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Property claims are being handled amid workforce, repair-capacity and coordination pressures, while the mix of assignments is shifting toward catastrophe losses. But the available figures do not show that the average claim is taking longer: Verisk reports assignment activity, not claim duration. For homeowners, the practical concern is that a complicated loss may require more coordination while repairs and decisions are still pending.
What the latest figures say—and what they do not
Verisk’s Q2 2026 U.S. figures show fewer assignments overall than in earlier comparison periods, alongside a larger catastrophe share. They come from XactInsights activity on the XactAnalysis network, which carries assignments among insurers, independent adjusters and restoration contractors; they do not represent every claim in the market.
| Measure | Q2 2026 finding | How to read it |
|---|---|---|
| Assignments | 1.24 million, down 12.21% year over year and 13.05% below the five-year average | Verisk’s five-year comparison is for the same quarter in 2021–2025 and excludes 2026. Assignment counts are not a measure of how long claims take. |
| Catastrophe assignments | 43% of assignments, compared with 34% five years earlier | Verisk attributes the higher share mainly to a sharper fall in non-catastrophe assignments; the number of PCS-designated events held relatively steady. |
| Average claim severity | $17,085, down 10.77% year over year | This reported figure is provisional. Verisk estimates it could mature toward $18,794 or above $19,400 under a stronger maturation scenario as claims close; these are projections, not final outcomes. |
| Repair and reconstruction costs | Combined labor and material costs rose 4.0% year over year; total reconstruction costs rose 3.8% | These are Verisk national averages and can differ from local prices. |
| Weather disasters | Sedgwick reports 23 U.S. weather disasters exceeding $1 billion in damage in 2025, with an average interval of 10 days between such disasters | These are Sedgwick’s disaster figures, not counts of insured claims. |
The data therefore describe a changing workload and cost environment, not a measured increase or decrease in claim-processing time. Sedgwick’s 2026 Loss Adjusting Insights public materials highlight operational pressures, but the full report is gated; its publicly available findings should be read as selected report findings rather than the full analysis.
Why staffing and repair capacity matter
Experienced adjusters are a continuity risk
Claims Journal reports Sedgwick’s forecast that 25% of claim adjusters are expected to retire by the end of 2027. In a survey by The Institutes cited in the article, 73% identified loss of industry knowledge as an expected consequence, while 53% cited the challenge of recruiting a new generation of talent. These are expectations and survey responses, not observed retirement totals or proof that claim outcomes have already worsened.
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Andrew McCallum, Sedgwick’s vice president of specialty operations, called it “the silver tsunami” and said claims are growing more complex because of policy intricacies and how policies are underwritten. His concern points to a knowledge-transfer problem: when experienced staff leave, organizations need ways to preserve expertise and help newer professionals interpret complicated losses and coverage details.
Construction labor and specialized equipment can constrain restoration
Sedgwick estimates that the U.S. construction industry will need 349,000 additional workers in 2026. It also reports that lead times for some specialized project equipment have more than doubled over five years. The equipment finding concerns specialized equipment, not ordinary household repair materials; neither figure establishes how long any individual homeowner will wait for repairs.
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Deployment itself can be costly. McCallum told Claims Journal, “The cost of deploying has gone up exponentially, you’re talking about fuel costs, hotels,” describing expenses associated with sending people to respond to losses. For a policyholder, capacity constraints and deployment costs are context for asking the insurer and restoration contractor what is affecting a specific project—not evidence that a particular delay is unavoidable or covered.
Why a large property loss can involve more handoffs
ATI Restoration CEO Brant Wilson told Claims Journal that large-loss reviews may bring together multiple insurers, adjusters, brokers, environmental specialists and consultants. When those parties need to review information or make decisions, handoffs can hold up project progress. Wilson described the challenge this way: “We’re waiting for feedback or we’re trying to provide intelligence, getting it to the right person, to the right decision maker,”
Wilson also noted that batteries, electric vehicles and solar panels add considerations to fire cleanup and mitigation: “There’s more battery involvement. There’s more EV. There’s more solar panels,” These are his observations from restoration work, not a study measuring how prevalent these features are across property claims.
He said some work is leaving the industry or moving in-house: “Jobs are either leaving the industry or they’re being done in-house,” This is a company leader’s description of industry dynamics, not a market-wide staffing count. The common thread in these examples is coordination: more specialists or newer property systems can mean more information to assess and more people involved in reaching a decision.
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Are AI and technology impacting claims processes?
Yes, but the public material describes developing uses, not proof that AI has shortened claims. Sedgwick identifies documentation review, estimating support and claim routing as possible applications, while noting that scaling integrated workflows remains a challenge. ATI says it uses AI to check estimates and organize communications, with employees retaining responsibility for decisions.
Sedgwick’s public report page also presents projections of $100 billion in expected insurer value related to AI, a 20–25% expected reduction in loss-adjusting expenses and a 30–50% expected reduction in claims leakage. These are Sedgwick estimates, not measured savings or independently established results; the public highlights do not provide detailed underlying methodology.
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David Guaragna, Sedgwick’s managing director of property operations, described the intended role as support rather than replacement: “The future of claims isn’t AI replacing adjusters. It’s combining world-class claims expertise with intelligent workflows to help professionals process information faster, make better decisions and deliver better outcomes at scale.” That is a statement of direction, not evidence of achieved speed or quality improvements. Wilson similarly said, “AI isn’t always just about cost. It’s about time, but time is cost,” emphasizing a potential operational benefit rather than a measured result.
What homeowners can do while a claim is moving
Industry-level pressures cannot tell a homeowner why a particular claim is delayed or determine what a policy covers. To get a clearer picture of an individual loss, keep the discussion specific and documented:
- Ask what is outstanding. Request the next step, who is responsible for it and whether the insurer, adjuster, contractor or another specialist needs to act.
- Keep a dated record. Save claim communications, estimates, photos, receipts and notes from calls or site visits so you can track what has been submitted and what remains unresolved.
- Clarify estimate differences. If a contractor’s scope or estimate differs from the insurer’s, ask which items are disputed, what documentation is needed and who will review it.
- Ask about repair dependencies. Find out whether work is waiting on inspection, approval, specialist assessment, equipment or contractor availability; these are distinct issues that may require different follow-up.
- Confirm before committing to costs. Ask the insurer how proposed work relates to the claim and your policy before assuming an expense will be reimbursed. Coverage depends on the policy and circumstances.
These steps do not guarantee faster handling, but they can make the status and next decision clearer. Sedgwick president of Property of Americas Scott Richardson summarized the broader environment as one in which “forces that used to move independently and now work in tandem,” a useful description of why a property loss may involve more than a single estimate or repair decision.
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