Burien, WA public adjuster for shoreline, slide and water damage claims
Acuity Adjusters works Burien claims for homeowners, landlords and businesses, from Three Tree Point and Seahurst to Boulevard Park and Olde Burien. Much of the city’s housing sits on or beside steep slopes above six miles of Puget Sound shoreline, and slide, tide and rainwater damage each meet a different clause in a policy. 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.
Home › Service areas › Burien, WA
Who we help in Burien
Our Burien clients include:
- Waterfront and bluff homeowners at Three Tree Point, Seahurst and Shorewood
- Families in Gregory Heights, Lake Burien, Chelsea Park and Boulevard Park
- Landlords and businesses in Olde Burien, Burien Town Center and along Ambaum Boulevard
We step in on new claims and on claims that came back low or denied.
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.
Burien claim profile
Burien’s 2025 plan annex to the King County Regional Hazard Mitigation Plan, adopted by Resolution 532 on April 6, 2026, sets out these local risks:
Closed-depression flooding near SW 142nd Street
About 2% of Burien, not counting the shoreline, lies in the Special Flood Hazard Area. The annex maps a closed-depression flood zone near SW 142nd St between Ambaum Blvd SW and 4th Ave SW, where some yards still flood. Historic flooding in 2006 damaged several homes, and the city has finished two drainage projects in these areas with a third slated for 2025.
Slides on the Puget Sound bluffs
Burien lists its Puget Sound coastal properties, large ravines and the slopes along the Green/Duwamish valley as landslide areas, and notes that past slides have threatened or damaged homes. In 2024 the city hired a geotechnical engineering firm to assess its most vulnerable slopes.
Up to 56 inches of sea level rise
The annex cites sea level projections from as little as 4 inches to as much as 56 inches by 2100, which would add to coastal flooding and landslides, and expects the number of days with more than an inch of rain to grow 6% to 20% by the 2050s.
Burien contacts after a loss
Burien offices that come up once a claim starts:
- Emergency calls: Dial 911 for immediate danger.
- Fire district: King County Fire District #2 protects Burien and Normandy Park.
- Permits for repairs: Apply through the Burien Permit Center.
- Claim rules in Washington: The Insurance Commissioner homeowner claim guide lists the steps.
How we work a Burien claim
For Burien losses we separate bluff movement, seawater and rain intrusion at the start, since each is treated differently under a policy, then price the repairs at what local contractors charge and push for the difference; our water damage, fire damage, storm damage and vandalism and theft pages cover each claim type in detail.
Where we work
In Washington, the Office of the Insurance Commissioner licenses public adjusters and explains how to file a home insurance claim. Burien is one of many Washington cities we serve, along with Oregon and Southern California; see all service areas.
Burien claim questions
Is a bluff slide behind my Burien waterfront home covered?
Most homeowners policies exclude earth movement, including landslides, but damage that follows, such as a fire or a broken water line, may still be covered. Read the exclusion wording before accepting a denial. Burien’s 2025 annex notes that past slides on its coastal slopes have threatened or damaged homes.
My Burien yard floods every winter near SW 142nd Street. What can I claim?
Rainwater that pools on the ground is treated as flood by most homeowners policies and needs a separate flood policy. Water that gets inside through storm damage or a burst pipe is usually covered. The 2025 annex maps a closed-depression flood zone in that area and says some yards still flood.
Does homeowners insurance cover high water from Puget Sound?
No. Water rising from the Sound is flood, which standard homeowners policies exclude, so shoreline owners need a flood policy for it. Wind damage from the same storm, such as a torn roof, is a separate homeowners claim.
How much does a public adjuster cost in Burien?
Nothing up front. Our fee is a percentage of your claim, and we are paid only when your insurance company pays you.
Talk to a Burien 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.