Delray Beach, Florida
A boutique Florida public adjusting firm with white-glove service. When you call, you talk to the owner — not a junior adjuster. Free claim review. No recovery, no fee.
5.0★ on Google · Licensed FL #W026874 · Mon–Sat 10am–6pm
Dolphin Claims is a Florida-licensed public adjusting firm representing policyholders only — never insurance companies — on residential and commercial property damage claims throughout Delray Beach, Palm Beach County, FL.
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| License | Florida DFS, License #W026874 (Joe L Ford IV) |
| Office | 1501 Yamato Road, Suite 200, Boca Raton, FL 33431 |
| Service area | All Delray Beach ZIPs: 33444, 33445, 33446, 33447, 33448, 33482, 33483, 33484 |
| Neighborhoods | Atlantic Avenue, Pineapple Grove, Old School Square, Beach District, Lake Ida, Sea Gate |
| Fee | Contingency 10–20%; 10% cap year one for declared-emergency claims (FL Statute 626.854) |
| Response | Free claim review within 24 hours; onsite inspection within 48–72 hours |
| Settled | $50M+ across 60+ Florida cities |
| Reviews | 5.0 / 5.0 on Google (43 reviews) |
Delray Beach sits between Boca Raton and Boynton Beach, fully exposed to South Florida's hurricane corridor. Palm Beach County has been hit by Hurricanes Frances (2004), Jeanne (2004), Wilma (2005), Matthew (2016), Irma (2017), Ian (2022), and Nicole (2022). Florida's 2022 SB 2A reform cut the new-claim window to 1 year with 18 months for supplemental claims (§ 627.70132) — the new clock favors carriers, not policyholders.
Common Delray Beach claim types we handle:
OPPAGA Report 10-06 (Florida Office of Program Policy Analysis & Government Accountability) found represented residential claimants received settlements 747% higher than unrepresented claimants — and 574% higher on commercial. Even after a 10–20% contingency fee, net recovery is typically multiples larger than what the carrier would pay otherwise.
Real results
Real first offers and final numbers from claims Joe Ford worked. No client names.
Hurricane Ian · condo association · Fort Myers
First offer
$3,055.68
Total recovered
$551,611.71
The insurance company's first number was $3,055.68 — for an entire association. Joe re-documented the full building loss and pushed the claim far past that first number.
Associations: read your carrier's estimate line by line.
Citizens · Hurricane Ian · roof · West Palm Beach
First offer
$5,588.21
Appraisal award
$112,797.11
Citizens offered $5,588 for the roof. That wasn't close, so we invoked appraisal — a clause already in most Florida policies that settles the number outside of court.
Before you accept a roof offer, ask about appraisal.
Tower Hill · Hurricane Ian · home · Punta Gorda
First offer
$2,500
Total recovered
$117,543.10
Joe sent a full estimate and negotiated with Tower Hill's desk adjuster for months.
If your hurricane offer feels low, it probably is. Get a second opinion.
Selected claims, not typical results. Every claim is different, and past results do not guarantee future outcomes. Case-study narration uses an AI version of Joe Ford's voice. Footage is illustrative, not the client's property.
Dolphin Claims represents Delray Beach homeowners and business owners on every type of property damage claim — hurricane, wind, water, fire, mold, theft, vandalism, and complex commercial losses. Our scope-first approach means we document everything, leverage industry-standard estimating tools, and negotiate from a position of evidence — not hope. Founder Joe L Ford IV (Licensed Public Adjuster, FL License #W026874) leads a team that has settled over $50 million for Florida policyholders since 2017.
Insurance company adjusters work for the insurance company. A public adjuster works for you — the policyholder. Florida Statute 626.854 governs this distinction explicitly. In Delray Beach, where coastal exposure, frequent hurricane impact, and a tight Atlantic Avenue commercial corridor combine, the gap between an insurer's first offer and the actual claim value can run 5x to 10x. OPPAGA-published Florida data: residential claimants represented by public adjusters averaged settlements 747% higher than unrepresented peers.
