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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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What should you do with fire damaged items?

After a fire, the contents of your home may need to be repaired, restored or replaced. In addition to the ravages of fire, smoke and water may have damaged your possessions. Some items will require replacement. But many items just need the proper methods of restoration to return them to their former glory. It’s imperative that your items receive the appropriate treatment in a timely manner if they are to be saved.

Contact one of our partners and allow the professionals to handle everything for you.

Electronics and Appliances

The moving or removal of these items must be done by a professional, do not attempt to handle these on your own. Due to the delicate nature of electronic equipment and devices, cleaning and drying must be done under specific conditions and with care by a professional. Soot can infiltrate far beyond what is visible and cause damage at a microscopic level so any cleaning method must also reach those areas.

Fabrics

If items made of fabric (ex: clothes, bedding and other linens) have survived a fire, they may still be unusable because of smoke or water damage, but they might be salvageable. Some items just need to be professionally cleaned while others may require more intercession to return them to their pre-fire condition.

Hard surfaces

In the restoration industry, much of traditional restoration methods involved removing walls, ceilings and flooring surfaces and  replacing them. While this removed damaged surfaces, the process was costly, messy and time consuming.Technology allows many of these surfaces to be restored in place, saving time by eliminating the removal and replacement period as well as saving the cost of new materials.Many surfaces can be saved if cleaned and completely dried out with these methods. Example: Dry wall; plaster,hard wood floors; tile floors and countertops; cabinetry; doors and windows

A thorough inspection by a ReNetwork specialist can help determine which surfaces can be saved and which must be replaced.

 

Photo Credit:  Service Master of Salem

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Recovering from Water Damage

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 partners and allow them to handle everything for you. A restoration team will come and dry the areas and remove contents during this time.

If your home is not livable at this time, your insurance may cover a hotel for you to stay at. Contact your support network to help you during this time as well. The resources here can help you with accommodations, food, clothing etc.

 

Red Cross 

Salvation Army of Texas 

 

 

Photo Credit: Scott Olson/Getty Images