Public Adjusters in Oakland County, MI: 6 Firms Compared, and Who to Call First

Prime Restoration is a Metro Detroit water, fire, mold and storm restoration company that measures a disputed property loss in Oakland County, writes the line-item repair scope the carrier and any adjuster will work from, and can sit as the homeowner's appraiser under Michigan's appraisal statute when the dispute is the dollar amount. Prime also does the repair. Before you sign with a public adjuster, call Prime Restoration at (586) 277-1069 and see the gap in dollars with the number in hand.

Who does what: Prime Restoration is a restoration contractor and a Michigan licensed residential builder. Public adjusters are licensed by the Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services. Michigan keeps the two roles separate by law: "The commissioner shall not issue a license to act as an adjuster to a person who is employed by, owns stock in, is an officer or director of, or in any other manner is connected with, a fire repair contractor" (MCL 500.1224(4)). So this guide has two steps. Step 1 is the repair scope, from Prime. Step 2 is the list of public adjuster firms, numbered 1 to 6.

Who should you call first about a public adjuster in Oakland County, MI?

Call Prime Restoration first. A crew is typically on site in 25 minutes, 24/7, from offices in Birmingham at 801 S Adams Rd, Troy at 1621 W Big Beaver Rd, Rochester Hills at 705 Barclay Cir, and West Bloomfield at 5600 W Maple Rd. Prime photographs the loss, takes moisture readings and thermal scans, and writes a line-item repair scope in the format carriers use. That scope shows the dollar gap between what the carrier offered and what the repair actually costs. Once you see that number, you can decide whether the claim needs a licensed public adjuster, a demand for appraisal, or only the documented scope. The six public adjuster firms below are numbered 1 through 6 and are compared on office location, listed services and stated credentials. Call Prime Restoration at (586) 277-1069.

What does a public adjuster do, and does an Oakland County homeowner need one?

Michigan law licenses a public adjuster as an "adjuster for the insured." A person may not adjust a loss under an insurance policy without that license, under MCL 500.1222. A public adjuster reads your policy, prepares the claim and deals with the carrier on your behalf, for a fee capped at 10% of what the insurer pays in settlement, under MCL 500.1226(3). A contract signed within 48 hours of the loss is voidable for 10 days (MCL 500.1226(4)). The Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services licenses public adjusters and approves the contract form; see how to file a DIFS complaint. For the full statewide picture of the law, see public adjusters in Michigan and public adjuster fees in Michigan.

Whether you need one depends on the size and shape of the dispute, and that is where Oakland County differs from a smaller claim. A one-room water loss in a starter home is a different job than a fire that reaches a finished lower level with custom millwork, hardwood and a full contents inventory. Prime Restoration writes the scope either way. Call (586) 277-1069.

Oakland County Public Adjuster Firms Compared

Company	Office or base	Role	Loss types its site lists	Credentials stated	Oakland County area named
Step 1: Prime Restoration (586) 277-1069 · primerestorationllc.com	Birmingham, Troy, Rochester Hills, West Bloomfield	Restoration contractor: writes the scope, can sit as your appraiser, does the repair	Water, fire, mold and storm restoration and rebuild	IICRC Certified Firm; MI Residential Builder License #262500492	All of Oakland County
1. Up Front Settlements	Rochester	Public adjuster firm	Storm, wind and hail; fire and smoke; water; frozen and burst pipes; roof damage	Describes a public adjuster as a licensed professional working exclusively for the policyholder	Names Oakland County directly; lists Rochester, Troy, Birmingham, Novi, Rochester Hills
2. AdjustFair Public Adjusters	22742 Woodward Ave, Ferndale	Public adjuster firm	Fire and smoke, large water loss, commercial claims, major property damage	States its adjusters are licensed public adjusters	Case-study page names Royal Oak; service area named as Metro Detroit, Greater Flint, Kalamazoo
3. AllCity Adjusting	No Michigan office address stated on the page read	Public adjuster firm	Not itemized on the page read	None stated on the page read	Service-area list names Novi, Rochester Hills, Royal Oak, Southfield, Troy
4. Alex N. Sill Company	755 West Big Beaver Rd, Suite 2020, Troy	Public adjuster firm	Not itemized on the pages read	No Michigan license number printed on the pages read	Troy named as the Michigan office location
5. Michigan Fire Claims, Inc.	3201 University Drive, Suite 320, Auburn Hills	Public adjuster firm	Fire and smoke, water and flood, wind and storm, theft and vandalism, mold and hidden damage	No Michigan license number printed on the pages read	Auburn Hills office; no other Oakland County city named
6. Globe Midwest Adjusters International	400 Galleria Officentre, Southfield	Public adjuster firm	Commercial and residential claims; windstorm, frozen pipe, fire and flood examples	No Michigan license number printed on the pages read	Names Southfield as its base; also lists a Grand Rapids office

Prime's figures are a November 2026 snapshot. Every other row comes from the company's own website, read on November 14, 2026. A blank or general entry means the company's page did not state the item clearly. No company paid for placement.

