How Does an Insurance Claim work?

After 10 years in the Insurance restauration industry and thousands of roof and home inspections, I have learned much about how insurance claims are purposefully being written up in the insurance carriers favor. Let’s start there, no insurance carrier is willing to pay any more than what they absolutely must. Insurance adjusters generally will write an initial scope to the bare minimum and let the homeowner work it out with the contractor. If you have a skilled contractor who knows insurance claims, that will not be an issue. However, most contractors do not know how to properly handle an insurance claim.

How does an Insurance claim work?

After you file a claim with your home insurance provider, an adjuster will usually visit your home and inspect the damage. He or she will decide how much the insurance company will pay toward your claim. Often, you’ll get an advance against the total amount your provider is paying. This allows you to start the repairs to your home, but it does not represent the total payment. Or, you could be offered a settlement on the spot. If you discover more damage in the future, you may be able to reopen the claim and try to get additional funds from your insurance company. 

Who should inspect your property first?

In general, it is always a good idea to have your local contractor that is familiar with property insurance claims, inspect your property before you file a claim. Not all damage is recoverable through your insurance and a skilled Claim recovery contractor will be able to give you a good idea weather it is worth filing a claim or not.

What to do during the adjustment?

One it is time for your actual Insurance Adjustment, you want your contractor to represent you during the claim adjustment. He can answer the adjuster’s questions and point to damaged areas. He also will ensure the adjuster is properly inspecting your property.

How to read your insurance scope?

Your Insurance will provide you with a full repair scope that includes a line item list of things to be repaired. You want to share this info with your contractor, so he can determine if the claim settlement is written correctly or if changes are necessary. There is no need to get quotes from different companies as your contractor is trained to write a supplemental claim and negotiate with your insurance carrier to determine the correct price to repair all damages on a high-quality level according to the insurance claim documents. 

Remember to choose your local contractor not by price but because of his or her ability to work your claim the right way to get maximum benefits paid for the work to be done.