What Do I Do After I Have a Water Loss?
Having a homeowners insurance policy gives you a certain confidence and peace of mind. As water damage is covered by your policy, you may feel reassured when faced with a leak in the pipes or roof. But you may be in for a nasty shock if your insurance provider either denies your water damage claim or offers a settlement that is lower than the cost to you.
In order to understand what you must do when faced with water loss, you should be aware of the provisions of your homeowners’ insurance policy; what is covered and what is excluded.
Water damage and flood damage are totally different.
Water damage is caused by problems specific to your house, such as plumbing or roof leaks. Flood damage is caused by natural disasters such as a hurricane or storm that usually affect many homes. Your homeowners’ insurance policy will typically include coverage for water damage, but you may need to purchase a separate policy for flood damage. The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) is the primary source of flood damage coverage for homeowners.
You may not be covered for gradual water damage.
If water enters parts of your house where it is not meant to due to damages that happened over a long time, you may not be covered by insurance. Your insurance company will check whether you overlooked problems such as mold, corrosion, and leaks and did not carry out the maintenance or repairs in time.
When it comes to filing a claim for water damage that was sudden or accidental, you must promptly take action to get the best possible settlement.
- Stop further damage. As soon as you notice that water is damaging your home, try to stop it and prevent further loss. If there is a plumbing leak, you may need to switch off your water. If the roof is leaking and allowing rainwater to enter, try to close the leak. If you do not take action promptly, your insurance company may deny your claim.
- Preserve damaged items. Do not throw away items that have been damaged by water, as you can show them to your insurance provider as proof to support your claim.
- Take pictures or videos. Document the damage by taking photographs for shooting videos. You could speak as you record the video describing what has occurred.
- Contact your insurance provider. Keep your policy number handy and reach out to your insurer to initiate the claims process.
- Get professional estimates for repairs or replacement. What will it cost you to restore your home to its condition before water damage? You may need to get cost estimates from several specialists.
- Do not assume that the adjuster sent by the insurance company is working for you. In fact, this individual is hired by your insurer and will attempt to offer you as low a settlement as possible.
The best thing that you can do is to contact Experienced Public Adjusters at the earliest to service your water damage claim, as we will take care of these steps and everything else required for a successful water loss claim.
We have the technical expertise and understanding of the insurance industry to manage your documentation and negotiate on your behalf. We do everything it takes to get you the best possible water loss claim settlement.