Gold Star Adjusters

What Gold Star Adjusters does

Gold Star Adjusters is a licensed public insurance adjusting firm founded in 2004 and headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida. It exclusively represents policyholders — not insurance carriers — in negotiating and documenting property damage claims across residential, commercial, rental, condominium, vacation rental, and (more recently) auto accident property damage. The firm is licensed to operate statewide in Florida and in Georgia, and generates revenue solely on a contingency basis, capped under Florida statute (10% for state-of-emergency claims, 20% for new claims, 25-30% for supplemental claims), with no upfront fees and no charge if no recovery is obtained.

The service is labor- and expertise-intensive rather than technology-driven. The firm uses Xactimate (Level I/II certified across the team) for claims estimation alongside standard business software; there is no proprietary technology platform. Competitive advantage rests on the bench: owner Mark Goldwich brings 17+ years of carrier-side claims experience at one of the largest US insurers, and the team includes licensed adjusters with construction, fire investigation, hazmat, military, and Xactimate/AIC/HAAG-certified backgrounds.

Go-to-market is sales-led and community-led: free consultations, direct phone (904.406.7232) and website intake, virtual appointments for out-of-area clients, JAX Chamber Mandarin Council presence, recurring WJXT local news appearances, an active blog with city-specific SEO pages, and a published-book funnel ("Uncovered," "Exposed"). Marketing emphasizes education and trust-building in a market where the firm estimates 95% of consumers are unaware that public adjusters exist as an option against carrier lowballing. The customer base is fragmented across many individual SMB/property-owner claims, making revenue highly dependent on disaster-event volume cycles.

Name

Gold Star Adjusters

Legal name

Gold Star Adjusters, Inc

Website

https://goldstaradjusters.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Gold Star Adjusters is a Jacksonville-based licensed public insurance adjusting firm that exclusively represents Florida and Georgia policyholders in property damage claims, operating on a contingency-fee model with no proprietary technology and an expertise-driven, community-led go-to-market.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Jacksonville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Public Adjuster Contingency Fees: Gold Star Adjusters operates on a contingency fee model where their compensation is a percentage of claim proceeds recovered. They do not charge upfront fees or costs. Fees are only earned when claims settle, meaning they get paid only when clients receive additional money. Florida caps public adjuster fees at 10% for declared state of emergency claims (first year), 20% for other new claims, and 1% if insurer pays full policy limits quickly. Supplemental claims (previously paid, closed, or denied) typically incur 25-30% fees. Fees cannot be charged on deductibles, and additional living expenses require a separate written agreement.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Gold Star Adjusters is a licensed public adjusting firm that exclusively represents property owners (never insurance companies) in filing and negotiating insurance claims for property damage. They handle residential, commercial, and rental property claims including hurricane, storm, fire, water/mold, hail, theft, vandalism, and auto accident property damage. They operate on a contingency fee basis, earning payment only when claims successfully settle.

Product overview

Gold Star Adjusters is a licensed public adjusting firm that exclusively represents property owners (never insurance companies) in insurance claim disputes. The company operates on a contingency-fee basis, earning payment only when claims settle. Their service portfolio centers on the core public adjuster representation offering, supplemented by specialized claims handling for specific damage types (hurricane, storm, fire, water/mold, hail, theft/vandalism, and auto accident claims). They also publish educational books ('Uncovered' and 'Exposed') for consumer education. Services are provided statewide in Florida and Georgia through a team of licensed public adjusters. The company has been operating since 2004, headquartered in Jacksonville, FL.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Public Adjuster Services
• Hurricane Damage Claims
• Storm Damage Claims
• Fire and Smoke Damage Claims
• Water Damage and Pipe Leak Claims
• Mold Damage Claims
• Hail Damage Claims
• Theft and Vandalism Claims
• Auto Accident Property Damage Claims
• Free Consultation
• Uncovered (Book)
• Exposed (Book)

Quantifiable outcome

• Claim settlements increased by 46% to 6,939% in documented cases (sample of 38+ cases)
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Veterans Claim VictoryminorOthersVeterans Claim Victory is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization committed to helping veterans and first responders transition to the civilian workforce in the insurance claim industry. Gold Star Adjusters highlights this organization on their news page as a community initiative they support.
• JAX Chamber of CommerceminorOthersGold Star Adjusters is a member of the JAX Chamber of Commerce and participated in the Mandarin Council, with Mark Goldwich recognized as Small Business Leader of the Year in 2009.
• American Association of Public Insurance Adjusters (AAPIA)minorOthersProfessional membership organization for public insurance adjusters; Gold Star team members listed as members.
• Florida Association of Public Insurance Adjusters (FGAPIA)minorOthersState-level professional membership organization for public insurance adjusters in Florida; Gold Star team members listed as members.
• NFIB (National Federation of Independent Business)minorOthersSmall business advocacy organization; Gold Star Adjusters maintains membership as part of their small business community engagement.
• Florida Wind NetworkminorOthersOrganization focused on wind-related insurance issues in Florida; Mark Goldwich is listed as a member.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Xactware (Xactimate): Provider of Xactware's Xactimate estimating software used by virtually all U.S. property claim adjusters, including Gold Star's team (Level I and II certified). Relevant as the enabling technology vendor and ecosystem infrastructure on which the entire public adjusting profession operates.
• Florida Association of Public Insurance Adjusters (FAPIA): Florida state-level professional membership organization for public insurance adjusters in which Gold Star holds membership. Relevant as an industry/ecosystem participant defining professional standards, regulatory advocacy, and peer networking in Gold Star's core market.

Direct peers

• Adjusters International: One of the largest and oldest public adjusting firms in the U.S., representing policyholders in property insurance claims across multiple states. Highly comparable to Gold Star in core service offering, contingency-based model, and target customer base of property owners dealing with damage claims.
• Bright Oak Public Adjusters: Public adjusting firm representing homeowners and businesses in property insurance claims across multiple states. Comparable in service model (contingency-based claim advocacy), target customers (residential/commercial property owners), and use cases (storm, fire, water damage).
• Citizens Public Adjusters: Public adjusting firm serving property owners in Florida with insurance claim representation services. Direct competitor in the same Florida geography, offering comparable property damage claim advocacy services on a contingency basis.
• Tutwiler & Associates Public Adjusters: Florida-headquartered public adjusting firm specializing in residential and commercial property claims, particularly hurricane and windstorm damage. Direct competitor in Gold Star's core FL/GA market with similar contingency fee structure and claim-type focus.
• Kovar & Associates: Public adjusting firm handling residential and commercial property insurance claims with a focus on maximizing settlements for policyholders. Directly comparable to Gold Star in claim representation services, contingency pricing, and property-damage claim focus.

Broad incumbents

• Crawford & Company: Global independent claims management firm primarily serving insurance carriers (the opposite side of Gold Star's advocacy). Relevant as a broad incumbent in property/insurance claims handling and as the type of carrier-side counterparty Gold Star negotiates against on claims.
• Morgan & Morgan Insurance Claim Lawyers: Largest U.S. plaintiff law firm with a substantial insurance claim and property damage practice. Competes for similar policyholders in disputes with carriers but offers broader legal services beyond pure public adjusting; relevant peer given overlap in property claim representation.
• Sedgwick: Large independent claims administrator primarily working on behalf of insurers and employers. Comparable as a major incumbent in the property claims handling ecosystem, though it typically represents the carrier side rather than policyholders like Gold Star.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/GoldStarAdjust
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCAY_seA1XCG9gdZy3z4_yBA
• Facebookfacebook.com/goldstaradjusters

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Gold Star Adjusters