I recently had some water damage to my basement and I am filing a claim. How does the process work?

 

  • mbrcatz17 2:02 pm on November 23, 2009 Permalink

    You file the claim. An adjuster looks at the policy, to see if there’s coverage. They get back to you, say yes there is coverage, or no there isn’t. If there is coverage, they come and look at the damage, and figure out how much it is. You inventory your damages, also.

    You come to an agreement about how much they will pay you, they cut the check, you get the work done. Sometimes they will have to cut a second check upon completion of the work, for supplemental payments.

    Water damage – especially in basements – is tricky. Flood is NOT covered under a homeowners policy, so the source of the water is crucial. Backup of sewers & drains is only covered if there’s a special endorsement on your policy.

    But YOUR AGENT is the person who should be holding your hand and walking you through this process.

  • sortaclarksville 2:02 pm on November 23, 2009 Permalink

    You call the 1-800 number and they open a claim. They will give you a claim number. At that point, you either get estimates for repair, or they send out an adjustor (they will tell you which when you file the claim). They come up with a settlement amount (repair cost less your deductible) and send you paperwork saying you have agreed to be reimbursed X-amount and consider it payment in full. They send you a check when they get the paperwork back, and you pay for the work to be done. Any issues between you and the people that did the work are between you guys. The insurance company does not get involved in that. This is the reason they pay you and you pay the workers. They are out of it once you are paid.

    With water damage, make sure they get it cleaned up and dried up very well. The paperwork you sign for the insurance company to get your check will say that they are not responsible for any future repairs inluding any mold/mildew damage that may show up later. So, make sure that your repair costs include drying everything out by some place like ServPro, not just repainting or replacing carpet, etc.