One of Florida’s best-known independent public adjusting firms, representing homeowners and businesses on property claims since 1985 from their Tampa headquarters.
Tutwiler & Associates has represented Florida policyholders since 1984 from its Tampa headquarters. The firm handles residential and commercial property claims including hurricane, wind, fire, flood, roof damage, and mold, and offers a free policy review before a loss turns into a dispute. Their adjusters file, document, and negotiate claims end to end, and the firm publishes extensive consumer guidance on Florida claim deadlines and insurer tactics.
Verification reflects what state records showed on the date listed. Licenses lapse; confirm a current license with the state before you sign anything.
A condominium association came to us after an initial carrier offer that covered drying but little reconstruction. Full documentation of hidden moisture paths and code requirements produced a revised settlement more than four times the original offer. Individual results vary and this is not a guarantee of outcome.
Smoke contamination extended far beyond the burned area. The claim expanded to include equipment cleaning, ductwork, and business interruption coverage the owner had not been told applied. The business reopened without taking a loan. Individual results vary.
Individual results vary. This is not a guarantee of outcome.
Mike did an amazing job helping us after our house flooded. He handled the entire insurance process and made everything so much easier. Highly recommend.
ALVARO an his team with Caleb has been assisting me with my claim and I look forward to great results so far it has been a great experience
After Hurricane Helene, Rick Tutwiler has provided exceptional advice and guidance for my insurance claims. I had never dealt with public adjusters or such a significant claims before. Now, I'm confident and grateful for Rick’s support. I highly recommend him!
SUMMARY: Hire Tutwiler & Associates—specifically, Scott Luginski—NOW! DETAILS: I am a retired Michigan-licensed attorney living in central Florida. In April of 2021, our home (built in 1999-2000 and ~3,800sf under roof), which we moved into in 2015, was hit by a major hail storm and a relatively minor tornado (compared to what I saw growing up in the Midwest). I took many photos of our property during the storm (while safely inside) and immediately afterwards (from outside), and also captured a screenshot of a news report about the tornado. The next day, I called our homeowners insurance company and began the claims process. They were very polite and quickly sent out an adjuster to assess the damage. He, too, was very polite, claimed to have many years of experience, seemed quite knowledgeable, and spent 1-2 hours on our roof taking photos and assessing the damage. When he finished, we spoke for awhile and, after he left, I felt reasonably confident we would receive a settlement amount sufficient to cover most or all of the cost to replace our roof, which I assumed (without researching) would cost $12,000–$15,000. A short time later (before the end of the month) we received a check from the insurance company in the amount of…wait for it…$214.46. No, I’m not kidding! After researching countless public adjusters in Florida, I chose to contact Tutwiler. Soon after, a very nice gentleman named Scott Luginski came to meet with us at our home. Before we agree to hire Tutwiler on a contingency fee basis (i.e., they only get paid a percentage of any settlement/judgement/award), I peppered Scott with what must have seemed like an endless stream skepticism-filled questions, yet he patiently, clearly, and completely answered each one. In addition, Scott was honest about how long the entire process could take (8-9 months), so no unrealistic expectations were created about the timing. Lastly, the Tutwiler agreement was a single page with minimal (but not completely devoid of) “legalese”. Throughout the entire process that ensued, Scott periodically updated us on what to expect, when to expect it, and he helped as each and every step (e.g., completing various paperwork). RESULT: After the insurance company’s initial lowball offer (see above), Scott Luginski of Tutwiler & Associates was able to secure a settlement large enough that—even after deducting Tutwiler’s contingency fee—we were able to have the most reputable roofing company in our area replace our entire roof (~$21,000), with no money ($0.00) out-of-pocket to the roofer. Just as Scott told us at the beginning, the entire Tutwiler (pre-roofing) process to settle our claim took 8-9 months. CRITICISM/HEADS-UP: The only thing that was not clear to us (maybe we missed/forgot it?)—and, therefore, we found to be an unpleasant surprise, was precisely how and when Tutwiler—and we—would be paid, which was as follows: 1. The insurance company sent the final settlement check directly to Tutwiler, made out to three parties: (a) Tutwiler; (b) us; and (c) the mortgage company. 2. At this point, Tutwiler requested full payment of its contingency BEFORE it would endorse and send us the check. While we were able to do this, for some (many/most?) people, I am certain that paying several thousand dollars out-of-pocket would be impractical/impossible. Therefore, the only criticism I have of Tutwiler is that this was not made crystal clear (i.e., strongly & repeatedly emphasized from the very beginning) to avoid any possibility of an unpleasant surprise. 3. After receiving the endorsed check from Tutwiler, we then endorsed it and sent it to the mortgage company for their final endorsement. In our case, this was a very fast and simple process, and we received the fully-endorsed check a few days later. However, your experience with your mortgage company might be different, so best to contact them as early as possible to ensure your understanding of their requirements, process, and timing. Still, we strongly recommend that you hire Tutwiler & Associates—specifically, Scott Luginski—NOW!
Nick Chase at Tutwiler was fantastic! Insurance company refused to pay, Nick went to work and I now have check in hand! Don’t accept anything less.
Scott recently assisted me with a water claim at my home. My insurance carrier barely offered me enough money to repair surface issues with my master bathroom, let alone the underlying damage that had been done. Mr. Luginski was able to create an estimate that accurately represented my loss. My claim was contested and settled expeditiously because of his efforts. I love my new bathroom and have now been compensated fairly for my loss. This review is a thank you, and an endorsement for anyone that is looking for a PA to assist them with a homeowners claim.
