Home Insurance Emergency Services
Homeowners need immediate assistance and damage assessment when they experience an insurance loss. You also want a plan of action on the repairs that will have to be made, and where you will go during the repair period if your home is uninhabitable.
If you have experienced a broken pipe and you need assistance, immediately call a plumber. Water damage should be handled by a water extraction service. Wind damage can be repaired by a roofing contractor. These service companies can be easily located in your local telephone yellow pages. Be sure to ask these companies if they qualify to work with insurance companies, and what their experience is in doing so.
You must remember that most of these service companies demand payment immediately. This means that the money is coming out of your pocket before you can submit a claim to your insurance company. In other words, you are subsidizing your insurance carrier, wherein it should be the other way around. In a majority of cases the insurance company should be paying for your emergency expenses immediately.
You may also be inclined to contact a general contractor to repair or rebuild your loss. There are a number of differences between a general contractor and a restoration contractor. You may also be approached by what is known as a public adjuster. Beware!
Public adjusters are independents who generate their income by charging you, the homeowner, to adjust your claim. They are often aggressive disaster marketers, determined to arrive at your catastrophe even before emergency units arrive. They may also charge you anywhere from 15% to 50% of your claim, depending on the total amount. This means you will have to make up the difference personally to pay for their services. You may be losing in two ways: First, you will be paying a percentage for someone to handle your claim, which you could do yourself. Second, because you have already paid exorbitant fees to an adjuster, the reliability and professionalism of any contractor your hire will be limited due to the decreased amount of funds remaining to complete the work.
According to the general manager of Economy Restorations, a full-service restoration company in Orange, California: “qualified restoration contractors can save homeowners enormous amounts of time and money by acting as a liaison between he insurance company and the homeowner. They can also be the saving grace of a homeowner in distress-on the scene quickly to provide an emergency crew to secure the residence and make immediate repairs in order to void increasing the damage potential. Restoration contactors provide services such as a board-up of windows and doors, temporary roof coverings and, if necessary, secure the structure with steel beams. Furniture, carpet and upholstery may also be removed and emergency electricity added to provide temporary power if the occupants are to remain in the house during restoration.”
Even before the homeowner’s own insurance company is on the scene, the restoration contractor and his/her representative can quell the anxieties of the homeowner and begin the initial stages of recovery of the property.
A qualified restoration contracting firm can handle the devastating loss experienced by the homeowner no matter what the degree of damage. They can make life easier for the homeowner by bringing in the professionals that are needed to restore the house. The restoration contractor can arrange for painters, roofers, carpenters, and other specialists to perform work on the damaged house. Restoration contractors will also coordinate any additional subcontractors for the work to be done, and make sure that the people doing the subcontracted work are licensed, bonded, and insured, and will effectuate the repair of your home promptly.
Respected restoration companies usually look out for the best interest of all, including the home insurance company, and should be truthful in assessing the damaged items and replacement value needed.