Insurance companies are for-profit corporations with a simple goal: to pay as little on your claim as they are legally obligated to pay.

An insurance company’s goal is to make money – not give away easy money to policyholders.

That means many insurance claims have substantial room for negotiation. Some homeowners and business owners even hire public adjusters to negotiate with the insurance company on their behalf, raising payouts by up to 2-4 times the initial offer presented by the insurance company.

Here are some helpful tips on how to negotiate a settlement for a home or commercial property insurance claim:

Educate Yourself on Your Policy: First, read your insurance policy. Your policy may have certain restrictions preventing you from making a successful claim. There are often restrictions on wind-driven rain, for example, which prevents you from making a claim for water damage that was driven into your house by the wind. Situations like this can get complicated, so it’s best to comb through your insurance policy to understand everything.

Make Sure It’s In Your Best Interest to File a Claim: Filing an insurance claim isn’t always the right decision. Sometimes, it’s better to pay for repairs out of pocket. After paying your deductible and accounting for the possibility of higher insurance premiums in the future, it may not be in your best financial interest to make a claim. For larger, more expensive claims, however, it’s more likely to be worth it to make a claim.

Understand the Other Adjuster Isn’t on Your Side: Your insurance company has its own insurance adjuster. The adjuster analyzes your claim and decides what is covered – and for how much. The adjuster is a salaried employee or independent adjuster of the insurance company. He or she is not on your side of the negotiating table.

Hire a Public Adjuster for Claims Over $10,000: If you’re dealing with a significant insurance claim, then you can’t afford to trust it to an amateur like yourself. It can be crucial to get the proper insurance claim help you need. In this case, it’s often worth it to hire a professional. A professional public adjuster negotiates with the insurance company on your behalf, securing a final payout up to 70% higher than the payout initially presented by your insurer.