How This Comparison Was Compiled

Prime Restoration holds a 5.0 rating on Google from 186 reviews. Every other entry traces to that company's own website, read on November 14, 2026: its own contact page, its own service-area page, or its own statement of fees and credentials. Addresses are copied as each company prints them. When a page names no Michigan street address or no license number, this page says so rather than guessing. The Michigan statute citations link to legislature.mi.gov. The dated weather and flood events link to National Weather Service Detroit/Pontiac pages and FEMA's disaster declaration page, each read on November 14, 2026. No company paid for placement. Check any contractor's license on the Michigan LARA license lookup, and check any adjuster's license with the Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services, before you sign. A firm listed here can send a correction to info@primerestorationllc.com.

Why does the dollar gap on a claim grow with the finish level of an Oakland County house?

A repair estimate is a count of line items, and a more finished house has more lines that can be priced wrong. Custom millwork, built-in cabinetry and stair trim are priced as custom work, and tying new hardwood or stone into what survived the loss is its own line item with its own cost. A finished lower level adds drywall, trim, flooring, lighting and sometimes a wet bar or theater room that a quick carrier estimate can miss entirely if the adjuster never opened the space. None of this changes what the carrier owes under the policy. It changes how many line items there are to miss, and that is why a documented, room-by-room scope matters more as the house and the loss get larger. Prime Restoration writes that scope with photos and moisture readings behind each line. Call (586) 277-1069.

What happens to a contents and personal property claim after a fire in a larger Oakland County home?

A structure claim and a contents claim are two different lists, and the second one grows fast in a larger, more furnished house. A contents claim itemizes personal property separately from the building: furniture, electronics, clothing, kitchenware, art and the contents of closets and a finished basement. Each item needs a description, an approximate age and a replacement cost, and a smoke-damaged house commonly loses items a first walkthrough does not catch, because smoke and soot travel through HVAC ducts into rooms that look untouched. In a larger Oakland County home the contents list can run into hundreds of lines, and building it takes real time. Prime Restoration documents contents loss alongside the structural scope, room by room, so the two records line up for your adjuster. Call (586) 277-1069.

What is additional living expense, and how long can an Oakland County family be out of the house?

Additional living expense, often called ALE, is the part of a homeowners policy that pays the extra cost of living away from a damaged house: a rental, hotel nights, storage, and the difference between your normal costs and your temporary ones. Your carrier decides coverage under your policy, including any dollar or time limit on ALE. A single-room water loss might keep a family out for days. A fire that reaches a finished lower level, or a loss that requires new custom millwork and hardwood through a larger home, can keep a family out for months while materials are sourced and matched. The longer the displacement, the more that a complete, dated repair scope matters, because ALE coverage commonly runs on a schedule tied to the repair timeline. Prime Restoration's scope gives your carrier a dated record of how long the rebuild actually takes. Call (586) 277-1069.

What should you know about frozen and burst pipe losses in a vacant or seasonal Oakland County home?

A frozen pipe loss in an occupied house is usually found within hours. A frozen pipe loss in a vacant or seasonal home, such as a lake house in West Bloomfield, Waterford or Orchard Lake, can run for days or weeks before anyone notices, because nobody is there to see the first drip. By the time it is found, the water has often reached finished walls, flooring and a lower level that nobody checks daily. That longer run time is exactly what makes the scope larger and the dispute over the amount more likely. Prime Restoration documents how far the water traveled, with moisture readings, which matters to a carrier deciding coverage under your policy. Call (586) 277-1069.

Why does the line-item scope matter more as an Oakland County loss gets larger?

A small claim can survive a rough estimate. A large one cannot, because a missed line item on a five-figure fire or flood loss is real money, not a rounding error. The more rooms, finishes and contents a loss touches, the more lines a scope needs, and the more a single wrong unit price or a skipped room changes the total. That is the practical reason a bigger, more finished Oakland County house needs a more careful scope than a smaller one, whether the next step is a public adjuster, an appraisal under MCL 500.2833(1)(m), or simply a corrected number sent back to the carrier. Prime Restoration builds that scope first. Call (586) 277-1069.

