How to Deal with Your Insurance Company After Damage
Living on the South Shore, we know that unexpected home damage can be a major headache. Dealing with your insurance company and getting the repairs done right can be overwhelming. At Almar, we’ve helped many homeowners navigate the insurance repair process and get their homes back to pre-damage condition. In this blog post, we’ll share some tips on how to deal with your insurance company after home damage, get the coverage you deserve, and find a qualified contractor to make the repairs.
Declaration Page
You should recognize that working with your insurance company to get the coverage you deserve can feel like a negotiation. So, the first thing you should do is get a copy of your policy and look through your “declarations page” and endorsements so you can get a general sense of what is in it. Items you should be looking for:
- Depreciation amount.
- Your deductible amount.
- What exclusions, exceptions or other limitations does your policy contain?
- Does your policy cover replacement cost or actual cash value costs?
- Do they cover the cost to upgrade to the current building codes?
- Do they include money for debris removal (Ie Dumpster)?
- How are payments made to the contractor?
- How will your insurance company handle additional damage that may be found once your contractor gets started?
Claim Reports
When reading the claim report provided by your insurance company you should be aware of the square (or lineal) footage they are offering to pay on.
For example, in a recent Insurance claim a client asked us to look at, the insurance company was only including the claim paint 0.13 lineal feet of baseboard for a price of $0.16 and then depreciated it $0.02. We cannot come in and paint 1.5” of base board for $0.14.
Insurance companies may offer to paint a tiny section of baseboard at a low price. This won’t cover repainting the whole area. Expect to cover extra costs for a complete repair.
Most contractors have a minimum they charge.
Insurance companies often base their repair estimates on national averages, but here on the South Shore, the cost of repairs is usually higher. Almar also uses a estimating software but it is populated with local pricing and historical data from our 65+ years in business.
Public Adjustor
If disagreeing with your insurance company on repairs or cost, consider a public insurance adjuster. They act as a neutral party to help get you the fair compensation you deserve.
