Residential or commercial fire insurance claims can be very complicated. Submitting them to your insurance company so that you get the money you need to rebuild can be even more complicated.
Many times your insurance company is only going to address the initial, obvious fire or smoke damage. They’re not going to look for hidden damages unless someone points them out. Cleanup alone can be quite complicated in order to ensure the future safety of the structure following fire damage.
Many contractors these days will reassure you that they are “certified” for fire damage claims. Or that they are on the insurance company’s “preferred vendor list”, so they will be able to return you to pre-loss condition. We always advise potential clients to make sure they fully understand what those two things mean in the “real” world.
There are very few “certifications” related to fire damage claims. In fact, most certifications only refer to structural cleaning, etc. So, make sure you understand who has the “certification”, and what are the “certified” to do. There’s a good chance they may not be “certified” to do anything different from any other contractor.
Preferred vendor lists can also be a bit tricky to navigate when it comes to fire damage claims. Insurance companies created “preferred vendor programs” out of a necessity to have contractors that are willing to change their pricing to match what the insurance company “wants” to pay for repairs. Yep, you read that right. What better way to control your costs for claims than to create a program for contractors who have to “pre-qualify” to take part in so that you can “make” them change or lower their pricing to match what you “think” is the “right pricing”.
Most preferred vendors won’t described these programs this way. It happens, though and it’s a reality that you should be concerned with when getting help for your fire damage claim.
These are just two reasons why we create our own unique file with photo documentation and pricing to get as close as humanly possible to what we think it will take to truly return you to your pre-loss condition.
There are alot of moving parts in a fire claim. Make sure you have someone on your team that has the experience and knowledge you need to help get you what you need to put your life back together when it matters most.
We do that, and we can certainly help.
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I work as a Houston Public Adjuster, Estimator, Appraiser and Claims Consultant. I also travel as needed for storms & Large Loss claims.
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