster contracts and compensation.
Under Texas Insurance Code §4102.104, a public adjuster may be paid by an hourly fee, a flat rate, a percentage of the amount paid, or another method, and "the total commission received may not exceed 10 percent of the amount of the insurance settlement on the claim." TDI's rules state that this limit includes the adjuster's expenses and costs. TDI also notes that the fee can be based on the total settlement, not just the disputed amount, and that you can ask for the fee to be stated in dollars instead of a percentage.
Texas law requires public adjuster contracts to allow the client to cancel by written notice within 72 hours of signing. TDI's consumer page on public adjusters explains fees and contracts from the consumer's perspective, and we encourage you to read it.
Our initial claim review is free and there is no obligation to hire us. For more detail, see our Texas public adjuster rules page.
Questions to ask any public adjuster
Whether you work with us or someone else, TDI suggests asking a few questions before you sign a contract. Among them: Will you inspect my damaged property? Will you talk to my insurance company? How long will it take to settle my claim?
We would add a few of our own:
- Who will actually inspect the property and handle the claim day to day?
- How will you document contents, and how much of that work falls on me?
- How will you keep me informed, and how often?
- How is the fee calculated, and what does it apply to?
Clear answers to these questions are a good sign. You should also be able to confirm the adjuster's license with TDI before signing anything.
What happens after you contact us
The first conversation is a claim review. We ask what happened, when, what the carrier has done so far, and what documents you have. If a claim hasn't been filed yet, we talk through what the process generally looks like.
If it looks like we can help, we explain the contract and fee before you sign. If we don't think we are the right fit, or if the situation sounds like it needs an attorney, we tell you that directly. From there, the work follows the steps on our claim process page: inspection, policy and claim file review, documentation, claim presentation, and carrier communication.
Frequently asked questions
What does a Texas smoke damage public adjuster do?
We represent the policyholder in a smoke or fire insurance claim. We inspect and document the damage, review the policy and the carrier's estimate, organize contents and supporting records, prepare the claim, and communicate with the insurer.
Is a public adjuster the same as the insurance company's adjuster?
No. The insurance company's adjuster evaluates the claim for the carrier. A public adjuster is hired by and represents the policyholder.
Are public adjusters licensed in Texas?
Yes. Public adjusters in Texas are licensed by the Texas Department of Insurance. Smoke Damage Public Adjuster is operated by Rise Public Adjusting LLC, TDI License #3356839.
Do you handle smoke damage claims outside Houston and Dallas?
Yes. We serve policyholders throughout Texas, including the Gulf Coast, DFW, Central Texas, South Texas and the Rio Grande Valley, West Texas, the Panhandle, and East Texas.
Do you work on commercial smoke damage claims?
Yes. We work with offices, retail spaces, restaurants, warehouses, multifamily properties, and other commercial buildings, as well as residential properties.
Can I still talk to my insurance company if I hire a public adjuster?
Yes. You can always talk with your insurance company. We handle most day-to-day claim communication and keep you informed.
Do you clean or repair smoke damage?
No. We are public adjusters, not a restoration or construction company. You choose your own contractors.
Is wildfire smoke damage covered?
It depends on your policy language and the facts of the loss. We review the policy and document the conditions before discussing how the claim may be presented.