When your ceiling starts to drip or you return home to find your bathroom flooded, your first instinct might be to panic. Stop—don’t do that. Nothing good can come from overreacting. Plus, you have homeowner’s insurance, right? You can file an insurance claim to help fix any water damage that might have occurred, right? Yes, but you have to be wary—insurance companies want to keep your claim amount low. Here’s how to maximize your water damage claim and make sure it gets covered properly.
4 Steps to Maximize Your Water Damage Claim
1. Minimize the damage.
Large amounts of damage tend to be a little more difficult to claim—or at least they will leave you haggling with your insurance provider over dollars and cents. As soon as you realize you have water damage, take measures to minimize the damage. If it’s a leaking toilet or a busted hot water heater, call an emergency plumber. Soak up any excess water with towels while you wait to minimize damage to flooring. If you do nothing, your insurance company could possibly have the right to deny some or all of your claim, stating that you could have prevented some of the damage but did not intervene.
2. Document everything.
To assess your claim, your insurance provider will need evidence to prove that something occurred. While you are waiting for help, make sure to document all of the damage with your smartphone and make a list of anything that could have caused the water leak or flood. Video is more compelling than a photo. If you have that capability, make a video of the damage and talk through what’s going on and what’s been destroyed. Hand over copies of your evidence to the insurance adjuster when required.
3. Call a restoration company.
Unsure of what to do next? Call your preferred restoration company to ask about next steps. Insurers often push ‘preferred vendors’ onto anxious customers that are in a panic. By law, it’s your right to choose whatever home restoration company you want. Insurance companies, however, have a list of ‘preferred vendors’ and will often push these on you before you have time to consider. These ‘preferred vendors’ primarily work for the insurance company and don’t always have your best interest at heart.
4. Report it to insurance ASAP.
Then, call your insurance company soon after. You’ll want to put this high on your priority list. If you wait to call, they could deny your claim for being too late. Not sure if what’s happened will be covered? Planning to fix the damage yourself? Call anyway. Your insurance provider will be able to let you know if the damage can’t be covered, and there should not be any penalty for asking questions.
970 Services: Denver’s #1 Trusted Restoration Company
At 970 Services, we understand disaster situations and we’re Denver’s top home restoration company for a reason. Our team is always professional, attentive, and willing to go the distance for any and all of our clients in Denver and beyond.
If you are ever faced with a disaster, like a fire or a flood, remember to call a local, trusted home restoration company (like us!) first. Need assistance ASAP? Give us a call now at (970) 888-0970 or contact us online for a FREE estimate.
Located in Loveland, CO, we also offer home restoration service in the following areas: Fort Collins, Loveland, Ault, Greeley, Denver, Windsor, Boulder, Longmont, and throughout Northern Colorado.