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How Do I Start the Process with my Insurance Company?

 

When fire, water or storm damage occur your insurance company will usually schedule an adjuster to inspect and assess the damage upon filing a claim. If you’ve read through some of our other resources, you will know that can happen after a fire in as little as a few hours or up to several days depending on the carrier. We want to help you understand this process, what to expect and what the Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) has to say about this process. (We have included some language from  TDI and a link below)

CONSUMER BILL OF RIGHTS Homeowners. Dwelling and Renters Insurance, Section 29

29, SETTLEMENT OFFER. You have the right to reject an settlement amount, including an unfair valuation. offered by the insurance company If you reject a settlement offer your options include continuing to negotiate with the insurer or pursuing legal remedies, such as mediation. arbitration, or filing a lawsuit. You have the right to have your home repaired by the repair person of your choice.

http://www.tdi.texas.gov//rules/2012/documents/Consumer_Bill_o3.pdf

The adjuster assigned to your claim should be working to create a scope of repair that would be appropriate to restore your property to its pre-loss condition. We have seen that more often than not the scope created by is not fully adequate to complete a proper repair to your home. These scopes are generally pretty good, but your adjuster lacks the true restoration and construction knowledge required to get all the necessary details. This is the very reason you need to hire a restoration company that fully understands this process. One that has been checked and vetted – we have some in our network if you would like to visit with any of them. These are companies you can trust that will be working for you throughout the claim process. Whoever you choose they should be creating a comparative scope of repair, to include everything they note that needs to be included in addition to the adjuster’s scope.

The insurance company will review both assessments and negotiate for the true and proper repair scope to return your property to its pre-loss condition.

Your insurance company will most likely push you toward a  restoration vendor that they recommend. We advise you to be cautious here because this vendor works for and was hired by the insurance carrier and not for you. Additionally, many of the insurance company vendors aren’t full service restoration companies. Which means they will only do portion of the clean-up then you have to switch companies again to finish the repair! You want someone who is going to be your advocate in the claim process. Someone you are comfortable with who has been screened and approved. A company that can provide full service to return you back to normal – faster.

The ReNetwork vendors can do just that. Too often insurance companies only cover about 50% of what would truly be required to properly repair your property. If you work with the insurance carriers vendor (who was hired by your insurance), who is going to hold your insurance company accountable for the items they left off your scope? (Certainly not the insurance company’s vendor) Note: Not all these companies are bad, but exercise caution. It is very important to remember that Texas State Law allows you to use the company of your choice. Make sure you select a team that you are comfortable with and that meets your needs. If your insurance company told you who to use to fix your car you would be upset and what to use the best company out there. You wouldn’t want to take and chances with your $30,000 car, but why should that be any different with your $300,000 home.

Choose a ReNetwork vendor and get the best companies in the market, and an advocate on your side. Our vendors have been proven to be successful at taking care of customers and holding insurance companies accountable. Remember they work as your advocate in the claim process, hired by you, working for you. Your needs are our priority.

 

 

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Fire Damage Restoration-Who is going to pay for this?

As soon as you have had damage to your home, contact one of our rē:network partners will be able to help begin the process of assessing the damage and restoration.

How much will this cost and who will pay for this? 

Estimating the cost to repair or renew items or property is very important and not to be done quickly. The best step to take is to have one of our rē:network partners or the restoration company of your choice come out to the site and give a thorough evaluation of the property

If you have insurance, they may be able to cover the damages. However it is very important to work with your restoration company so they can asses the damages correctly and have them work with the insurance company.

 

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Fire Damage Restoration-Who can help me?

What are my options and how do I know who to trust-You are free to choose a restoration company of your choice, we have resources that can help you make this decision to find a company that will help you every step of the way. The restoration process can be difficult to estimate but it is best to choose a company that will take care of your home and restore it back to it’s previous condition.We suggest that you find someone you feel comfortable with because this process might take a while.

We are proud of our rē:network partners and have carefully vetted these companies out to ensure that you receive a high level of service.

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During a Fire-What is happening to my house?

What to expect:

Your home may have fire, smoke or water damage. Firefighters may have needed to cut holes in the walls or the roof of the building to look for any hidden flames and let out heat and smoke.

They will most likely have used a lot of water to put out the flames and there might be a lot of damage due to this.

Items that you will want to try to save will need to be carefully cleaned and restored (if possible). It is very important to use extreme caution during this time to prevent further damage to your home and to yourself.

