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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 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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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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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.

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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-Evaluating the Damage

The Process of Storm Damage Restoration 

No one likes to imagine destruction to their home or belongings. However, disaster can strike at any moment and knowing the process will help you during this time.

Rather than despairing over how you can pick up all the pieces, you need to look for a company that provides complete water damage restoration. A qualified, reputable restoration team from rē:network will return your home and life back to normal.  Contact one of our rē:network partners and allow the professionals to handle everything for you.

Step 1 -Evaluate the Damage

When you first hire a company for water damage repair, they will send qualified inspectors to your home to survey the damage. They will not only look for visible damage to your home and belongings, but will also closely and thoroughly inspect the structure to determine its stability and safety. A quick run-through will never be sufficient, so don’t trust a company that recommends extensive repairs without a thorough inspection.

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Contents Restoration

Keys to a successful contents restoration process:

-Know what you own—have an accurate home inventory BEFORE you suffer damage

-Make wise choices—determine what to save and restore and what would be best to replace.

-Contact one of our rē:network partners and allow the professionals to handle everything for you.

-We can help you choose the right restoration company here

 

Steps of professional contents restoration:

-Complete an inventory of your items (a home inventory list you have previously completed makes this easier!)

-Pack up and storage of your items until your home is ready

-Restoration of items (electronics, textiles, book and documents etc)

-Return of the items to your home

 

Photo Credit: PLUS IM

 

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Water Damage Restoration-Evaluating the Damage

 

The Process of Water Damage Restoration by a Restoration Team

No one likes to imagine destruction to their home or belongings. However, disaster can strike at any moment, whether through fire, storm or another form of damage.

Rather than despairing over how you can pick up all the pieces, you need to look for a company that provides complete water damage restoration. A qualified, reputable restoration team will return your home and life back to normal.  Contact one of our partners and allow the professionals to handle everything for you.

Step 1 -Evaluate the Damage

When you first hire a company for water damage repair, they will send qualified inspectors to your home to survey the damage. They will not only look for visible damage to your home and belongings, but will also closely and thoroughly inspect the structure to determine its stability and safety. A quick run-through will never be sufficient, so don’t trust a company that recommends extensive repairs without a thorough inspection.

Categories
Resources Timeline

Water Damage Restoration-Creating a Plan of Action

Step 2- Create a Plan of Action

Once the thorough survey and inspection is completed, a water damage restoration team 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. Your restoration team will equip you to make those tough decisions and move ahead in your return to normalcy.

 

Categories
Resources

Water Damage Restoration-Completing the Restoration

Step 3-Complete the Restoration

Our rē:network partners 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 to complete the water damage repairs, you will increase both the amount of your possessions.