What To do after a storm comes through your area
- If there have been storms that came through the area, whether it’s high winds, hail, or tornadoes, what should someone do first?
The first step is identify if your property has received any damage from the storms that warrant filing an insurance claim. Insurance companies actually would rather you file a claim for potential damage than not because damange is not always easily visible and it can cause more damage later on if not taken care of quickly. There are several different signs that you should call someone to come look at your property.
A few that are fairly easy to see are:
leaves on the ground in your yard knocked out of trees from winds or falling hail stones
spatter on your driveway or sidewalk- the little white marks from where the hail hits and cleans away the dirt
dents on your downspouts
spatter on your deck – similar to the sidewalks where the hail has removed the stains
holes in siding if it’s vinyl- or dents if its metal
To watch for more ways to identify damage follow us on social media and learn about some of the harder to recognize signs of damage. Often times, we meet with people who don’t think they have any damage or don’t think the storms were strong enough to do damage and are surprised at what we show them.
https://www.facebook.com/yourmidweststormheroes
*If you see any of these signs or even if you’re just unsure and would like peace of mind you can go ahead and give us a call to come out and do a full detailed inspection of your property.
HOW MUCH WILL THAT COST ME?
*Nothing! The inspections are absolutely free and if we find no damage we will give your home a clean bill of health, and if we do find damage then we will let you know that you should move forward with filing your insurance claim.
- So let’s say I see some leaves on the ground and a dent in my downspout what’s the benefit of calling you guys instead of just going ahead and filing my claim?
If you want you could go ahead and get the process by filing the claim if you believe you have at least some damage. But the most important thing is how much? We always do a full inspection and take detailed notes so that when we are there with the insurance adjuster we can make sure that between our multiple sets of eyes, nothing gets missed. Which is also why it’s important to work with a company that will help you get everything covered not just your roof- or whatever particular trade they can replace so that your claim is fully approved the way it should be.
OH SO YOU COME OUT WHEN THE INSURANCE ADJUSTER IS THERE TOO?
Yes. Not only is it better to have multiple sets of eyes to make sure all damage is properly identified, but it keeps everyone accountable. We always like to say if the adjuster that works for the insurance company is the only one identifying what damages there are -it’s kind of like going to court and using the other guy’s attorney. If you think about it- the one who is paying the bills is the one deciding what they should pay seems strange right? So we have worked with hundreds of adjusters from lots of different insurance companies over the years and we have learned their requirements for claims, how to properly identify the damage, and how to work with the different styles/personalities of each one. It’s definitely a bit of a “game” . But we earn the respect of the adjusters we work with because we work well them, and we never ever cry wolf. We would not help someone with a claim that we did not believe had legit damage. Because of this we have an almost perfect approval record over our last 6 years working together.
It’s also extremely important to work with a contractor who has a lot of experience navigating the entire claims process and knows how to overcome all the obstacles that inevitably come up along the way.
It’s much easier to get us involved in the process right away, and have us by your side the entire time, especially if you have never dealt with a property claim.
- So then what happens if I didn’t know I should have you out there with my adjuster and I already filed my claim, and they came and now I have my check?
That actually happens a lot and that’s ok- it’s just a little more of a process. We would still then come out and do a thorough inspection of our own to identify all of the damage. We would help you compare that with what your adjuster identified on their report to make sure that we agree. If anything is missing on their report we will provide the evidence to them to see if they will just approve the additional items or if they will want to send someone out again for a reinspection and we would be there with them this time. What we find typically happens in this instance is several things or missed or a lot of times everything is denied completely. We have a one hundred percent track record of getting these changed into approvals simply because we have the knowledge, and tenacity. We assume that since you pay your premiums you believe you should be covered when it’s needed.
We recently turned a $0 claim in to $50k claim. We have one we next we are doing all new windows, and siding for them, and they just got a new ac unit. Originally when the adjuster was out at the property he covered only 2 sides of the siding that’s it. Now all of this is being paid for by the insurance company.
*It’s also important to know that YOU as the policy holder have the right to choose any contractor you want. The insurance company does not in any way have any right to tell you who you must use. And they do not set the price either. That’s why your contractor will need to help you understand the process of getting full approval.
- Ok so if I may or may not be able to fully rely on my insurance company to have my best interest in mind- how do I know when I have found a contractor that does?
A few things you should look for when choosing your contractor are
- Knowledge and experience specific to the storm damage industry and dealing with insurance claims
- Do you feel they are working with integrity
- Have they let you know they will be with you throughout the entire process, and not just get you to sign a paper and then pass it off to someone else until the construction is complete, most likely to never hear from them again. Will they be around if something comes up in a year from now also?
- Do they have some references of the quality and service they provide that they are willing to share with you?
