What Should I Do Immediately After Water Damage?
Handling A Water Damage Emergency: What do you do if your house has water damage? The best thing you can do is to hire a water damage company to assess the damage, clean up the water, and make sure that your home is safe again.
Water damage can occur for a variety of reasons, such as broken water pipes, clogged sinks, or overflowing tubs. Some causes are easily prevented by homeowners, while others are difficult or impossible to prevent; like living in a flood zone where you experience frequent storms or heavy rainfall.
Let’s take a look at how to tackle the water damage situation.
Action Steps When Handling A Water Damage Emergency
If you are experiencing water damage, the first thing you need to do is to identify the source of the water to determine if it’s some sort of plumbing accident or flooding. Once you figure out where the water is coming from then take steps to stop the flow and prevent future damage.
Also, be aware that some problems may be covered by your home insurance policy, while others are not. You should definitely take a thorough look at your insurance policy before calling your agent or company.
Some types of water damage may not be covered by insurance. For example, if you have a leaking toilet and simply call a plumber to fix it, your insurer will probably not cover the costs of repairing water-damaged walls and floors. However, if you repair all of the damage yourself and then hire a professional restoration service to clean everything up after it’s all dried out, that work would likely be covered.
The most important step in dealing with water damage is to stop the water from spreading. Turn off the water, power, and gas to your home, if possible. If you have a sump pump, turn it off, too.
Lastly, to maximize your water damage insurance claim, keep records and take pictures of everything.
If you’re not sure whether or not your insurance will cover the damages, call your agent or company as soon as possible and report the claim.
How Do You Find A Reputable Water Damage Company?
Finding a reputable company may not be as hard as you think. Start out by researching companies online with search engines like Google or Bing. While searching, deep dive into the reviews and the company’s BIO; this is where you’ll find reliable reviews by real people, plus you’ll get a feel for the organization. At this point, if you’re still stumped, ask a family member or close friend who may have experienced water damage in their home.
How Do Water Damage Insurance Claims Work?
There are some tips that can help you when dealing with insurance adjusters after water damage. You should also be aware of some common scams. There are some companies that may be scamming you or making it difficult for you to get your claim paid fairly and on time. In situations like these, you want to consider hiring an independent claims adjuster (a.k.a public adjuster).
To ensure that you are getting the best help at the time, here are some tips on how for handling a water damage emergency claim:
1. Never sign anything that an insurance adjuster gives to you before speaking with your own insurance agent first or an independent public adjuster.
2. Always get estimates from more than one company for the repairs needed in your home after a flood or water damage.
3. Get an estimate in writing and have your own independent insurance claims adjuster check it out before approving it for payment.
4. If an estimate seems too low, ask for more detailed work or labor costs so you can see exactly where the estimated cost came from.
5. Switch companies if necessary to find one that will provide quality service with reasonable pricing.
When you have water damage in your home, it is very important that you deal with the insurance adjuster from your insurance company. They will inspect the damages and decide whether or not they will cover the damages. If they do not, then you should consider hiring a public claims adjuster to assist you. Otherwise, you may end up paying for the damages out-of-pocket.
Looking For An Independent Claims Adjuster?
Major Adjusters work as a liaison for homeowners and business owners who’ve experienced catastrophic events and need assistance in dealing with their insurance providers. Our job is to make sure you’re treated fairly and honestly while reaching a settlement.
All of our adjusters are knowledgeable, certified, and trained to manage all aspects of a catastrophic event. We focus on expediting the recovery process for families facing challenging times and getting them back on their feet as quickly as possible.
Feel free to contact us at hello@majoradjusters.com or call direct at (312) 883-2064.
Major Adjusters
670 Memorial Dr. SE
Atlanta, GA 30312
Email: hello@majoradjusters.com
Direct: (312) 883-2064
P.S. Got A Moment? Check out This Public Adjuster Training Video: Is your damage covered by your insurance policy? (Examples inside)
by xotatech.com