Your home may not be safe to enter so it is best to have professionals take a look at the area. Contact one of our rē:network partners and allow the professionals to handle everything for you. A restoration team will come assess the damage and give you a plan for your home and contents.

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Recovering from a Fire-Checklist

Things to remember Check-List

Contact one of our rē:network partners to begin the process of restoration of your home.

Contact your local disaster relief service, such as the Red Cross or Salvation Army. They can help you find shelter,food, replacement medicines and other important things.

If you have insurance, contact your insurance company. Ask what you should do to keep your home safe until it is repaired. If you leave your home, call the local police department to let them know the site will be vacant.

Check with the fire department to make sure your home is safe to enter. The fire department will tell you if your utilities (water, electricity and gas) are safe to use.

Locate your home inventory list and  try to find valuable documents and records. if your home is safe enough to enter. You can also share this with your restoration team and they can begin to help you locate these items when the home is safe enough to enter.

Begin saving receipts for any money you spend related to fire loss (such as food and hotel stays).The receipts may be needed by the insurance company to prove any losses claimed during this time and for income tax purposes.

 

 

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Recovering from a Fire-Who should I notify?

Who do I need to notify– First and foremost notify your support network. Contact those closest to you and let them know what has happened. Recovering from a catastrophe like this can be difficult and frustrating. Then contact one of our rē:network partners. These companies are experienced in dealing with this type of situation daily and can help walk you through the process.

Let our network specialists be your advocate during this recovery. Our company vendors can help immediately – most of the time they can be there  for you within an hour. Your rē:network vendor can secure the property, clean up the debris and help protect your valuables and memories.

These are some great resources to help you:

Red Cross 

Salvation Army of Texas 

Religious organizations and places of worship

Public agencies (such as the public health department)

Community groups

State or municipal emergency services office

Nonprofit crisis-counseling centers

 

 

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Recovering from a Fire-Where do I sleep tonight?

Where do I sleep tonight– If you have insurance, a typical policy will include coverage for additional living expense in the event your home cannot be occupied during a covered loss. Let the rē:network partners help you locate a place to stay and ensure that your insurance company gets this addressed for you.

A rē:network partner can also tell you about our motor home availability as an option for temporary housing.

You can also contact your local disaster relief  service and they can help you with a place to stay, food, medicine and other needs.

Red Cross 

Salvation Army of Texas 

 

 

 

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Recovering from Storm Damage

Your home may not be safe to enter so it is best to have one of the rē:network partners take a look at the area. Contact one of our rē:network partners and allow the professionals to handle everything for you. A restoration team will come and dry the areas and remove contents during this time.

They will also work with you and your insurance company to locate a safe place for you to stay if your home is not livable at the time.

 

If you have been notified that your home is safe to enter, you can follow these steps to prevent further damage to your home.

Use caution when walking on a wet surface to avoid injury or damage to contents/structure.

Remove valuable objects to a safe, dry place

Take pictures of damaged areas

Remove excess water by mopping and blotting

Remove and prop wet upholstery and cushions

Place aluminum foil or wood blocks under furniture to reduce furniture damage from wet carpet.

Turn air conditioning on for maximum drying in summer

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Storm Damage Restoration-Create a Plan of Action

Step 2- Create a Plan of Action

Once the thorough survey and inspection is completed,  a rē:network partner will work with you to create a response plan. The team should go over all the damage uncovered in the inspection and give you all options regarding repairing the damage. Some repairs may be optional, but often you will need to decide whether to repair something or replace it.

While disposing of any of your damaged belongings may be unthinkable, the effort and cost of restoration can be very high. A rē:network partner will equip you to make those tough decisions and move ahead in your return to normalcy.

 

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Storm Damage Restoration-Completing the Restoration

Step 3-Complete the Restoration

Upon your approval, a rē:network  partner  will complete the required water damage repair and restoration. This may be a long process depending on the extent of the damage, but a quality restoration company will give you an estimate for the length of the project. If a project exceeds the estimate, you will be informed of the change and the cause for delay so that you can make appropriate arrangements.

Again, a qualified restoration team will keep you fully informed throughout the process, limiting the disruption to your life and the time required to get back to normal.

Dealing with water damage in your home can seem overwhelming and the idea that you might lose your home or belongings can be devastating. However, if you hire an experienced, reputable restoration company such as a rē:network partner, to complete the water damage repairs, you will increase both the amount of your possessions.