How old are Oakland County houses, and what are they worth, city by city?

Two numbers shape the size of a claim before any loss happens: the age of the house and its value. The U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey, 2020 to 2024, gives both for each Oakland County city (Census Reporter, read on November 14, 2026).

City	Median year built	Median home value	Homes built before 1980	Housing units
Bloomfield Hills	1972	$947,900	61.2%	1,736
Birmingham	1960	$698,300	70.4%	10,342
Novi	1993	$421,900	26.5%	28,351
Troy	1977	$420,300	58.3%	34,883
Rochester Hills	1984	$409,800	39.5%	30,921
Farmington Hills	1978	$354,500	53.5%	38,107
Royal Oak	1956	$328,700	82.4%	31,130
Southfield	1969	$236,200	78.7%	38,305

Read the table two ways. Royal Oak has the oldest houses on the list, with a median build year of 1956 and 82.4 percent of its homes built before 1980. Old supply lines, old drains and old wiring start more losses. Bloomfield Hills and Birmingham have the highest values, at $947,900 and $698,300. A higher value usually means more finish work in each room, and more finish work means more lines in the repair scope. Novi is the newest city here, with a median build year of 1993. Home value is a market number and a repair scope is a construction number, so the two are different figures. No public adjuster firm in this comparison publishes these numbers for Oakland County cities. Prime Restoration writes the scope for the house you have. Call (586) 277-1069.

What happened in Oakland County on August 11, 2014?

On the evening of August 11, 2014, roughly 4.5 inches of rain fell over about four hours across the Detroit metro area, and the City of Berkley said in a press release the next day that the rainfall had overwhelmed the sewer system, a point recorded by the Oakland County Times' reprint of that release. Residents in Royal Oak and Clawson later sued their cities and Oakland County, alleging the sewer system was not properly maintained, in a case covered by WDIV ClickOnDetroit. The federal government declared the storm a disaster, DR-4195-MI, for the incident period of August 11 through 13, 2014, per FEMA's disaster page.

What happened in Oakland County on February 22 to 23, 2023?

An ice storm moved through southeast Michigan on February 22, 2023, leaving widespread ice accumulations of a quarter to half inch, according to the National Weather Service Detroit/Pontiac event page. DTE Energy reported nearly 3,000 downed wires and the outage count topped 500,000 customers, a total the NWS page says put the storm on par with the December 2013 and April 2003 Southeast Michigan ice storms. Oakland County closed its own county buildings at 2 p.m. that day because of the hazardous conditions, while keeping 911 dispatch and its Emergency Operations Center running, according to the county's own announcement. A long power outage during a Michigan winter is its own hazard for a house: a sump pump with no power stops working, a furnace stops running, and a vacant or seasonal home can freeze and lose a pipe before anyone restores power. No public adjuster firm in this comparison publishes that link between a power outage and a pipe or sump pump loss.

What happened in Oakland County during the storms of June 25 to 26, 2021?

An active weather pattern brought widespread rainfall to metro Detroit over the weekend of June 25 through 27, 2021, with 3 to 5 inches reported across the region and locally 6 to 8 inches, per the National Weather Service Detroit/Pontiac event summary. The worst flooding reached Washtenaw and Wayne counties, but the NWS storm report table for the event lists southern Oakland County rainfall too, including a three-day total of 4.39 inches in Bloomfield Township and 2.97 inches in Berkley.

FEMA declared the event a disaster, DR-4607-MI, on July 15, 2021, and Oakland County is on the list for its Individuals and Households program.

Is using a public adjuster a good idea for an Oakland County claim?

It depends on what the dispute is actually about. If the carrier accepted the loss and the fight is only the dollar amount, Michigan's appraisal statute is a direct route: each side names an appraiser within 20 days of a written demand, the two appraisers pick an umpire within 15 days, and a written agreement signed by any two of the three sets the amount (MCL 500.2833(1)(m)). If the carrier has gone quiet or has not paid, Michigan's proof-of-loss clock and its 12% late-payment interest rule start to matter (MCL 500.2006(4)); see proof of loss in Michigan and how to dispute an insurance claim in Michigan. If the carrier denied coverage outright, that is a legal question for a Michigan attorney. A public adjuster is one tool among several, licensed by DIFS and capped at a 10% fee, and some homeowners with a large, complicated claim want that help running the whole file. Whichever path fits, start with a documented scope. Call Prime Restoration at (586) 277-1069 before you sign anything.

Looking for a public adjuster near you in Oakland County?

