As the homeowner, you should know about how to best maximize the water damage claim. Once the ceiling begins dripping or the plumbing starts to leak, you will feel grateful for possessing a house owner’s insurance. The most general reasons for house insurance claims are the problem of water damage.
Without appropriate maintenance, important areas in the houses deteriorate as well as fall apart. Anything can go wrong in this situation, and you would not know about it unless the damage becomes evident. In a situation like this, it is a must for you to know about your insurance claim and maximize the same.
Collect the evidence – For assessing the water claim, the concerned insurance company will need you to show evidence. Thanks to technology advancement, it is simple for documenting evidence with Smartphones. Take pictures of all the damage completely. Also, consider taking a video and generate an inventory of what has been destroyed as well as include each item’s value and the approximate cost for replacement.
How Does Reporting the Damage Helps in Maximizing One’s Claim?
For this, all you need to do is contact the insurance company and it is suggested to do it as fast as possible as any delay will risk the claim. You might be inquired about the policy number, hence keep it with yourself before making the call. You will also be asked to fill the “proof of loss form”. Make sure to have a copy to yourself for future reference and if you want, you can also take the help of restoration specialists for the entire procedure. · Control damage – After realizing that you are facing water damage, you should take steps for limiting the same or else, the insurance company might have the right of refusing part of the entire claim because you didn’t interfere. You can also hire specialists for the same. Windstorm? Board the windows up. Plumbing leak? Turn off the water to your house. Roof leaks? Put up the tarp for temporarily blocking rain from coming in.
Why is It Important to Mention Whether It is Water Damage or Flood Damage?
It is imperative for checking the kind of water damage you are encountering with the concerned insurance company as water damage and flood damage are 2 different things to the officials. The former one includes everything else from broken pipes to leaking HVAC equipment while the latter one is caused by nature as well as impact more than a house. Though a majority of the house owner’s insurance policies cover water damage, flood damage is not covered by all. · Hire a public adjuster – The procedure for water insurance can take a bit of time as there are 15 days only for the insurance company to send you the adjuster, who will be examining the extent of the damage. Taking the help of a public adjuster is a better option, specifically, in case, your claim is large. A fair evaluation of the damage is done by them as well as they will only aim at looking for the damage’s cause, rather than focusing on concentrating on minimizing the payout of the insurance company.
In case the insurance firm denies any of the claims, make it a point to ask for the comprehensive, full explanation. Following the procedure of maximizing the claim for water damage can turn out to be quite stressful as well as you could be panicked about doing it alone. In this case, you should take the help of professional water damage experts who will, from the beginning to the end, manage the claim for you.
