What to do when you experience a property insurance claim

Property Insurance Claim

When you pay your premiums every year on time and the day comes that you have to file an insurance claim you expect the best service and to be taken care of. When you experience damages to your home whether it be from water damages, fire damage, mold, or trauma you can file an insurance claim. You can file a claim in multiple different ways.

The first and way that we typically recommend is calling your insurance agent and explaining the damages to them. We recommend this way, because they will be able to tell you what your deductible is and they will know whether or not it is worth it to file a claim with the damages you have experienced. In some instances it is better not to file an insurance claim. Insurance claims actually can put a negative point on your policy or your carrier can send a letter removing you as a policyholder.

The second way you can file is calling the 1-800 number to your carrier. This may seem like the best 24/7 option if it is an emergency situation, but it is still preferable you call your agency. In some instances calling the 1-800 number may provide you with quicker service, but it will also take longer and put you through with someone that is unfamiliar from another state.

Another option is to call an emergency restoration contractor who would be able to help walk you through the process and give you their personal opinion on the damages and if it could be a claim. The reason why this is a good option too, because you have the choice in this instance to pick the contractor you wish to use. The other two options your insurance carrier would push you to use a “preferred vendor” and that is not always the best option for you.

After you file your insurance claim it is time to get it cleaned up. As a policyholder you have the option to pick the contractor. However, many times insurance carriers are pushing policyholders to use contractors that they pick. This has become a hot topic in the industry and in our opinion it is better to do your own research and pick your own company. A lot of “preferred vendors” technically work for the carriers, when they should be working for you as the policyholder. At Veterans Restoration we work for our customers not the insurance carriers, because we want to do what’s best for the customer not the carrier.

The insurance carriers want to cut corners and cut margins from the restoration contractor, because it helps save them money on their margins. It is hard to hear that the company that you have been paying for years will turn around and cut corners or not pay your contractor in a reasonable time. Either way, we personally recommend you do your own research into local independent restoration contractors like Veterans Restoration. As a local veteran owned company we take pride in our work and take the time to explain the process in detail with our customers.