Our process is built for Florida's claim environment and Delray's property mix.
1. Free Claim Review (within 24 hours) Send us your policy + photos / description. We tell you honestly whether you have a claim worth pursuing — and what it's potentially worth.
2. Onsite Inspection (48–72 hours) A Florida-licensed public adjuster inspects every affected area. We use Xactimate / Symbility (the same software your insurer uses) plus Matterport scans where appropriate. Hidden damage is the rule, not the exception.
3. Notice of Loss + Scope of Damage We file the notice with your carrier, prepare a complete scope, and assemble the evidence package: photos, videos, mitigation invoices, contractor estimates, building-code research.
4. Negotiation We negotiate directly with the insurance company's adjuster. Our scope vs. theirs. We supplement, dispute, and (when needed) invoke appraisal under your policy's appraisal clause.
5. Settlement & Payment Once settled, payment goes to you (and your mortgagee, if applicable). Our fee is contingency-based — we get paid only when you do.
60-second videos
A boutique firm on purpose. When you call, you talk to Joe.
Their first check is an opening bid, not a final number.
One report, from someone they hired. Bring your own expert, photos and weather data.
Each side picks an appraiser, an umpire decides if they disagree — and it settles the number outside of court.
Joe Ford, Licensed Public Adjuster W026874. Some narration uses an AI version of Joe's voice.
Florida public adjusters charge a contingency fee — typically 10–20% of the settlement. For declared-emergency claims (e.g., hurricanes), Florida Statute 626.854(11) caps the fee at 10% during year one after the loss and 20% thereafter. No upfront fees. No fee if there's no recovery.
Under Florida Statute 627.70132 (post-SB 2A, effective Dec 16, 2022), policyholders have 1 year from the date of loss to file a new windstorm or hurricane claim, and 18 months for supplemental claims. File early — the clock is shorter than the prior 3-year deadline.
All Florida-admitted carriers, including Citizens Property Insurance, Universal Property & Casualty, Tower Hill, Heritage, American Integrity, Slide Insurance, People's Trust, Homeowners Choice, Florida Peninsula, FedNat, and Frontline. We also handle surplus-lines carriers and Citizens depopulation transitions.
Yes. We represent Delray Beach commercial property owners on retail (Atlantic Avenue, Pineapple Grove), office, restaurant, hospitality, and HOA / condominium-association claims. Business-interruption coverage, tenant losses, and code-upgrade (Ordinance & Law) provisions are common scope items.
All Delray Beach ZIPs: 33444, 33445, 33446, 33447, 33448, 33482, 33483, 33484 — including Beach District, Atlantic Avenue, Pineapple Grove, Lake Ida, Sea Gate, and west-of-Military communities. Also unincorporated Palm Beach County areas adjacent to Delray.
Yes. You can hire a public adjuster after the insurance company has issued a denial or low payment. We review the policy, scope the loss with industry-standard estimating software (Xactimate / Symbility), and pursue supplemental, reopened, or appraisal-process resolution within Florida's 18-month supplemental-claim window.
Free claim review within 24 hours. Onsite inspection scheduled within 48–72 hours of contract execution. Florida law requires a mandatory 3-business-day cancellation window (FL Statute 626.8796), after which we begin scoping, documentation, and notice-of-loss filing.
Yes. Joe L Ford IV holds Florida Public Insurance Adjuster (All Lines) License #W026874 issued by the Florida Department of Financial Services. Verify any Florida adjuster license at myfloridacfo.com/division/agents.
No upfront fees. No recovery, no fee.
No upfront cost. Takes about 60 seconds.
What happened to your property?
Rather talk? Call (954) 204-9376
The most common claim types we handle for residential and commercial property owners.
Each Florida carrier handles claims differently. Carrier-specific guides for the major insurers we represent policyholders against.