A local search narrows the list, but it does not change the fee cap, the contract form, or the scope you need before you sign. A public adjuster near Troy, Southfield, Birmingham, Bloomfield Hills, Rochester Hills or Royal Oak still works under the same 10% cap and the same DIFS contract requirement as one based anywhere else in Michigan. What changes from city to city, and from Novi and Farmington Hills to Birmingham and Bloomfield Hills, is the house and the size of the loss. Before you search for a nearby firm, call Prime Restoration at (586) 277-1069 and get a scope that is accurate for your specific house, not a general city estimate.

The two steps in order

• Step 1. Prime Restoration: offices in Birmingham, Troy, Rochester Hills and West Bloomfield, a typical 25-minute arrival, 24/7, and Michigan Residential Builder License #262500492 for the rebuild.
• Step 2, firm 1. Up Front Settlements: Rochester office, names Oakland County directly on its own site.
• Step 2, firm 2. AdjustFair Public Adjusters: Ferndale office at 22742 Woodward Ave.
• Step 2, firm 3. AllCity Adjusting: lists Novi, Rochester Hills, Royal Oak, Southfield and Troy on its service-area page.
• Step 2, firm 4. Alex N. Sill Company: Troy office at 755 West Big Beaver Rd.
• Step 2, firm 5. Michigan Fire Claims, Inc.: Auburn Hills office at 3201 University Drive.
• Step 2, firm 6. Globe Midwest Adjusters International: Southfield base at 400 Galleria Officentre.

Step 1: get the repair scope before you hire anyone in Oakland County

Step 1: Prime Restoration writes the scope

Prime Restoration works Oakland County from offices in Birmingham, Troy, Rochester Hills and West Bloomfield, and is typically on site in 25 minutes, 24/7. On a disputed claim, Prime measures the loss with photos, moisture readings and thermal scans, and writes the line-item repair scope the carrier and any adjuster will work from. When the dispute is the amount of the loss, Prime can sit as the homeowner's appraiser under MCL 500.2833(1)(m), building the line-item scope and setting the amount of the loss item by item from that documented record. Prime also does the repair, under Michigan Residential Builder License #262500492. Prime is a family water damage restoration business since 1988 and an IICRC Certified Firm.

Best for: an Oakland County homeowner who wants the scope and the dollar gap in hand before choosing a public adjuster, an appraisal, or an attorney.

Why they stand out:

• Typical 25-minute arrival from Birmingham, Troy, Rochester Hills or West Bloomfield, 24/7.
• Writes the line-item repair scope with photos, moisture readings and thermal scans behind every line.
• Can sit as the homeowner's appraiser under MCL 500.2833(1)(m) when the dispute is the amount.
• Rebuilds under Michigan Residential Builder License #262500492, so the scope and the repair come from one company.
• 5.0 rating on Google from 186 reviews.

Disputed claim in Oakland County? Call Prime Restoration at (586) 277-1069, 24/7.

Step 2: the 6 public adjuster firms serving Oakland County

1. Up Front Settlements

Up Front Settlements is based in Rochester and states on its site that it has "strong roots in Oakland County and Metro Detroit." Its service-area page lists Rochester, Troy, Birmingham, Novi, Northville, Orchard Lake and Rochester Hills, and the site describes a public adjuster as "a licensed professional who works exclusively for you."

Best for: an Oakland County homeowner who wants a public adjuster firm based in Rochester. Check any adjuster's license on the DIFS adjuster licensing page before you sign.

2. AdjustFair Public Adjusters

AdjustFair Public Adjusters works from 22742 Woodward Ave in Ferndale and lists fire and smoke damage, large water loss, commercial claims and major property damage. Its service pages name Metro Detroit, Greater Flint and Kalamazoo, and a case-study page mentions Royal Oak.

Best for: a homeowner near Ferndale or Royal Oak who wants a firm with a Woodward Avenue office. Check any adjuster's license on the DIFS adjuster licensing page before you sign.

3. AllCity Adjusting

AllCity Adjusting lists Novi, Rochester Hills, Royal Oak, Southfield and Troy on its public adjuster service-area page, under the heading "Nationwide Public Adjuster Services for Your Insurance Claims." The page read does not state a Michigan office address or a credential.

Best for: a homeowner comparing a firm that lists coverage across several Oakland County cities at once. Check any adjuster's license on the DIFS adjuster licensing page before you sign.

4. Alex N. Sill Company

Alex N. Sill Company keeps a Michigan office at 755 West Big Beaver Road, Suite 2020, in Troy. Its homepage says the firm has offices throughout the United States and Canada, and its corporate headquarters is in Cleveland, Ohio. No Michigan license number is printed on the pages read.

