Auburn, WA public adjuster for flood-zone, earthquake and storm claims
Acuity Adjusters represents Auburn homeowners, landlords and businesses, from Lea Hill and West Hill to Lakeland Hills and the valley floor around downtown. A large share of Auburn’s buildings stand on soils that can liquefy in a strong quake, and more than a hundred sit in the mapped floodplain, so what a policy pays depends on the exact cause of loss. You pay nothing up front: we are paid only when you are paid.
We answer our phones 24/7/365. Licensed public adjusters for Oregon, Washington and California.
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Who we help in Auburn
Auburn owners we work for include:
- Homeowners on Lea Hill, West Hill and in Lakeland Hills
- Families in South Auburn and the older blocks around downtown
- Owners of warehouses, shops and rentals in North Auburn and on the valley floor
We can help from the first call to the carrier through an appeal of a denied claim.
The public adjusters who handle your claim
Delano Howell, founder and public adjuster
A Stanford University graduate and former NFL starting safety with the Indianapolis Colts, Delano has eight years of adjusting experience advocating for policyholders.
Randy Gower, public adjuster, appraiser and umpire
Nearly 30 years in adjusting: Claim Supervisor with COUNTRY Financial over seven offices in Oregon and Washington, more than 17 years as an Executive Adjuster with Adjusters International, and owner of Gower Adjusting and Appraisal Services since 2000.
Every client gets a dedicated claim adjuster, so you always know who is handling your file. Meet the team or verify our California license.
Auburn claim profile
The City of Auburn plan annex to the King County Regional Hazard Mitigation Plan, linked from the city’s Local Hazards page, measures Auburn’s exposure this way:
114 buildings in the mapped floodplain
About 6.43% of Auburn lies in the Special Flood Hazard Area, with 114 structures exposed and a building and contents value of $685.5 million. The city’s last major flood came during the 2015 declared flood emergency, with lowland flooding and small landslides, and in 1996 Auburn bought and cleared a repeatedly flooded property at 1508 W Main St using hazard mitigation grant funds.
Liquefaction under the valley floor
Of Auburn’s 15,352 structures, 6,715, or 43.7%, sit in moderate or higher liquefaction zones, with an exposed value near $8.1 billion. Over 78% of the city’s building stock went up before 1994, when seismic provisions became uniformly applied through the building code.
143 structures in landslide areas
The annex counts 143 structures, valued at about $142 million, in landslide hazard areas inside city limits, most of them homes on Auburn’s hills. It adds that key roads in those areas are periodically closed by slides.
Auburn help after a loss
For the first days of an Auburn claim:
- If anyone is at risk: Dial 911 for immediate danger.
- Fire response: Valley Regional Fire Authority serves Auburn.
- Rebuilding permits: Go through Auburn Building Services & Permitting.
- Washington claim steps: See the Insurance Commissioner page on homeowner claims.
How we build an Auburn claim
On Auburn claims we pin down the cause first, since flood, earth movement and storm damage are covered so differently, then price repairs at what King and Pierce County contractors charge and negotiate the shortfall; our water damage, fire damage, storm damage and vandalism and theft pages explain each claim type.
Where we work
In Washington, the Office of the Insurance Commissioner licenses public adjusters and explains how to file a home insurance claim. Auburn sits in both King and Pierce counties, and we serve both, plus the rest of Washington, Oregon and Southern California; see all service areas.
Auburn claim questions
My Auburn home is in the mapped floodplain. Will homeowners insurance cover a flood?
No. Flood is excluded from standard homeowners policies and needs a separate flood policy. The city’s annex counts 114 structures in Auburn’s Special Flood Hazard Area, so owners there should confirm their flood coverage before the wet season. Wind or burst-pipe damage during the same storm is a separate homeowners claim.
Does homeowners insurance cover earthquake damage to my Auburn home?
Usually not. Earthquake damage, including settling from liquefaction, is excluded from most homeowners policies unless earthquake coverage was added, although a fire caused by the quake is generally covered. Auburn’s annex places 43.7% of the city’s structures in moderate or higher liquefaction zones.
A slide damaged the slope behind my Auburn home. Is that covered?
Most homeowners policies exclude earth movement, including landslides, but damage that follows from it, such as a fire or a broken water line, may still be covered. Photograph the slope and any cracks early, and read the exclusion wording before accepting a denial.
How much does a public adjuster cost in Auburn?
Nothing up front. Our fee is a percentage of your claim, and we are paid only when your insurance company pays you.
Talk to an Auburn public adjuster about your claim
Tell us what happened. We’ll tell you what your policy owes you.
Call us any time, or send your claim details with the form. The first conversation is free.