Understanding more about water damage insurance claims certainly isn’t the most interesting topic, but the fact that better knowing how to deal with an insurance claim can save you thousands of dollars should make it much more compelling. There are certain intricacies associated with dealing with water damage insurance claims that not everyone knows. Since we at Proven Professional Construction Service in the Garner are on your side and want you to get the best claim that you can, here are a few helpful tips.
Limit The Damage
Failing to take steps to mitigate the damage as soon as possible can have the potential to lead to your claim being completely denied. Thus, as soon as you notice any damage that you plan on submitting a claim for your first steps after calling a professional water damage company should be to limit the damage before you do anything to contact the insurance company.
Collect Evidence
To properly assess your claim, your insurance company will need you to provide detailed information. Ideally, you should have photos of all your major possessions in their undamaged state so there are “before” and “after” photos to compare. Fortunately, smartphones have made this part easy. Take photos of all of the damage, and be comprehensive. Also include anything that could have caused the damage, like a broken pipe or a hole in the roof.
You may also want to consider taking a video to supplement the photos. Videos are helpful because they offer a new perspective on the damage. Also, if your claim ever has to be taken to court, videos are very illustrative. While you’re recording describe what you’re seeing.
Report The Damage
Now the time to contact your insurance company has come. While there are important steps to take before calling your insurance company, this should still be done as soon as possible. In fact, delaying making the call can actually jeopardize your insurance claim. When you call you should have your policy number and other relevant information immediately on hand as your insurance company will ask for that information first.
Know The Difference Between Flood And Water Damage
This is an important intricacy of insurance claims that many people don’t understand. There is a big difference between flood damage and water damage to an insurance company. For example, floods are commonly caused by nature and typically affect more than one home at a time. In contrast, events such as leaky pipes or broken HVAC equipment are classified as water damage. The important difference between the two is that most homeowner’s insurance policies cover water damage but not flood damage.
Consider A Public Adjuster
There are a couple of different reasons as to why hiring a public, rather than an adjuster employed by the insurance company, is preferable. For one, your insurance company can take up to 15 days to send out an adjuster to assess the damage. You can move the process along much more quickly by hiring a public adjuster of your own, especially is the claim is large. Secondly, a public adjuster isn’t tied to the insurance company in any way so you know that they are looking out for your interest’s first, not the insurance company’s.
All in all, the water damage insurance claims can be drawn out and complicated, but we at Proven Professional Construction Service in Garner want to help make it go as smoothly for you as possible so don’t hesitate to call us for our restoration services after a flood.
The water damage insurance claim process can be slow. Your insurance company has 15 days to send an adjuster, who will assess the water damage. It is usually wiser to hire a public adjuster if you can, especially if your claim is large. These professionals aren’t tied to the insurance company, so they are looking to find the truth, not looking to minimize the insurance company’s payout.