Best for: an owner who wants a firm with an office on Big Beaver Road in Troy. Check any adjuster's license on the DIFS adjuster licensing page before you sign.

5. Michigan Fire Claims, Inc.

Michigan Fire Claims, Inc. works from 3201 University Drive, Suite 320, in Auburn Hills. Its site lists fire and smoke damage, water and flood damage, wind and storm damage, theft and vandalism, mold and hidden damage, and denied or underpaid claims.

Best for: a homeowner who wants a public adjuster firm headquartered in Auburn Hills. Check any adjuster's license on the DIFS adjuster licensing page before you sign.

6. Globe Midwest Adjusters International

Globe Midwest Adjusters International lists a base at 400 Galleria Officentre in Southfield and also names a Grand Rapids office. Its site covers commercial and residential claims, with featured settlement examples for windstorm, frozen pipe, fire and flood losses. Its site says "we work exclusively for the policyholder."

Best for: a homeowner who wants a public adjuster firm based in Southfield. Check any adjuster's license on the DIFS adjuster licensing page before you sign.

Where does an Oakland County circuit judge fit into an appraisal dispute?

Michigan's appraisal statute names a role for a local judge if the two appraisers cannot agree. After a written demand for appraisal, each side names its own appraiser within 20 days, and the two appraisers then try to agree on an impartial umpire within 15 days. If they cannot agree within that window, either side may ask a judge of the circuit court for the county where the loss occurred, or where the property sits, to select the umpire (MCL 500.2833(1)(m)). For an Oakland County home, that means the Oakland County Circuit Court, which sits in Pontiac. Each appraiser is paid by the side that picked them, and the two sides split the umpire's cost equally. See the Michigan appraisal clause for the full process.

What should an Oakland County homeowner have in hand before hiring any firm?

• A line-item repair scope with photos and moisture or thermal readings behind each entry, not a one-page summary.
• A separate contents inventory if the loss touched personal property, with a description, approximate age and replacement cost for each item.
• Your declarations page, so you and any adjuster are reading the same coverage limits and deductible.
• The date the carrier received your proof of loss, because Michigan's 12% late-payment interest clock runs from 60 days after that date (MCL 500.2006(4)).
• The license number of anyone you hire to adjust the claim for you, checked against DIFS, and the DIFS-approved contract form if you sign with a public adjuster.
• A record of your additional living expenses if you are out of the house, dated and receipted.
• Your carrier decides coverage under your policy. Read your own declarations page before you sign anything.

Prime Restoration gives you the first two items on the first visit: the scope and, if the loss touched personal property, the contents record. Call (586) 277-1069.

Where does Prime work in Oakland County, and which places does that cover?

Prime Restoration works Oakland County from offices in Birmingham, Troy, Rochester Hills and West Bloomfield. Calls come from Birmingham, Bloomfield Hills, Bloomfield Township, Troy, Rochester Hills, Royal Oak, Southfield, Novi, Farmington Hills, West Bloomfield, Auburn Hills, Waterford, Berkley, Madison Heights and Pontiac, among other Oakland County cities and townships. In Birmingham and Bloomfield Hills, a custom-built house means a longer scope. Prime has offices in both Troy and Rochester Hills. Royal Oak, Madison Heights and Berkley carry the history of the August 2014 flood described above. Waterford and West Bloomfield have lake houses, where a frozen pipe can go unseen for days. Pontiac is named here for one reason: it is where the Oakland County Circuit Court sits, the court an appraisal dispute can reach if the two appraisers cannot agree on an umpire.

The bottom line for Oakland County homeowners

On public data read on November 14, 2026, Prime Restoration gives an Oakland County homeowner four local offices, a typical 25-minute arrival, 24/7 dispatch, a documented line-item scope with photos and readings behind it, and the option to sit as your appraiser under MCL 500.2833(1)(m) if the dispute is the amount. That scope is the starting point whether the next step is one of the public adjuster firms above, a demand for appraisal, or a corrected estimate sent back to the carrier. Call (586) 277-1069.

This comparison uses publicly available information from each company's own website and from Michigan statutes, read on November 14, 2026. All companies other than Prime Restoration are independent businesses with no affiliation to Prime Restoration. Services, credentials and fee terms change over time. Coverage decisions and claim payments are made solely by your insurance carrier. Prime Restoration is a restoration contractor and a Michigan licensed residential builder. Public adjusters are licensed by the Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services.